WHEN the internet senses a screw-up, it can be terrifyingly quick to react.

A former Prime Minister gives a speech 17,000km away, one comedian cracks a little joke about it on Twitter, and suddenly everybody is rewriting a sacred 2000-year-old book in an almighty mass piss-take.

At least, that’s what happened yesterday in the aftermath of Tony Abbott’s Margaret Thatcher Lecture speech.

The former PM copped a fair share of criticism over the speech, particularly over his urging European leaders to turn back refugees fleeing the Middle East.

But it was his references to the Bible which really seemed to pique people’s interest, when he said: “The imperative to “love your neighbour as you love yourself” is at the heart of every Western polity... but - right now - this wholesome instinct is leading much of Europe into catastrophic error.”

Comedian Wil Anderson soon took to Twitter to ignite what became a humorous backlash/game-of-who-can-be-the-wittiest using the hashtag #TheToneCommandments - an obvious reference to the Ten Commandments of the Christian faith.

Love thy neighbour. Actually close the borders and just watch Neighbours, it's mostly white people #TheToneCommandments — Wil Anderson (@Wil_Anderson) October 27, 2015

Predictably, the hashtag immediately began trending, and as you may have imagined, people delighted in it.

Honour thy father and thy mother. But not thy father & thy father, nor thy mother & thy mother. #TheToneCommandments — Adam Bandt (@AdamBandt) October 28, 2015

Thou shalt not commit adultery, or act like an adult generally. #TheToneCommandments — Brett (@OsbornBrett) October 27, 2015

Thou shall not murder, but it's not murder if it happens after you send them back to their country of origin #TheToneCommandments — Rachel Baker (@astudentnow) October 27, 2015

This bloke Noah, he came by boat? Send him away #TheToneCommandments — Dave Pitman (@bigbadave) October 27, 2015

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's onion. #TheToneCommandments — Sam Drummond (@samdrummond) October 28, 2015

Thou must not consume the flesh of an onion, unless that onion is raw and covered in skin. To do so is an abomination. #TheToneCommandments — Marchioness Ella (@TehElmeister) October 28, 2015

This isn’t the first time our old mate Tone has drawn criticism for trying to link religion to refugees. On a 2010 episode of Q&A, he responded to a question on the issue saying: “Jesus knew that there was a place for everything and it’s not necessarily everyone’s place to come to Australia.”