New Zealand is not that keen on being a radical christian nation; a light touch will do!
Brian Tamaki grabbed headlines protesting for New Zealand to become a Christian nation and challenging immigration policies targeting specific groups that import other religions into the country.
But does New Zealand really want to be a hardcore Christian nation?
The stuff he’s not totally wrong about
Housing’s a bloody mess—try buying a house in Auckland without selling a kidney.
Immigration is partly responsible.
He’s right that healthcare’s creaking too—wait times are brutal, and bringing more people into the country doesn’t make it easier.
Violence and extremism exist in all religious groups, including the ones whose flags he burnt at the protest. It’s not exclusive to Islam.
Is he missing anything?
Immigrants aren’t the boogeyman.
Housing’s screwed because of years of terrible policies—tax breaks for property sharks and not enough new builds—not just because some family from Mumbai rocked up.
Healthcare? Underfunded forever. I guess putting a value on life and health is always a moving target.
New Zealand is also not some monoculture waiting to be preserved in amber.
Kiwis lived on this land for hundreds of years before Christianity arrived.
New Zealand doesn’t want to be a christian nation
More than half of New Zealanders are not interested in being religious.
They do, however, care about the country functioning efficiently, services being available to everyone, democracy being upheld, talented people being attracted to fill the gaps, the standard of living improving, children being safe, abuse of power being checked, defense being well-funded, what’s precious to us being preserved, and foreign policy working well.
It is right to be worried about living in post-religious societies
Historian Paul Moon makes a great case for it.
Perhaps it’s best to avoid both the camp that doesn’t believe in religion at all and the camp that is extremely radical about a religion’s way.
Christianity did play a huge role in paving the way for modern Western civilization.
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