This week, over 400 Christian leaders signed an open letter expressing their commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, their opposition to the proposed Treaty Principles Bill, and urging MPs to vote down the Bill and not allow it to go to the Select Committee stage. See the letter below.

It was impressive that so many Christian leaders were able to speak out in defence of Te Tiriti. This is indicative of widespread Christian concern about the cultural divisiveness of our time, and reflects a Christian desire for reconciliation rather than for angry polarisation.

On this and any other matter of ethics and justice, Christians have both a responsibility and a democratic right to speak up, just as secular people do. We need more of that from Christians, on all sorts of issues. On many things, of course, there is more than one Christian viewpoint, and Christians should always try to speak with love and respect.

The New Zealand Christian Network fully agrees that it is very important for Christian people, and our whole nation, to uphold the integrity and ongoing relevance of Te Tiriti, and to honour its covenantal nature.

Some aspects of Te Tiriti’s intended meanings remain subject to reasonable debate. Discussions of that need to be based on the historic text, rather than imposed from any extraneous ideological basis.

As a politically non-aligned Christian unity movement, the New Zealand Christian Network leadership appreciated the open letter but chose not to sign it on behalf of our members, primarily because it was quite specific in its political content and strategy.

There is no question that in the past Te Tiriti was shamelessly dishonoured and breached, with tragic, long-term consequences.

We suggest that the only way forward for New Zealand lies in generosity of spirit, intercultural reconciliation and healing, and constructive partnership. We all need to work and pray for that.

Author: Dr Stuart Lange

Dr Stuart Lange is the National Director of the NZCN and is a Senior Research Fellow at Laidlaw College, where he was formerly Vice Principal. Stuart wrote and presented the historical DVD documentary Te Rongopai: 200 years of the Gospel in New Zealand, 1814-2014.