by Dr Stuart Lange | 11 Nov , 2024 | About Christianity, Articles, Christianity in New Zealand
USA elections, in a wider perspective
The upside of democracy is that every few years the people get to choose their own leaders. Some people usually vote the same, some don’t. But governmental change happens whenever a majority become disgruntled with how things are, and vote for someone else in the hope that matters may improve under new leadership. With every election result, however, a very considerable minority are disappointed.
Every human leader has their own strengths and weaknesses, faults and blind spots. Rhetoric does not always reflect reality.
Only time will tell what effects the second Trump presidency may have on the world economy, on international security, peace and war, the health of the environment, and on various contested issues such as religious freedom, respect for all cultures, transgenderism, and the rights of the unborn.
God alone understands the big picture in this world. Our role as believers is to pray for our troubled world, and for those in authority, and to live our own lives with love for God and others, faithful in Christ, and renewed by the Holy Spirit.
In New Zealand, the Treaty Principles debate
In New Zealand, as part of the coalition agreement, the Act Party’s ‘Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill’ has now been introduced. The Bill will lead to much-heated debate. The Bill is not supported by any other party, so it will not proceed into law.
Whatever meanings we may discern in Te Tiriti o Waitangi / The Treaty of Waitangi, those meanings should be firmly anchored in what the Treaty was historically intended to achieve, and what its articles say.
The Treaty arose out of Christian humanitarian concern to protect Māori from colonial injustice, through Māori agreeing to the British Crown taking authority within New Zealand (Article 1); through the Crown fully respecting Māori rights, chiefly authority, and land ownership (Article 2); and through the Crown guaranteeing Māori all the rights and privileges of British citizenship (Article 3). The Treaty was a civil document, but has nevertheless been regarded by many Māori as akin to a sacred covenant. It needs to be honoured.
We can pray that the discussions may result in a greater understanding and consensus in these matters, and that Christians may contribute well into the discussion.
by Dr Stuart Lange | 11 Oct , 2024 | About Christianity, Articles, Christianity in New Zealand
In the just-released 2023 census results, two key figures stand out in relation to “religion”:
1. For the first time, slightly over half of New Zealanders (51.6%) now identify as having ‘”no religion”.
2. The percentage of New Zealand people who identify themselves in the 2023 census as Christian is 32.3%, down from 36.5% in 2018.
What are we to make of all this?
The reduction in Christian affiliation is consistent with the pattern over many decades, of roughly a 1% reduction every year, and a 5% drop every five years.
While one in every two New Zealanders now professes “no religion”, over one-third are still happy to identify as Christian (and some of those will be very committed Christians).
The ongoing growth in “no religion” reflects the pervasive effect on New Zealand society of the prevailing beliefs of Western culture: things like scepticism, postmodern relativism, and the priority of self, pleasure, and individual choice. The dominant narratives in Western society are no longer Christian. Being actively Christian is becoming more counter-cultural. Whereas Christianity was once the default setting for many people in New Zealand, and many families sent their children to Sunday Schools and church youth groups, that is no longer so, and secularised families raise secular descendants.
Arguably, secular Western cultural ideas have also significantly weakened the Church itself. Some Christians and churches have diminished confidence in the truth of Christian beliefs, in the Bible, and in the necessity of evangelism. The teaching and discipleship of churches has generally not been robust enough to counter secular pressures. Many children raised in Christian families lose their faith, and disengage from church. Also, not enough Christians and churches in New Zealand are active or effective in evangelism. As a result of all that, the Church in New Zealand has too many people drifting out, and not enough coming in. If the Church in New Zealand could be stronger in its confidence in the Gospel, in teaching and discipleship, and evangelism, it would be in considerably better shape.
Globally, Christianity is growing. But not currently in New Zealand. Even in New Zealand, though, God is still at work, and the Gospel remains the power of God for salvation. Many people are still open to God, and the Holy Spirit still delights to move in the hearts of unbelievers and bring them to faith and wholeness in Christ. And God can still breathe upon the Church, and powerfully renew it, and raise up new individuals and movements and generations of vibrant faith.
The early church did not worry about being a minority in a hostile society. They just got on with being authentically Christian: believing, praying, discipling, caring, and evangelising.
This is not a time for Christians in New Zealand to wring their hands in despair. This is a time for humble, honest reflection before God, and for serious prayer. Not prayer that God will make New Zealand thoroughly “Christian” (it never was, and never will be), or that God will improve the census figures, but prayer that we Christians will be more faithful, that God will refresh and revive the Church, and that many more people in New Zealand will find new life in Jesus.
by Malcolm Falloon | 25 Sep , 2024 | About Christianity, Articles, Christianity and Social & Moral Issues
I urge you to take a few minutes to respond to the government questionnaire on the End of Life Choice Act. I have just filled it out it myself. Public consultation in the form of the survey closes 5 pm on Thursday 26 September 2024. The questionnaire can be accessed here.
The euphemistically named End of Life Choice Act was passed in 2019 and is now up for review. As part of the review process, the public are invited to answer a series of ten questions. The questions are straightforward and took me about 30 minutes to answer – I like to give full answers! But if you simply want to state your opinion, and say yes or no, filling out the questionnaire will take much less time. So why not complete it now?
In filling out the questionnaire, I found it helpful to re-acquaint myself with the issues involved. To that end, Family First have put together a webpage with information, helpful links, and opinions from a Christian point-of-view. They also list the questions you will be asked in the questionnaire and give sample answers here (use them to help form your ideas, but if you just copy them your response is likely to be discounted as a “form” response).
Reading through the material, many Christians will be concerned that the Act has had a lethal (literally) impact on many vulnerable people over the past five years. For me, it is of particular concern that 99% of those who chose to end their lives did so without any referral for psychiatric assessment. That raises serious questions as to how many of those who made decisions to end their lives did so primarily in response to an underlying mental health issue or due to a misplaced desire not to burden family or an under-resourced health system?
Having been in pastoral ministry for over thirty years, I know how precious the last few months/years of a person’s life can be. Once the shock of having received a terminal diagnosis is overcome, the time remaining becomes, in fact, a wonderful gift – both to the person concerned and to their families. It is amazing how much of value and significance can be passed on to others when we know the time is short.
In the end, only God knows the number of our days. Doctors rightly attempt to give us a realistic prognosis, but even their predictions must bow before the sovereign will of our loving and merciful Creator. My only conclusion: “my times are in your hands” (Psalm 31:15).
by Dr Stuart Lange | 13 Sep , 2024 | About Christianity, Articles, Christianity in New Zealand, The Church
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.
by Dr Stuart Lange | 30 Aug , 2024 | About Christianity, Articles, FOCUS, Marriage and Family
The only perfect father is our heavenly Father, the ultimate source of all life, love, and goodness.
Most human fathers do a reasonably good job of parenting and do their best to support and encourage their children. As flawed human beings, though, none of us gets everything right. All fathers can at times be impatient, irritable, selfish, neglectful, or overly harsh. However, children are wired to trust and love their parents, and generally cope okay with our imperfections.
The high level in our society of part-time or absent fathers is far from ideal.
Tragically, some children are exposed to fathers (or other males living in the home) who may be variously indifferent, demeaning, cruel, under the influence of drugs or alcohol, prone to rage, violent, or committing abuse. Seriously bad fathering causes serious long-term harm.
What can Christian men do to be the best fathers they possibly can?
Here are three things to consider:
- In both word and action, profoundly love your children. Give them the loving fatherly attention, affection, and guidance they really need. Don’t neglect them, don’t belittle them, don’t condone unacceptable behaviour, don’t be excessively strict, don’t punish harshly. Be accessible, be gentle but firm, be as calm as you can, be reasonable, be fair, be kind, have fun with them, teach them about God (Deut. 6:6-7), and give them good boundaries. Be determined that you will never do them harm (Ephes. 6:4).
- Give your children a credible example of what it means to follow Christ, to love God and love others, to be shaped by God’s values and led by the Spirit, and to be committed to serving God and others in and beyond the church. Read the Bible with them, pray with them and pray for them, and be actively involved with them in a good church.
- Give your children a great example of what it means to be a loving, faithful, considerate, gentle, and caring husband (Ephes. 5:25,28), and what it means to be a good father.
by Malcolm Falloon | 19 Aug , 2024 | About Christianity
As the Paris Olympics came to an end, many Christians were hoping that the closing celebrations did not repeat the controversies of the opening ceremony. During the opening, a tableau vivant (living picture) was presented based on da Vinci’s The Last Supper, but with Christ and the twelve disciples replaced by a woman surrounded by drag queens, and instead of the bread and wine, the participants were being invited to feast on a blue-skinned man apparently meant to represent the Greek god, Dionysius, though probably also referencing the Hindu god, Vishnu.
Christians around the world were rightly shocked at a display that appeared to mock their religion.(1) Since then, there have been various denials (it was, we are told, actually a celebration of “community and tolerance”), along with a “soft” apology from the official spokesperson (“If people have taken any offence we are, of course, really, really sorry”). This was then followed by the prompt removal of all traces of the opening ceremony from the official Olympic social media platforms.
How should Christians respond to things like this? Should they be demonstrating outside French Embassies as did controversial social influencer and recent Muslim convert, Andrew Tate? He posted on X: “I am protesting outside of the French embassy for mocking Jesus during the Olympic ceremony… I do this as a Muslim. WHERE ARE THE CHRISTIANS?”(2) Elon Musk, a self-identifying cultural Christian, posted: “Unless there is more bravery to stand up for what is fair and right, Christianity will perish.”(3)
To a certain extent, I agree that Christians do need more courage and clarity when they speak, particularly when they speak of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But whether Christians need to rise up and defend their honour, let alone the honour of their crucified Saviour, is another matter again. To my mind, I suspect that Musk and Tate have not fully grasped what it means to follow Jesus, who declares his followers “blessed” when others revile and persecute them (Matt.5:11), and who calls upon them to “turn the other cheek” when insulted (Matt.5:39). As Christians we have already embraced the shame and ridicule of the Cross. The mockery of this world no longer has any power to shame us. Instead, the 2024 Opening Ceremony tells us more about the chaos and confusion wrought by the gods of this age, and points again to the desperate need of our modern world to still hear of a Saviour’s love(4).
1 https://cruxnow.com/church-in-europe/2024/07/paris-olympic-committee-makes-soft-apology-for-last-supper-drag-parody
2 https://www.news.com.au/sport/olympics/mocking-jesus-tate-brothers-and-protesters-storm-french-embassy-after-controversial-olympic-ceremony-move/news-story/1593b97fa62265ebf54b403c0fb56a32
3 https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1817273263761817710?lang=en&lang=en
4 https://au.thegospelcoalition.org/article/a-short-history-of-linking-jesus-and-dionysus/
