by Dr Stuart Lange | 20 Jun , 2022 | Articles, Christianity and Social & Moral Issues
This article is not about Bethlehem College. It is about much broader New Zealand rights of freedom of belief and expression, and how those should continue to apply to all our country’s religious schools.
According to the New Zealand Bill of Rights (1990), every New Zealander is entitled to…
13 Freedom of thought, conscience, and religion
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion, and belief, including the right to adopt and to hold opinions without interference.
14 Freedom of expression
Everyone has the right to freedom of expression, including the freedom to seek, receive, and impart information and opinions of any kind in any form.
15 Manifestation of religion and belief
Every person has the right to manifest that person’s religion or belief in worship, observance, practice, or teaching, either individually or in community with others, and either in public or in private.
Such rights of belief and expression are for people of all beliefs, persuasions, and lifestyles. Increasingly, though, in western societies some beliefs and practices are being exalted above others, and some beliefs and practices (including some Christian ones) are being decried as dangerous, objectionable, and worthy of suppression.
These days, for instance, it is often now claimed by some that it is “discriminatory” for Christians to believe or say that marriage is about the union of a man and a woman. But such a belief is by no means unusual or extreme: it has been held by human societies since time immemorial, across vast numbers of cultures and religions, and it remains a basic moral assumption of many people, including many Christians. In our free society, it is a belief that Christian people, churches and schools should remain free to uphold, express, and practise. Other people remain free to disagree with Christians on this or any other matter. But they are wrong when they feel they have the right to proscribe what Christians (and others) may believe, say, or practise.
Sure, in recent years (2013) the New Zealand Parliament extended the legal scope of marriage in this country to allow for marriages between same-sex couples. We fully accept that as a legal reality, and as providing greater options for some. The decisions of the New Zealand Parliament cannot, however, restrict what people may or may not believe about the nature of marriage, according to their own beliefs, religion, and culture.
Maybe it is time for Christians to refer to “how we understand marriage”, or “how we understand Christian marriage”, in recognition that there is a wide range of understandings of marriage, both in society and even in some churches.
Christians have a right to believe, express and follow their own biblical moral values. They also have a strong biblical responsibility to hold and practise those Christian values in a loving way, with grace and respect.
As many of you will know, Bethlehem College in Tauranga has recently been under criticism in the media from some LGBTQ+ advocates. Among other things, some object to the clause in the College’s statement of belief that “In the beginning God created male and female. Marriage is an institution created by God in which one man and one woman enter into a relationship intended for life, and that marriage is the only form of partnership approved by God for sexual relations”. They also report that, following a complaint, the Ministry of Education has asked the school to remove that clause, because it was not part of the original integration agreement in 1999 (There are Ministry of Education processes for having changes approved, but the issue is whether those were followed).
We make no judgment on either Bethlehem College or the Ministry of Education. Our key point is simply to express the general principle that, one way or another, Christian schools must remain free to express and practise their Christian beliefs and values – and that they should do so lovingly and respectfully. The whole basis of the integration of “special character” schools is that their “special character” will be upheld. Parents have chosen to send their children to such schools precisely because of that special character. The Government must continue to respect that special character, and keep working well with those schools.
by Mark Maney | 3 Jun , 2022 | About Christianity, Articles
An opinion piece by MARK MANEY
I heard something interesting the other day. It was a comment from Justin Brierley, the host of a well-known British radio show and podcast called Unbelievable? On it he gets Christians and non-Christians to discuss all sorts of issues related to the truth of Christianity. The comment from Justin Brierley that took my interest was that he “had never met a non-believer.” Initially I was confused, because he’s been hosting his show for over ten years talking to sceptics and non-believers. But he continued, “Don’t get me wrong, I’ve met thousands of atheists and sceptics, but even the most non-religious people can still have a holy cause, ritual ceremonies, sacred symbols, and even their own heretics”.
Justin Brierley’s observation was astute. For example, many non-believers are big on advocating for abortion and women’s reproductive rights (a holy cause), on kneeling for the anthem to protest racism (ritual ceremonies), on waving the rainbow flag (sacred symbols), or on cancelling JK Rowling for ‘wrongspeak’ on gender issues (heretics).
The point is not the issues above, the point is that in reality we are all believers deep down. We all have a set of beliefs which guide our lives. In this 2020s cultural moment, so many of us, Christian and non-Christian alike, believe that good must conquer evil and that justice really matters. Yes, we are all believers deep down, but sadly far too many of us are worshipping the wrong things.
In reality, as Justin Brierley also noted, if we desire to bring truth and grace into our confused and divided culture we need to make sure we are worshiping the right things. And when we put God at the centre, with the grace of Jesus guiding us, we can tap into the power of the Spirit and help transform our culture and bring true justice.
The New Testament teaches (1 Pet. 3:15) that Christian believers should be ready to give a reason to others for their faith, with gentleness and respect. It would be great if everyone applied that principle, non-Christians too. We should all be able to give reasons for what we believe. There is no default or neutral position on important life questions. Non-Christians do not get off the hook by just saying, “I’m not convinced Christianity is true”. They should also give reasons for what they believe.
by Dr Stuart Lange | 21 May , 2022 | Articles, Christianity and Social & Moral Issues
God’s creation is superb. God’s creation is vaster than we could ever comprehend, it is intricate, it is ordered, it is infinitely varied, it is full of energy, it is profuse with life, and it is magnificently beautiful.
The splendours of this created universe reflect the much greater glory of its sublime Creator. Human awe for creation can lead to awe of the living God who made it all: ‘since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made’ (Rom. 1:9).
God’s creation established his complete and unchallengeable authority over everything and everyone that exists. The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it’ (Ps. 24:1). That means this is God’s world, not ours.
The whole Bible, from Genesis 1: 1 onwards, gives testimony to God’s absolute delight in his creation. The Creator gazed upon his completed creation, and saw that it was ‘very good’ (Gen. 1:31). God continues to actively watch over his creation, sustaining all things by his powerful word (Heb. 1:3). If God loves his creation so much, so should we!
Humanity is the pinnacle of God’s creation, created to fellowship with God, and also set among the rest of God’s created order to enjoy and care for it (Gen. 2:15).
The bad news. Because of humanity’s waywardness towards God, creation has been placed under a deep shadow of brokenness, suffering, and death, and it groans as it awaits the day of salvation (Rom. 8: 18-22).
The good news. The Cross of Jesus is at the centre of God’s plan of salvation, reconciling us to God. But Cross also looks forward to the liberation and restoration of God’s creation, at the coming of the Lord (Col. 1:20; Rom. 8: 21; Eph. 1:10; Rev.21:1-4).
Some reasons why Christians should care for God’s creation…
- We should love what God loves: his creation.
- We should honour God by respecting what he has given us.
- God asked humanity to care for creation (Gen. 2:15): to benefit from it, and work it, but not to exploit it relentlessly or junk it.
- We should remember that while God’s humanity is central to God’s creation, we are all dependent on the rest of creation for our own human health and flourishing. Human greed, selfishness and apathy is now putting God’s creation under serious strain.
- Caring for creation is not at the centre of the Gospel. But that does not mean it is not important, or that we can ignore it.
- It is the poorest people and the poorest nations who are the worst affected by pollution, famine, and climate change: the Bible consistently urges believers to show both justice and mercy, and to live others as ourselves (Mt. 25:37-40). This applies globally.
- Yes, the believer’s future is secure in God, and we look forward to the Lord’s return, but we do not know when that will be.
- Christians currently have a great opportunity to give a good example in these matters, and to let the light of Christ shine.
by Dr Stuart Lange | 22 Apr , 2022 | About Christianity, Articles
Many of us will have noticed a recent spate of media pieces critiquing some of our large churches, with a particular focus on some personal grievances about internships. Those churches will no doubt be addressing those concerns, and the church primarily in view has acted wisely in setting up an independent review.
Negative public scrutiny of churches raises the much broader question of how robust churches generally are in reviewing themselves. The reality is, it is helpful for all churches – regardless of their size, model, flavour or tradition – to reflect honestly on their own values, emphases, practices and traditions.
As followers of Christ, we all know that we are visible witnesses to the grace and truth of Jesus, that we are the body of Christ, that we are called to the highest spiritual and ethical standards, and that we are answerable to the Lord.
There is so much about most churches that is wonderful. But no church has all the answers, and no church ever gets everything right. We always need to remember that churches are also human organisations – full of imperfect people, and susceptible to blind spots and failures.
As organisations in society, churches are subject to the laws of the land, just like other organisations. We are legally obligated to have everything in good order, and should always strive to follow best practice.
No church – small, large, or in-between – is exempt from public scrutiny and critique. While secular society generally recognises that churches do much good, it has little tolerance for churches’ perceived shortcomings or ethical lapses.
Arguably, society is increasingly holding churches to account. Perhaps in some respects that is a good thing. But perhaps it is an even better thing when all our churches critically reflect on ourselves, humbly review our assumptions and practices, and make God-honouring changes.
by Dr Stuart Lange | 14 Apr , 2022 | About Christianity, Articles
The resurrection really matters, because…
Jesus’ resurrection demonstrates that Jesus is indeed the divine Son of God
By his resurrection, Jesus was declared with power to be the Son of God (Romans 1:4).
Jesus’ resurrection proves that Jesus’ death was indeed a sacrifice able to atone for our sins and reconcile us to God
Unless Jesus’ identity as the unique divine Son of God was confirmed by his resurrection, his death would have been of no more significance or saving power than any other human death.
Jesus’ resurrection means that Jesus is at the right hand of the Father, interceding for those who belong to him
Romans 8 reminds us that Jesus who died and was raised to life is at the right hand of God, interceding for us. Because of the resurrection, we have an advocate at the highest possible level, within the being of the infinite Triune God.
Jesus’ resurrection demonstrates God’s power over death, and that Jesus has opened up for believers a path to eternal life with God
Prior to his death and resurrection, Jesus had declared: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever lives in me will live, even though he die”. Unless Jesus rose from the dead, that promise would have been false and empty.
Jesus’ resurrection led to the birth of the worldwide church
On the day of Pentecost proclaimed “God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it”, and 3000 people were baptized and joined the infant church. But if Jesus had not risen from the dead, there would be no Christian church, and we would never have even heard of Jesus.
Jesus’ resurrection means that Jesus is forever living Lord of the church
We serve a living Lord, and we are led and sustained by a living Lord.
Jesus’ resurrection gives us confidence that one day he will return, to defeat all evil, end all suffering, and make all things new.
Without Jesus’ resurrection, we would see no end to the relentless human cycle of evil, suffering, and death. But because Christ is risen, we look forward in confidence and expectation, to when Jesus fully establishes the awesome reign of God.
by Dr Stuart Lange | 25 Mar , 2022 | Articles, Christianity and Social & Moral Issues
New Zealand’s experience with the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation has been far from ideal. Because such legislation was a Labour Party election manifesto policy, and because the Government has had such a huge majority, the select committee process was something of a farce. Many thousands of thoughtful submissions were made, critiquing obvious biases and deficiencies in the Bill, and suggesting constructive improvements. But the select committee shamefully stonewalled them all, and back in the debating chamber so did the majority of MPs.
Parents, schools, counsellors, and churches are now left trying to work out how to interpret and apply the new law.
At one level, the prohibition on coercive and harmful “therapy” practices for LGBT people is a good thing, and was supported by NZCN and many others. Nobody should be subjected to practices that are unsolicited, or demeaning or harmful. It also needs to be said that the incidence of such practices in New Zealand appears to be very rare, especially nowadays.
We can also readily agree with the second stated aim of the law, to encourage “respectful and open discussions regarding sexuality and gender”. The problem though, is that very little in the law appears to facilitate open discussion, but on the contrary appears likely to inhibit or close down any “open” discussion (except when such discussion is endorsing same-sex identity or gender transition.
A key (and contradictory) sentence in the new law, and relevant to both parents and church leaders, allows for “the expression only of a religious principle or belief made to an individual that is not intended to change or suppress the individual’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression”.
On the one hand, the first part of that sentence appears to protect in law the right of anyone to express to an individual religious beliefs or principles about sexuality or gender.
- A parent could, for example, express their disbelief in gender transition, or express some cautions or beliefs about potential losses or risks associated with gender transition, or say: “I personally don’t believe it is wise for people aged 12 to take puberty blockers, because most people with gender dysphoria become comfortable with the sex they were born into once they have begun puberty”.
- A parent or church leader could say: “I believe the Bible teaches that God loves everyone, and invites us to follow him and his ways”, or “I believe the Bible teaches that God’s intention for human sexual expression is loving faithful marriage between one man and one woman”.
However, such expressions of belief will need to be respectful and non-coercive, conveyed with compassion and gentleness, and with respect for people’s worth, dignity, and freedom of choice.
The second part of the sentence, however, forbids anything “intended to change or suppress the individual’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression”. This clause appears to directly contradict the law’s avowed aim to encourage “open” discussion about sexuality and gender, is a contravention of religious freedom as enshrined in the Bill of Rights (because Christian faith is not just about “beliefs” but also about personal choices and conduct), and is in effect a denial of people’s rights to seek whatever advice and support they may feel they need.
How this clause may be interpreted by courts is hard to predict, but it would be wise for anyone giving advice or support to anyone else in these matters to ensure that whatever they say, pray, or do is unfailingly respectful, loving, non-coercive, and unharmful, giving full weight to people’s freedom of choice.
Whatever we do, we must be faithful to God’s grace and truth as revealed in Christ and the Scriptures, act with integrity, and be responsive to the Spirit of God.
