Hospital faith centre must prioritise Christianity

TO make the new hospital chapel multifaith would be saying that all faiths, and therefore all gods, are equal.

That is not so. How would you feel if someone came to your house and called your spouse/partner their own spouse and treated them accordingly?

Many people mistakenly think that the three Abrahamic faiths are all the same but there are very important differences between them. The whole basis of Christianity is that Jesus is God’s son and neither Islam nor Judaism acknowledges this.

It is very concerning that so many do not understand this, especially those who should do so.

Whether you wish to acknowledge it or not, our society and country is based on the values of the Christian faith.

Our laws are based on it, our holidays are based on it and our culture used to be based on it and still is in very many ways.

Those of us who are immigrants come with the full knowledge and acceptance of this.

In New Zealand, we are fortunate to have the freedom to worship as we choose but that is totally different to saying that all gods are the same.

At present, the chapel is multidenominational, not multifaith, and that is the way it should stay.

If a multifaith room is desirable, that is great, but a Christian chapel/prayer room should be separate.

The implications are far too great for us as a people to lose our Christian heritage.

S. Hanson

Wakari

Lee Vandervis

I READ with disbelief that since 2012 a file has been kept on Cr Vandervis ‘‘amid concerns of his alleged behaviour’’ (ODT, 11.11.20).

Who authorised this and who has the right to see it?

Has a file been kept on anyone else, and how long is this going to carry on?

We do not live in a police state, and the thought of any of our elected leaders being singled out in this way is simply wrong. I wonder who is next on the hit list.

Any council that condones this should have a long, hard look at its own underhand behavior.

Pat Barnes Green Island