A Christian opinion

Our Waitangi celebration is a great time for all Kiwis to reflect on the importance of nation-hood and what that means for us.

I strongly maintain that NZ is a Christian country because the roots of our faith are Christian; our principles of law are based in Christian ideals; our commerce is built on the Christian understanding of fairness and honesty; Christianity has influenced sound education and medical practice; our family life is grounded in the Christian belief of marriage and the caring nurture of children.

However, many label NZ a secular country although secularism lacks meaning. So I ask this question; ‘How can you value the present but dismiss the past? I am talking about the early missionaries who loved and cared for the Ma¯ ori people, translated the Bible into their language, sharing the gospel of Christ with them. What of our greatgrandparents who brought their hope and strong faith to establish church communities throughout Aotearoa? What of both Ma¯ ori and Pa¯ keha¯ who gave their lives in war-time to defend not a secular country, but a proud Christian nation.

Would anyone expect the nation of India to dismiss its Hindu faith? Thailand its Buddhist roots? Israel its belief in Judaism? Islamic nations their Moslem faith? No! These countries, are proud of who they are even though for many of their citizens, faith is in name only. The same choice is every Kiwis right, but New Zealand remains a Christian country with a history of faith that demands respect.

Joyce Callaghan

Inglewood