Now is not the time to abandon ‘abiding beliefs and convictions’

CHRIS Trotter (Opinion, 11.9.20) chides our forebears for their childlike dependence on their myths and legends.

Those same myths and legends that he, especially as a historian, should understand have provided cultures and generations over the centuries with identity, meaning, and staying power. These are now past their useby date, he claims, and should be abandoned in order to uplift something better from the mythological kwikemart.

It is those same ‘‘childish’’ forebears and their stories that have bequeathed humankind the most read book in history — the Bible, undoubtedly the origin of Mr Trotter’s alleged outmoded myths and to which, according to the content of his usual Easter and Christmas columns, he is no stranger.

Sadly though, his interpretation and understanding thereof comes with dyedinnewagewool preconceptions. His postmodern spectacles of empiricism and logical consistency can readily dull its jewels of wisdom and providence, and cloud the symbolic nature of its narrative and extant relevance to contemporary humankind. His regression to an atavistic and polytheistic past comes with little surprise.

Albeit we now reside in a globalised, secular, humanist world, it has nonetheless evolved out of the matrix of Western culture which has been shaped and nurtured by the JudeoChristian heritage; we stand in unbroken line of descent from this — Christian and atheist alike.

Rather than abandon the unremitting tradition that is our defining substance, would it not be better going forward to reinterpret and adapt it to the temper of the new world that, at times, sadly resembles a headless and spiritless chicken?

When people abandon their abiding beliefs and convictions, they will not believe in nothing, but believe in anything, and for Mr Trotter it seems anything goes.

MMP

Tony Marcinowski

Macandrew Bay

A DEMOCRACY is only as good as its voting system and Philip Temple’s piece (Opinion, 17.9.20) is a timely reminder of how our parliamentarians have resisted reform of MMP over the past decade. MMP would be significantly improved if the oneseat ‘‘coattailing’’ rule was abolished and the threshold for party representation was reduced from 5% to 4%.

As the system stands, you can have a party that wins one electorate seat doubling its numbers in Parliament if it gets 2% of the party vote, whereas a party winning 4.9% of the vote with no successful electorate candidate will end up with no MPs. The Epsom electorate manipulation is a glaring example of this loophole.

The Electoral Commission recommended the above reforms eight years ago but the government of the day selfishly ignored making any changes. The voting system belongs to the people, not to parliamentarians.

Neville Peat

Broad Bay