Money for churches

Given the thousands of people who have railed against this over history, let me add mine to those who protest the funds which are being passed over to churches by the Government. To provide $30 million to rebuild the Christchurch Cathedral, and now reports are saying that Shane Jones is giving another $5 million to the cathedral in New Plymouth, is reprehensible.

To give taxpayer funds to rebuild an Anglican cathedral is obscene, given the resources the church has with prime real estate around Christchurch, and the city councillor who stood up to say that the separation between church and state was now blurred, was completely right.

Was he the only one who saw that the emperor has no clothes? That I as a taxpayer now support the Anglican church (not) or the New Plymouth Cathedral is absolutely appalling (also not) and one wonders whether the mosque in Christchurch would have received the same support if it had earthquake damage?

And how much has been given to the Roman Catholic Basilica that we don’t know about? The Anglican cathedral is often held up to be the focus of Christchurch as an icon for the city. It isn’t. The main focus should be on He Tangata, the people who have coped with these disasters, who deserve more than the restoration of what was a wobbly spire that has fallen down at least five times in the past. As somebody who remembers it all and saw the most recent fall up close, the Bishop was right – demolish it.

DAVID AITKEN Picton