WHAT WE DO, AND WHY

This is a set of notes prepared for a meeting of the Chaplaincy Network, transcribed into HTML. The selections from other sources are my own, and not necessarily representative; you are urged to inspect the originals if you wish to determine what they really say.

NOTICE : I have included certain examples of people's opinions in this document. ( This includes the whole document, which is my opinion. ) Please DO NOT get sidetracked onto the rights and wrongs of these issues. The FACT is that they are all opinions held by Christians; the TOPIC is how we should accommodate this diversity, and calling your fellow Christians ratbags and scoundrels is not a good start.

It seems to me that Christianity is often seen, by both Christians and others, as a belief in God together with a collection of principles - commonly called "morality", which is an oversimplification - which we would like everyone to adopt. ( Similar views apply to other religions, but I don't know enough about them to comment further, so won't. ) There is obviously a lot of truth in that, but I suggest that there's a lot more too, and that it's more important.

Some positions :

Christian political parties, typically rightish; wish to embody Christian principles in law, because they believe that it would be good for society. This is not widely popular, even among some other Christians. It has been described, by not entirely unbiased observers, as the church trying to force morality upon people.

Two examples follow. ( I looked at the United Future web site, but found no mention of "Christian" or "religion" at all. )

Destiny New Zealand

| Our Vision for New Zealand |

  • A nation under the governance of God
  • Empowered families and individuals fulfilling their God-given potential leaving an inheritance of compounding prosperity to successive generations
  • A model nation

| The Mission |

To establish a God-honouring nation founded on Christian principles - order, truth, faith, integrity, and moral responsibility, therefore ensuring the success of present and future generations

THE CHRISTIAN HERITAGE PARTY WILL:
  • Promote public policy consistent with biblical principles.
  • Promote responsible citizenship and Christian moral values.
  • Recognise the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death.
  • Uphold the values of traditional marriage and family life.
  • Encourage parents in their responsibilities to provide for, educate, and train their children.
  • Defend the nation's sovereign territory from aggressors.
  • Honour the Treaty of Waitangi as an integral part of the foundation of our nationhood and the basis for our future together as one people.
  • Maintain an upright and independent justice system.
  • Recognise the rights of citizens to hold, buy and sell private property.
  • Maintain a system of fair, honest and just trading.
  • Ensure freedom of religion.
Various leftish groups wish to embody fashionable attitudes in law ( e.g., homosexuality, environment ). These are often popular among some Christians. Of course, this is not trying to force morality upon people - it is for their own good.
Churches' Agency on Social Issues :

"There is no evidence to suggest that lesbians and gay men are unfit to be parents or that psychosocial development among children of gay men or lesbians is compromised in any respect relative to that among offspring of heterosexual parents. Not a single study has found children of gay or lesbian parents to be disadvantaged ..." [more]

CASI submission on Same Sex Couples and the Law, May 2000

The Committee believes that three terms need re-defining in the Amendment as it now stands: 'sexual orientation', 'sex' and 'health status'. It is our opinion that the re-definitions suggested will allow a tighter legal definition to be created which will have the capacity to more fully protect individuals from discrimination ... [more]

PQ Submission on Human Rights Commission Amendment Bill 1990

Various rightish groups wish to embody traditional attitudes in law ( e.g., "sensible sentencing". ) These are often popular among some Christians. Of course, this is not trying to force morality upon people - it is for the public good.
Sensible Sentencing Trust

The Trust was formed by New Zealanders who have been concerned for some time about the growing violent crime throughout our country. As a group we feel New Zealand is in crisis. The statistics speak for themselves.

Our aim is to balance the scales of justice. At present we are allowing a small percentage of the population to hold the majority of us to ransom. A "broken windows" or "Zero tolerance" type approach to crime is needed in New Zealand.

If our criminals and potential criminals knew that they would be dealt with, swiftly , with certainty and severity , and those that cannot be deterred are detained to prevent them from reoffending, our crime rates would drastically reduce.

Me ( significant only because I'm writing this ) :

I am a Christian. I have no wish to - and, so far as I can see, no business to - force anybody to do anything. Note the emphasis on "doing good" above, and its link with coercion : that's what gets "do-gooders" a bad name. I don't think it's an essential link - you can do good by persuasion, example, etc. It's slower.

WHAT'S GOOD FOR YOU ?

Not everyone agrees on what is good for you; that's why we get coercion. Happiness is often implied, but not everyone agrees on what makes you happy. Your happy 25 megawatt amplifier makes me acutely miserable. Should you be forced to soundproof your house, or should I be forced to leave mine ?

I believe that what is good for me is to make the right decisions. The right decisions are those which I choose for love of God or my neighbour. ( Note : that doesn't include "because I want it". ) It includes promoting Christian values in such things as ( for example ) marriage - not by enforcing, but by continuing to insist that nothing has changed. If most of society wants sex as a recreational sport, the government has to accept it ( the same goes for burglary ), but that doesn't destroy the values, and Christians can - if they choose - continue to uphold the values, however permissive the law becomes, and to proclaim them ( which is what Grapevine is supposed to do ). ( Christian marriages do fail, and it's important to ask why, but not today. )

If you do sensible things only because you're forced to, that's nice for me, but does you no good, which is not the ob ject of the exercise. I do not want to tell you what to do; I want you to choose to do what I consider the right thing, for what I consider the right reason. ( I accept that's complicated by the fact that my considerations could be mistaken. I can only do my best. )

There's no argument, surely, that the forces and ideas that are undermining couples and parents and kids around the world are EVIL. And the collapse of family life that we're witnessing in this beautiful country is anything but GOOD. The Maxim Institute ( which serves as a watchdog on NZ politics, current affairs, social trends, etc. ) warned recently that "The pace of family decline is about to step up as aggressive legislation wages war on marriage ..." They point to four pieces of contentious legislation :
  • 1. Prostitution Reform Act 2003 - the consequence of which is that sex outside marriage is now encouraged and relegated to a recreational sport.
  • 2. Families Commission Bill - which allows any relationship to be called a "family".
  • 3. Care of Children Bill - granting parents only the "day-to-day care" of children, while deleting the terms "husband and wife" and "family".
  • 4. Civil Union Bill - which will leave marriage as a legal entity hanging by a thread.

"Grapevine" circular, 2003 October.

CONSEQUENTLY -

Therefore ( among other things, but primarily ) I want you too to love God and your neighbour. I therefore believe that the church's primary job is not to run the country, or rewrite the laws, or manage social welfare organisations. ( I might be less emphatic about that if the church could run itself; as it is, any effort in such areas is liable to bring Christian into conflict with Christian. Let's sort that out. ) Rather, I suggest we should to seek to make more people Christian - then they can choose what they do as Christians.

Of course, that's why we have this internal batttle. It is true that I don't like some of the decisions made by Christians, and equally true that they don't like mine. If we can't do anything about it, then perhaps the church ( including me ) at least has to learn to accept that Christians make different choices.

Some Christians feel called to go into politics. To me, politics by persuasion is perhaps acceptable, but in practice it's mostly legislation, which is coercion. I don't see forcing people to do things ( ANY things ) as Christian activity.

From http://www.maxim.org.nz/, for information :

Maxim Institute's Mission

Through policy and public debate to promote the principles of a free, just and compassionate society.

Is This The Land You Dreamed Of?

Our New Zealand. It has been called the greatest place in the world to raise a family. Without a doubt, the hope remains - the New Zealand dream is very much alive.

But let's face it, our society is losing its way.

For a quarter century we have seen the foundations of our society weakened and the keystone for future generations, the family unit, is now in disarray.

Beneath us is the quicksand of family disintegration, welfare dependency and a culture centred on self.

Unless this erosion is addressed, the New Zealand we love and defend is in danger of collapse from within.

Consecutive governments have increased spending, yet the social decline continues. It is time to accept that the ideologies that have shaped our society and driven much of our policy in recent times have been found wanting. The evidence is overwhelming... But imagine... a New Zealand built on strong families, caring for one another and for their communities. A country of responsible, compassionate citizens of good character who demand excellence. A place where your children and your grandchildren live freely and safely. Such a country is within our reach. All it takes is for passionate, patriotic kiwis to become informed and to get active.

Alan Creak,
2003 October 20.