The NZ equivalent of the Westboro Baptist Church
Written By:
- Date published:
9:26 am, December 8th, 2014 - 91 comments
Categories: human rights, religion, Social issues -
Tags:
There is a wonderful Michael Moore clip from the Awful Truth where he takes on Reverend Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church. That church had achieved some notoriety with its vehemently anti homosexual views and its practice of picketing the funerals of young gay men and harassing their grieving families.
Moore responded by assembling a group of volunteers in a large pink bus christened “the Sodommobile” and toured southern states where sodomy was still illegal. They managed to purportedly commit an offence in three states at once! The clip climaxes with Moore’s volunteers singing a Karen Carpenter song while one of Phelps’ supporters sings without irony “God hates fags”. You have to see it to believe it. You have to wonder at the blind stupidity and hatred displayed by people who think they are worshiping a god who preaches forgiveness and tolerance.
It seems that New Zealand may have its own Fred Phelps. The Westcity Bible Baptist Church has posted a biblical passage on its Facebook page suggesting that homosexuals should be put to death.
Levi Joule from Gay Express has reported on an email sent by the Church’s Pastor Logan Robertson in response to a request for support for a project dealing with issues faced by LGBT people in the church. Joule reports that Robertson responded in the following terms:
“We are not interested in your filthy lifestyle or book.
Romans 1 clearly says god has rejected homos and they are worthy of death. You cannot be saved.
Leviticus 20:13 reads”If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.”
The Bible says you are vile, strange (queer), reprobate, sodomite, natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed (2 Peter 2:12).
I pray that you will commit suicide, you filthy child molesting fag.”
This is appalling, utterly appalling from someone who is meant to provide spiritual guidance to people. Rather than detail how appalling it is I thought I would rely on Jed Bartlett to do so.
Updated to correct the name. I understand the Church is not affiliated with the mainstream Baptist Church in New Zealand.
91 comments on “The NZ equivalent of the Westboro Baptist Church ”
- Comments are now closed
Links to post
- Comments are now closed
CommentsOpinions
Recent Comments
FeedsPartyGovtMedia
- Salvation For Us All
Yesterday, I ruminated about the effects of being a political follower.And, within politics, David Seymour was smart enough on Friday to divert attention from “race blind” policies [what about gender blind I thought - thinking of maternity wards] and cutting school lunches by throwing meat to the media. Teachers were ...9 hours ago - A warm embrace
Far, far away from here lives our King. Some of his subjects can be quite the forelock tuggers, but plenty of us are not like that, and why don't I wheel out my favourite old story once more about Kiwi soldiers in the North African desert?Field Marshal Montgomery takes offence ...10 hours ago - Literal clowns are running the place, we must put a timeout on this stupidity… right Aotearoa?
These people are inept on every level. They’re inept to the detriment of our internal politics, cohesion and increasingly our international reputation. And they are reveling in the fact they are getting away with it. We cannot even have “respectful debate” with a government that clearly rejects the very ...18 hours ago - Fact brief – Does manmade CO2 have any detectable fingerprint?
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with John Mason. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Does manmade CO2 have any ...22 hours ago - Judge Not.
24 hours ago - Managed Democracy: Letting The People Decide, But Only When They Can Be Relied Upon To Give the Righ...
Uh-uh! Not So Fast, Citizens! The power to initiate systemic change remains where it has always been in New Zealand’s representative democracy – in Parliament. To order a binding referendum, the House of Representatives must first to be persuaded that, on the question proposed, sharing its decision-making power with the people ...1 day ago
- Looking For Labour’s Vital Signs.
Flatlining: With no evidence of a genuine policy disruptor at work in Labour’s ranks, New Zealand’s wealthiest citizens can sleep easy.PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN has walked a picket-line. Presidential candidate Kamala Harris has threatened “price-gauging” grocery retailers with price control. The Democratic Party’s 2024 platform situates it well to the left of Sir ...1 day ago
- Forty Years Of Remembering To Forget.
The Beginning of the End: Rogernomics became the short-hand descriptor for all the radical changes that swept away New Zealand’s social-democratic economy and society between 1984 and 1990. In the bitterest of ironies, those changes were introduced by the very same party which had entrenched New Zealand social-democracy 50 years earlier. ...1 day ago
- Kōrero Mai – Speak to Me.
Good morning all you lovely people. 🙂I woke up this morning, and it felt a bit like the last day of school. You might recall from earlier in the week that I’m heading home to Rotorua to see an old friend who doesn’t have much time. A sad journey, but ...1 day ago - Winning ways
1 day ago - 48 seconds on a plan that would reverberate for a million years
Despite fears that Trump presidency would be disastrous for progress on climate change, the topic barely rated a mention in the Presidential debate. Photo: Getty ImagesLong stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey ...1 day ago - Using blunt instruments and magical thinking to ignore evidence of harm
The abrupt cancellations and suspensions of Government spending also caused private sector hiring, spending, and investment to freeze up for the first six months of the year. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāThis week we learned:The new National/ACT/NZ First Coalition Government ignored advice from Treasury that it didn’t have to ...1 day ago - Is This A Dagger Which I See Before Me: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power Episode 5 (Seaso...
Another week of The Rings of Power, season two, and another confirmation that things are definitely coming together for the show. The fifth Episode of season one represented the nadir of the series. Now? Amid the firmer footing of 2024, Episode Five represents further a further step towards excellent Tolkien ...2 days ago - In Open Seas; A Book
The background to In Open Seas: How the New Zealand Labour Government Went Wrong:2017-2023Not in Narrow Seas: The Economic History of Aotearoa New Zealand, published in 2020, proved more successful than either I or the publisher (VUP, now Te Herenga Waka University Press) expected. I had expected that it would ...2 days ago - The Hoon around the week to Sept 13
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate science on rising temperatures and the climate implications of the US Presidential elections; and special guests Janet ...2 days ago
- Do or do not. There is no try
1. Upon receiving evidence that school lunches were doing a marvellous job of improving outcomes for students, David Seymour did what?a. Declared we need much more of this sort of good news and poured extra resources and funding into them b. Emailed Atlas network to ask what to do next c. Cut ...2 days ago - Dangerous ground
The Waitangi Tribunal has reported back on National's proposed changes to gut the Marine and Coastal Area Act and steal the foreshore and seabed for its greedy fishing-industry donors, and declared it to be another huge violation of ti Tiriti: The Waitangi Tribunal has found government changes to the ...2 days ago - Climate Change: National wants to cheat on Paris
In 2016, the then-National government signed the Paris Agreement, committing Aotearoa to a 30 (later 50) percent reduction in emissions by 2030. When questioned about how they intended to meet that target with their complete absence of effective climate policy, they made a lot of noise about how it was ...2 days ago
- Treasury warned Govt lower debt limits meant less ‘productivity-enhancing investment’
2 days ago - Is the Media Complicit?
This is a long read. Open to all.SYNOPSIS: Traditional media is at a cross roads. There is a need for those in the media landscape, as it stands, to earn enough to stay afloat, but also come across as balanced and neutral to keep its audiences.In America, NYT’s liberal leaning ...2 days ago - Black Friday
It's Black Friday, the end of the weekYou take my hand and hold it gently up against your cheekIt's all in my head, it's all in my mindI see the darkness where you see the lightSong by Tom OdellFriday the 13th, don’t be afraid.No, really, don’t. Everything has felt a ...2 days ago - Weekly Roundup 13-September-2024
Ooh, Friday the thirteenth. Spooky! Is that why certain zombie ideas have been stalking the landscape this week, like the Mayor’s brainwave for a motorway bridge from Kauri Point to Point Chev? Read on and find out. This roundup, like all our coverage, is brought to you by the Greater ...2 days ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #37 2024
Open access notables Early knowledge but delays in climate actions: An ecocide case against both transnational oil corporations and national governments, Hauser et al., Environmental Science & Policy: Cast within the wide context of investigating the collusion at play between powerful political-economic actors and decision-makers as monopolists and debates about ‘the modern ...3 days ago
- What it is
I liked what Kieran McAnulty had to say about the Treaty Principles bill this morning so much I've written it down and copied it out for you. He was saying that rather than let this piece of ordure spend six months in Select Committee, the Prime Minister could stop making such ...3 days ago - A government-funded hate campaign
Cabinet discussed National's constitutionally and historically illiterate "Treaty Principles Bill" this week, and decided to push on with it. The bill will apparently receive a full six month select committee process - unlike practically every other policy this government has pushed, and despite the fact that if the government is ...3 days ago
- How Substack works to take (some) craziness out of America’s elections
I spoke with Substack co-founder yesterday, just before the Trump-Harris debate, about how Substack is doing its thing during the US elections. He talks in particular about how Substack’s focus on paid subscriptions rather than ads has made political debate on the platform calmer, simpler, deeper and more satisfying ...3 days ago
- Kamala Harris Did Something Unthinkable
3 days ago - Kamala Harris Did Something Unthinkable
3 days ago
- Kamala Harris Did Something Unthinkable
3 days ago
- David Seymour is such a loser
For paid subscribersNot content with siphoning off $230,000,000 of taxpayers money for his hobby projects - and telling everyone his passion is education and early childcare - an intersection painfully coincidental to the interests of wealthy private families like Sean Plunkett’s1 backers, the Wright Family, Seymour is back in the ...3 days ago - Cross-party consensus: there’s no pipeline without good faith
There’s been a lot of talk recently about a cross-party agreement to develop a pipeline for infrastructure, including transport. Last month, outgoing CRL boss Sean Sweeney talked about the importance of securing an enduring infrastructure programme. He outlined the high costs of the relentless political flip-flopping of priorities, which drives ...3 days ago
- Voters love this climate policy they’ve never heard of
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk The Inflation Reduction Act is the Biden administration’s signature climate law and the largest U.S. government investment in reducing climate pollution to date. Among climate advocates, the policy is well-known and celebrated, but beyond that, only a minority of Americans ...3 days ago
- ACC wants to administer inflation at more than double the RBNZ’s target rate
ACC levies are set to rise at more than double the inflation rate targeted by the RBNZ. Photo: Lynn GrievesonKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, September 12:The state-owned monopoly for accident insurance wants ...3 days ago - Harris vs Trump
3 days ago - Treaty Bill “a political stunt”
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon appears to have given ACT Leader David Seymour more than he has been admitting in the proposals to go forward with a Treaty Principles Bill.All along, Luxon has maintained that the Government is proceeding with the Bill to honour the coalition agreement.But that is quite specific.It ...3 days ago
- An average 219 NZers migrated each day in July
Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, September 11:Annual migration of New Zealanders rose to a record-high 80,963 in the year to the end of July, which is more than double its pre-Covid levels.Two ...4 days ago - What you’re wanting to win more than anything is The Narrative
Hubris is sitting down on election day 2016 to watch that pig Trump get his ass handed to him, and watching the New York Times needle hover for a while over Hillary and then move across to Trump where it remains all night to your gathering horror and dismay. You're ...4 days ago - National’s automated lie machine
The government has a problem: lots of people want information from it all the time. Information about benefits, about superannuation, ACC coverage and healthcare, taxes, jury service, immigration - and that's just the routine stuff. Responding to all of those queries takes a lot of time and costs a lot ...4 days ago
- Christopher Luxon: A Man of “Faith” and “Compassion” Speaks on the Treaty Pr...
Synopsis: Today - we explore two different realities. One where National lost. And another - which is the one we are living with here. Note: the footnote on increased fees/taxes may be of interest to some readers.Article open.Subscribe nowIt’s an alternate timeline.Yesterday as news broke that the central North Island ...4 days ago - Member’s Day
Today is a Member's Day. First up is the third reading of Dan Bidois' Fair Trading (Gift Card Expiry) Amendment Bill, which will be followed by the committee stage of Deborah Russell's Family Proceedings (Dissolution for Family Violence) Amendment Bill. This will be followed by the second readings of Katie ...4 days ago
- Northern Expressway Boondoggle
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has been soaring high with his hubris of getting on and building motorways but some uncomfortable realities are starting to creep in. Back in July he announced that the government was pushing on with a Northland Expressway using an “accelerated delivery strategy” The Coalition Government is ...4 days ago
- Never Enough
However much I'm falling downNever enoughHowever much I'm falling outNever, never enough!Whatever smile I smile the mostNever enoughHowever I smile I smile the mostSongwriters: Robert James Smith / Simon Gallup / Boris Williams / Porl ThompsonToday in Nick’s Kōrero:A death in the Emergency Department at Rotorua Hospital.A sad homecoming and ...4 days ago - Question Two of The Kākā Project of 2026 for 2050 (TKP 26/50)
Kia ora.Last month I proposed restarting The Kākā Project work done before the 2023 election as The Kākā Project of 2026 for 2050 (TKP 26/50), aiming to be up and running before the 2025 Local Government elections, and then in a finalised form by the 2026 General Elections.A couple of ...4 days ago
- Why is God Obsessed with Spanking?
Hi,If you’ve read Webworm for a while, you’ll be aware that I’ve spent a lot of time writing about horrific, corrupt megachurches and the shitty men who lead them.And in all of this writing, I think some people have this idea that I hate Christians or Christianity. As I explain ...4 days ago - Inside the public service
In 2023, there were 63,117 full-time public servants earning, on average, $97,200 a year each. All up, that is a cost to the Government of $6.1 billion a year. It’s little wonder, then, that the public service has become a political whipping boy castigated by the Prime Minister and members ...4 days ago
- New Models Show Stronger Atlantic Hurricanes, and More of Them
This is a re-post from This is Not Cool Here’s an example of some of the best kind of climate reporting, especially in that it relates to impacts that will directly affect the audience. WFLA in Tampa conducted a study in collaboration with the Department of Energy, analyzing trends in ...5 days ago
- Where ever do they find these people?
A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, is how Winston Churchill described the Soviet Union in 1939. How might the great man have described the 2024 government of New Zealand, do we think? I can't imagine he would have thought them all that mysterious or enigmatic. I think ...5 days ago - Motorway madness
How mad is National's obsession with roads? One of their pet projects - a truck highway to Whangārei - is going to eat 10% of our total infrastructure budget for the next 25 years: Official advice from the Infrastructure Commission shows the government could be set to spend 10 ...5 days ago
- Our transport planning system is fundamentally broken
Ever since Wayne Brown became mayor (nearly two years ago now) he’s been wanting to progress an “integrated transport plan” with the government – which sounded a lot like the previous Auckland Transport Alignment Project (ATAP) with just a different name. It seems like a fair bit of work progressed ...5 days ago
- Thou Shalt Not Steal
And they taught usWhoa-oh, black woman, thou shalt not stealI said, hey, yeah, black man, thou shalt not stealWe're gonna civilise your black barbaric livesAnd we teach you how to kneelBut your history couldn't hide the genocideThe hypocrisy to us was realFor your Jesus said you're supposed to giveThe oppressed ...5 days ago - How mismanagement, not wind and solar energy, causes blackouts
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections In February 2021, several severe storms swept across the United States, culminating with one that the Weather Channel unofficially named Winter Storm Uri. In Texas, Uri knocked out power to over 4.5 million homes and 10 million people. Hundreds of Texans died as a ...5 days ago
- The ‘Infra Boys’ Highway to Budget Hell
Chris Bishop has enthusiastically dubbed himself and Simeon Brown “the Infra Boys”, but they need to take note of the sums around their roading dreams. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, September ...5 days ago - Media Link: “AVFA” on the politics of desperation.
In this podcast Selwyn Manning and I talk about what appears to be a particular type of end-game in the long transition to systemic realignment in international affairs, in which the move to a new multipolar order with different characteristics … Continue reading ...6 days ago - The cost of flying blind
Just over two years ago, when worries about immediate mass-death from covid had waned, and people started to talk about covid becoming "endemic", I asked various government agencies what work they'd done on the costs of that - and particularly, on the cost of Long Covid. The answer was that ...6 days ago
- Seymour vs The Clergy
For paid subscribers“Aotearoa is not as malleable as they think,” Lynette wrote last week on Homage to Simeon Brown:In my heart/mind, that phrase ricocheted over the next days, translating out to “We are not so malleable.”It gave me comfort. I always felt that we were given an advantage in New ...6 days ago - Unstoppable Minister McKee
All smiles, I know what it takes to fool this townI'll do it 'til the sun goes downAnd all through the nighttimeOh, yeahOh, yeah, I'll tell you what you wanna hearLeave my sunglasses on while I shed a tearIt's never the right timeYeah, yeahSong by SiaLast night there was a ...6 days ago - Could outdoor dining revitalise Queen Street?
This is a guest post by Ben van Bruggen of The Urban Room,.An earlier version of this post appeared on LinkedIn. All images are by Ben. Have you noticed that there’s almost nowhere on Queen Street that invites you to stop, sit outside and enjoy a coffee, let alone ...6 days ago
- Hipkins challenges long-held Labour view Government must stay below 30% of GDP
Hipkins says when considering tax settings and the size of government, the big question mark is over what happens with the balance between the size of the working-age population and the growing number of Kiwis over the age of 65. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s ...6 days ago - Your invite to Webworm Chat (a bit like Reddit)
Hi,One of the things I love the most about Webworm is, well, you. The community that’s gathered around this lil’ newsletter isn’t something I ever expected when I started writing it four years ago — now the comments section is one of my favourite places on the internet. The comments ...6 days ago - Seymour’s Treaty bill making Nats nervous
A delay in reappointing a top civil servant may indicate a growing nervousness within the National Party about the potential consequences of David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill. Dave Samuels is waiting for reappointment as the Chief Executive of Te Puni Kokiri, but POLITIK understands that what should have been a ...6 days ago
- 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #36
A listing of 34 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, September 1, 2024 thru Sat, September 7, 2024. Story of the week Our Story of the Week is about how peopele are not born stupid but can be fooled ...7 days ago
- Time for a Change
You act as thoughYou are a blind manWho's crying, crying 'boutAll the virgins that are dyingIn your habitual dreams, you knowSeems you need more sleepBut like a parrot in a flaming treeI know it's pretty hard to seeI'm beginning to wonderIf it's time for a changeSong: Phil JuddThe next line ...1 week ago - Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Six.
The “double shocks” in post Cold War international affairs. The end of the Cold War fundamentally altered the global geostrategic context. In particular, the end of the nuclear “balance of terror” between the USA and USSR, coupled with the relaxation … Continue reading ...1 week ago
- Buried deep
Here's a bike on Manchester St, Feilding. I took this photo on Friday night after a very nice dinner at the very nice Vietnamese restaurant, Saigon, on Manchester Street.I thought to myself, Manchester Street? Bicycle? This could be the very spot.To recap from an earlier edition: on a February night ...1 week ago - Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies, Excerpt Five.
Military politics as a distinct “partial regime.” Notwithstanding their peripheral status, national defense offers the raison d’être of the combat function, which their relative vulnerability makes apparent, so military forces in small peripheral democracies must be very conscious of events … Continue reading ...1 week ago
- Leadership for Dummies
If you’re going somewhere, do you maybe take a bit of an interest in the place? Read up a bit on the history, current events, places to see - that sort of thing? Presumably, if you’re taking a trip somewhere, it’s for a reason. But what if you’re going somewhere ...1 week ago - Home again
1 week ago - Dead even tie for hottest August ever
Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:The month of August was 1.49˚C warmer than pre-industrial levels, tying with 2023 for the warmest August ever, according ...1 week ago
- The Hoon around the week to Sept 7
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate science on rising temperatures and the debate about how to responde to climate disinformation; and special guest ...1 week ago
- Have We an Infrastructure Deficit?
An Infrastructure New Zealand report says we are keeping up with infrastructure better than we might have thought from the grumbling. But the challenge of providing for the future remains.I was astonished to learn that the quantity of our infrastructure has been keeping up with economic growth. Your paper almost ...1 week ago - Councils reject racism
Last month, National passed a racist law requiring local councils to remove their Māori wards, or hold a referendum on them at the 2025 local body election. The final councils voted today, and the verdict is in: an overwhelming rejection. Only two councils out of 45 supported National's racist agenda ...1 week ago
- Homage to Simeon Brown
1 week ago
- Government of deceit
When National cut health spending and imposed a commissioner on Te Whatu Ora, they claimed that it was necessary because the organisation was bloated and inefficient, with "14 layers of management between the CEO and the patient". But it turns out they were simply lying: Health Minister Shane Reti’s ...1 week ago
- The professionals actually think and act like our Government has no fiscal crisis at all
Treasury staff at work: The demand for a new 12-year Government bond was so strong, Treasury decided to double the amount of bonds it sold. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, September ...1 week ago - Weekly Roundup 6-September-2024
Welcome to another Friday and another roundup of stories that caught our eye this week. As always, this and every post is brought to you by the Greater Auckland crew. If you like our work and you’d like to see more of it, we invite you to join our regular ...1 week ago
- Minister of Injustice seeks to Entrench largest land confiscation in History
The Waitangi Tribunal has released an Urgent Report on the Government’s proposed amendments to the Takutai Moana Act 2011. The report calls out Paul Goldsmith’s proposal for what it is: a “gross breach of the Treaty” and an “illegitimate exercise of kāwanatanga”. The Tribunal is recommending the Crown step down ...2 days ago
- Takutai Moana changes another assault on Te Tiriti
The Government must abandon its Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act interventions after the Waitangi Tribunal found it was committing gross breaches of the Treaty. ...2 days ago - Greens call on Govt to leave Te Reo in schools alone
As Te Wiki o te Reo Māori approaches, the Government is considering deprioritising teaching Te Reo Māori in our schools. ...2 days ago
- Govt cannot ignore racism
The Government’s directive to the public service to ignore race is nothing more than a dog whistle and distraction from the structural racism we need to address. ...2 days ago
- Release: Lemauga Lydia Sosene to take medical leave
Labour’s Mangere MP Lemauga Lydia Sosene has been diagnosed with breast cancer and will shortly take medical leave. ...2 days ago - Potential intelligence sharing with Israel must be investigated
Concerns have been raised that our spy arrangements may mean that intelligence is being shared between Aotearoa and Israel. An urgent inquiry must be launched in response to this. ...3 days ago
- Release: Charter schools undermine our education system
The Government is taking a wrecking ball to our public education system by reinstating charter schools. ...3 days ago
- Youngest MP to travel to Canada to accept Politician of the Year Award
Aotearoa’s Youngest Member of Parliament, and Te Pāti Māori MP, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, will travel to Montreal to accept the One Young World Politician of the Year Award next week. The One Young World Politician of the Year Award was created in 2018 to recognise the most promising young politicians between ...3 days ago
- Greens celebrate huge step forward for ADHD community
The Greens welcome today’s long-coming announcement by Pharmac of consultation to remove the special authority renewal criteria for methylphenidate, dexamfetamine and modafinil and to fund lisdexamfetamine. ...3 days ago
- Release: Millions to be spent dividing NZ for no reason
The National Party is wasting millions of dollars allowing David Seymour’s Treaty Principals Bill to be drafted and go to Select Committee. ...3 days ago
- Release: New Zealanders departing our shores at a record rate
The Migration figures released by Stats NZ today show National is continuing to drive Kiwis away from New Zealand in record numbers. ...3 days ago
- Te Tai Tokerau MP Slams Govt Overreach in Scrapping Māori Wards
Mema Paremata for Te Tai Tokerau, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, has reflected on the decisions made by the councils of the North amidst the government’s push to remove Māori Wards and weaken mana whenua representation. “Actions taken by the Kaipara District Council to remove Māori Wards are the embodiment of the eradication ...4 days ago
- Govt already seeking advice on Treaty referendum
On one hand, the Prime Minister has assured Aotearoa that his party will not support the Treaty Principles Bill beyond first reading, but on the other, his Government has already sought advice on holding a referendum on our founding document. ...4 days ago
- Release: Aged care will be worse off if redesign rushed
New Zealanders needing aged care support and the people who care for them will be worse off if the Government pushes through a flawed and rushed redesign of dementia and aged care. ...4 days ago
- Release: Govt fails hundreds of workers as mills close
Labour is devastated at news hundreds of workers are set to lose their jobs following the closure of Winstone Pulp mills. ...4 days ago
- Job losses from mill closures consequence of Govt inaction
Hundreds of jobs lost as a result of pulp mill closures in the Ruapehu District are a consequence of government inaction in addressing the shortfalls of our electricity network. ...5 days ago
- Ngarewa-Packer devastated for Ruapehu following WPI closure
Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader and MP for Te Tai Hauāuru is devastated for the Ruapehu community following today’s decision to close two Winstone Pulp mills. “My heart goes out to all the workers, their whānau, and the wider Ruapehu community affected by the closure of Winstone Pulp International,” said Ngarewa-Packer. ...5 days ago
- Release: Cabinet should stop the Treaty Principles Bill
National Party Ministers have a majority in Cabinet and can stop David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill, which even the Prime Minister has described as “divisive and unhelpful.” ...6 days ago
- Release: Staff gagged to keep fast track list secret
The National Government is so determined to hide the list of potential projects that will avoid environmental scrutiny it has gagged Ministry for the Environment staff from talking about it. ...6 days ago
- Release: Labour challenges Te Whatu Ora gag orders
Labour has complained to the Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission about the high number of non-disclosure agreements that have effectively gagged staff at Te Whatu Ora Health NZ from talking about anything relating to their work. ...6 days ago
- Greens call on Treaty Principles Bill to be abandoned after letter from Christian leaders
The Green Party is once again urging the Prime Minister to abandon the Treaty Principles Bill as a letter from more than 400 Christian leaders calls for the proposed legislation to be dropped. ...6 days ago
- Sign the petition: Keep military-style firearms off our streets
Help us tell the Government that reintroducing military-style firearms should not be up for debate. ...1 week ago
- Vast majority of councils support Māori wards
Councils across the country have now decided where they stand regarding Māori wards, with a resounding majority in favour of keeping them in what is a significant setback for the Government. ...1 week ago
- Release: Government on the wrong side of Māori wards
The National-led government has been given a clear message from the local government sector, as almost all councils reject the Government’s bid to treat Māori wards different to other wards. ...1 week ago
- Release: Labour congratulates Kuīni Ngā Wai hono i te po Paki
The Labour Party congratulates Kuīni Ngā Wai hono i te po Paki on being crowned as the eighth Te Ariki Nui – head of Te Kiingitanga. ...1 week ago
- Green Party welcomes new Maaori Kuiini
The Green Party welcomes the coronation of the new Maaori Kuiini, Te Arikinui Nga Wai Hono i te Po, today in Turangawaewae. ...1 week ago
- ECE teachers deserve better than this Government
The Green Party is unsurprised but disappointed by today’s announcement from the Government that will see our Early Childhood Centre teachers undermined and pay parity pushed further out of reach. ...2 weeks ago
- Urgent intervention needed on supermarkets
The Green Party is calling on the Government to intervene in the supermarket duopoly dominating our supply of groceries following today’s report from the Commerce Commission. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Rainbow youth neglected in mental health funding
Labour backs the call from The Rainbow Support Collective members for mental health funding specifically earmarked for grassroots and peer led community organisations to be set up in a way that they are able to access. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Transport in NZ has to be more than just roads
As expected, the National Land Transport Programme lacks ambition for our cities and our country’s rail network and puts the majority of investment into roads. ...2 weeks ago
- Speech: Barbara Edmonds Building Nations 2024
Tēnā koutou katoa, Thank you for your warm welcome and for having my colleagues and I here today. Earlier you heard from the Labour Leader, Chris Hipkins, on our vision for the future of infrastructure. I want to build on his comments and provide further detail on some key elements ...2 weeks ago
- Govt transport plan deepens fossil fuel fix
The Green Party says the Government’s new National Land Transport Programme marks another missed opportunity to take meaningful action to fight the climate crisis. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens call for public to back Wrybill in BOTY and beyond
The Green Party is calling on the public to support the Ngutu Pare Wrybill not just in this year’s Bird of the Year competition but also in pushing back against policies that could lead to the destruction of its habitat and accelerate its extinction. ...2 weeks ago
- Building consents data bad news for construction
News that the annual number of building consents granted for new homes fell by more than 20 percent for the year ended July 2024, is bad news for the construction industry. ...2 weeks ago
- Te Pāti Māori Pay Tribute to Kiingi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII
Papā te whatitiri, hikohiko te uira, i kanapu ki te rangi, i whētuki i raro rā, rū ana te whenua e. Uea te pou o tōku whare kia tū tangata he kapua whakairi nāku nā runga o Taupiri. Ko taku kiri ka tōkia ki te anu mātao. E te iwi ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Gaps still to be addressed in callouts response
The Government must guarantee New Zealanders will not be at risk after making changes to the way mental health callouts are handled. ...2 weeks ago
- Poroporoaki: Kiingi Tuheitia passing
Haere e te Kīngi o te kotahitangi Haere ki o nui, ki o rahi I te pō ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party pays respects to Kiingi Tuuheitia
The Green Party is paying tribute to the Māori King, Kiingi Tuuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero XVII, after he passed away earlier this morning. ...2 weeks ago
- Potaka Brings Whakaata Māori to its Knees
Today’s Whakaata Māori announcement is yet another colossal failure from Minister Potaka, who has turned his back on te reo Māori, forcing a channel offline, putting whānau out of jobs, and cutting Māori content, says Te Pāti Māori. “A Senior Māori Minister has turned his back on Te Reo Māori. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: National restricts access to disability care homes
With disability communities still reeling from the diminishing of Whaikaha, a leaked document now reveals another blow with National restricting access to residential care homes. ...2 weeks ago
- Government eliminates $190 million in trade barriers to boost the economy
The Government has successfully removed trade barriers affecting nearly $190 million worth of exports to help grow the economy, Minister for Trade and Agriculture Todd McClay today announced. “In the past year, we have resolved 14 Non Tariff Barriers (NTBs), returning significant value to kiwi exporters. These efforts directly boost our ...7 hours ago - Reo Māori the ‘beating heart’ of Aotearoa New Zealand
From private business to the Paris Olympics, reo Māori is growing with the success of New Zealanders, says Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka. “I’m joining New Zealanders across the country in celebrating this year’s Te Wiki o te Reo Māori – Māori Language Week, which has a big range ...1 day ago
- Need and value at forefront of public service delivery
New Cabinet policy directives will ensure public agencies prioritise public services on the basis of need and award Government contracts on the basis of public value, Minister for the Public Service Nicola Willis says. “Cabinet Office has today issued a circular to central government organisations setting out the Government’s expectations ...2 days ago
- Minister to attend Police Ministers Council Meeting
Police Minister Mark Mitchell will join with Australian Police Ministers and Commissioners at the Police Ministers Council meeting (PMC) today in Melbourne. “The council is an opportunity to come together to discuss a range of issues, gain valuable insights on areas of common interest, and different approaches towards law enforcement ...2 days ago
- New Bill to crack down on youth vaping
The coalition Government has introduced legislation to tackle youth vaping, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill (No 2) is aimed at preventing youth vaping. “While vaping has contributed to a significant fall in our smoking rates, the rise in youth vaping ...3 days ago
- Interest in agricultural and horticultural products regulatory review welcomed
Regulation Minister David Seymour, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds, and Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard have welcomed interest in the agricultural and horticultural products regulatory review. The review by the Ministry for Regulation is looking at how to speed up the process to get farmers and growers access to the safe, ...3 days ago
- Bill to allow online charity lotteries passes first reading
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government is moving at pace to ensure lotteries for charitable purposes are allowed to operate online permanently. Charities fundraising online, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust and local hospices will continue to do ...3 days ago
- Tax exempt threshold changes to benefit startups
Technology companies are among the startups which will benefit from increases to current thresholds of exempt employee share schemes, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Revenue Minister Simon Watts say. Tax exempt thresholds for the schemes are increasing as part of the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2024-25, Emergency ...3 days ago
- Getting the healthcare you need, when you need it
The path to faster cancer treatment, an increase in immunisation rates, shorter stays in emergency departments and quick assessment and treatments when you are sick has been laid out today. Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has revealed details of how the ambitious health targets the Government has set will be ...3 days ago
- Targeted supports to accelerate reading
The coalition Government is delivering targeted and structured literacy supports to accelerate learning for struggling readers. From Term 1 2025, $33 million of funding for Reading Recovery and Early Literacy Support will be reprioritised to interventions which align with structured approaches to teaching. “Structured literacy will change the way children ...3 days ago
- Survivors invited to Abuse in Care national apology
With two months until the national apology to survivors of abuse in care, expressions of interest have opened for survivors wanting to attend. “The Prime Minister will deliver a national apology on Tuesday 12 November in Parliament. It will be a very significant day for survivors, their families, whānau and ...3 days ago
- Rangatahi inspire at Ngā Manu Kōrero final
Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini kē - My success is not mine alone but is the from the strength of the many. Aotearoa New Zealand’s top young speakers are an inspiration for all New Zealanders to learn more about the depth and beauty conveyed ...3 days ago
- Driving structured literacy in schools
The coalition Government is driving confidence in reading and writing in the first years of schooling. “From the first time children step into the classroom, we’re equipping them and teachers with the tools they need to be brilliant in literacy. “From 1 October, schools and kura with Years 0-3 will receive ...4 days ago
- Labour’s misleading information is disappointing
Labour’s misinformation about firearms law is dangerous and disappointing, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says. “Labour and Ginny Andersen have repeatedly said over the past few days that the previous Labour Government completely banned semi-automatic firearms in 2019 and that the Coalition Government is planning to ‘reintroduce’ them. ...4 days ago
- Govt takes action on mpox response, widens access to vaccine
The Government is taking immediate action on a number of steps around New Zealand’s response to mpox, including improving access to vaccine availability so people who need it can do so more easily, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti and Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. “Mpox is obviously a ...4 days ago
- Next steps agreed for Treaty Principles Bill
Associate Justice Minister David Seymour says Cabinet has agreed to the next steps for the Treaty Principles Bill. “The Treaty Principles Bill provides an opportunity for Parliament, rather than the courts, to define the principles of the Treaty, including establishing that every person is equal before the law,” says Mr Seymour. “Parliament ...4 days ago
- Government unlocking potential of AI
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced a programme to drive Artificial Intelligence (AI) uptake among New Zealand businesses. “The AI Activator will unlock the potential of AI for New Zealand businesses through a range of support, including access to AI research experts, technical assistance, AI tools and resources, ...4 days ago
- Government releases Wairoa flood review findings
The independent rapid review into the Wairoa flooding event on 26 June 2024 has been released, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced today. “We welcome the review’s findings and recommendations to strengthen Wairoa's resilience against future events,” Ms ...4 days ago
- Promoting faster payment times for government
The Government is sending a clear message to central government agencies that they must prioritise paying invoices in a timely manner, Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Andrew Bayly says. Data released today promotes transparency by publishing the payment times of each central government agency. This data will be published quarterly ...4 days ago
- Acknowledgement to Kīngi Tuheitia speech
E te māngai o te Whare Pāremata, kua riro māku te whakaputa i te waka ki waho moana. E te Pirimia tēnā koe.Mr Speaker, it is my privilege to take this adjournment kōrero forward. Prime Minister – thank you for your leadership. Taupiri te maunga Waikato te awa Te Wherowhero ...5 days ago
- Interim fix to GST adjustment rules to support businesses
Inland Revenue can begin processing GST returns for businesses affected by a historic legislative drafting error, Revenue Minister Simon Watts says. “Inland Revenue has become aware of a legislative drafting error in the GST adjustment rules after changes were made in 2023 which were meant to simplify the process. This ...5 days ago
- Strong uptake for cervical screening self-test
More than 80 per cent of New Zealand women being tested have opted for a world-leading self-test for cervical screening since it became available a year ago. Minister of Health Dr Shane Reti and Associate Minister Casey Costello, in her responsibility for Women’s Health, say it’s fantastic to have such ...5 days ago
- Ministry for Regulation’s first Strategic Intentions document sets ambitious direction
Regulation Minister David Seymour welcomes the Ministry for Regulation’s first Strategic Intentions document, which sets out how the Ministry will carry out its work and deliver on its purpose. “I have set up the Ministry for Regulation with three tasks. One, to cut existing red tape with sector reviews. Two, ...5 days ago
- Māori Education Advisory Group established
The Education Minister has established a Māori Education Ministerial Advisory Group made up of experienced practitioners to help improve outcomes for Māori learners. “This group will provide independent advice on all matters related to Māori education in both English medium and Māori medium settings. It will focus on the most impactful ways we can lift ...5 days ago
- Government welcomes findings of NZ Superannuation Fund review
The Government has welcomed the findings of the recent statutory review into the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation and the New Zealand Superannuation Fund, Minister of Finance Nicola Willis says. The 5-yearly review, conducted on behalf of Treasury and tabled in Parliament today, found the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation ...5 days ago
- First of five new Hercules aircraft takes flight
Defence Minister Judith Collins today welcomed the first of five new C-130J-30 Hercules to arrive in New Zealand at a ceremony at the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Base Auckland, Whenuapai. “This is an historic day for our New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and our nation. The new Hercules fleet ...5 days ago
- Have your say on suicide prevention
Today, September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day, a time to reflect on New Zealand’s confronting suicide statistics, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “Every death by suicide is a tragedy – a tragedy that affects far too many of our families and communities in New Zealand. We must do ...5 days ago
- Action to grow the rural health workforce
Scholarships awarded to 27 health care students is another positive step forward to boost the future rural health workforce, Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “All New Zealanders deserve timely access to quality health care and this Government is committed to improving health outcomes, particularly for the one in five ...6 days ago
- Pharmac delivering more for Kiwis following major funding boost
Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour has welcomed the increased availability of medicines for Kiwis resulting from the Government’s increased investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the Government,” says Mr Seymour. “When our Government assumed office, New ...6 days ago
- Sport Minister congratulates NZ’s Paralympians
Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop has congratulated New Zealand's Paralympic Team at the conclusion of the Paralympic Games in Paris. “The NZ Paralympic Team's success in Paris included fantastic performances, personal best times, New Zealand records and Oceania records all being smashed - and of course, many Kiwis on ...6 days ago
- Government progresses response to Abuse in Care recommendations
A Crown Response Office is being established within the Public Service Commission to drive the Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care. “The creation of an Office within a central Government agency was a key recommendation by the Royal Commission’s final report. “It will have the mandate ...1 week ago
- Passport wait times back on-track
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says passport processing has returned to normal, and the Department of Internal Affairs [Department] is now advising customers to allow up to two weeks to receive their passport. “I am pleased that passport processing is back at target service levels and the Department ...1 week ago
- New appointments to the FMA board
Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister has today announced three new appointments and one reappointment to the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) board. Tracey Berry, Nicholas Hegan and Mariette van Ryn have been appointed for a five-year term ending in August 2029, while Chris Swasbrook, who has served as a board member ...1 week ago
- District Court judges appointed
Attorney-General Hon Judith Collins today announced the appointment of two new District Court judges. The appointees, who will take up their roles at the Manukau Court and the Auckland Court in the Accident Compensation Appeal Jurisdiction, are: Jacqui Clark Judge Clark was admitted to the bar in 1988 after graduating ...1 week ago
- Government makes it faster and easier to invest in New Zealand
Associate Minister of Finance David Seymour is encouraged by significant improvements to overseas investment decision timeframes, and the enhanced interest from investors as the Government continues to reform overseas investment. “There were about as many foreign direct investment applications in July and August as there was across the six months ...1 week ago
- New Zealand to join Operation Olympic Defender
New Zealand has accepted an invitation to join US-led multi-national space initiative Operation Olympic Defender, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. Operation Olympic Defender is designed to coordinate the space capabilities of member nations, enhance the resilience of space-based systems, deter hostile actions in space and reduce the spread of ...1 week ago
- Government commits to ‘stamping out’ foot and mouth disease
Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says that a new economic impact analysis report reinforces this government’s commitment to ‘stamp out’ any New Zealand foot and mouth disease incursion. “The new analysis, produced by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, shows an incursion of the disease in New Zealand would have ...1 week ago
- Improving access to finance for Kiwis
5 September 2024 The Government is progressing further reforms to financial services to make it easier for Kiwis to access finance when they need it, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Financial services are foundational for economic success and are woven throughout our lives. Without access to finance our ...1 week ago
- Prime Minister pays tribute to Kiingi Tuheitia
As Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII is laid to rest today, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has paid tribute to a leader whose commitment to Kotahitanga will have a lasting impact on our country. “Kiingi Tuheitia was a humble leader who served his people with wisdom, mana and an unwavering ...1 week ago
- Resource Management reform to make forestry rules clearer
Forestry Minister Todd McClay today announced proposals to reform the resource management system that will provide greater certainty for the forestry sector and help them meet environmental obligations. “The Government has committed to restoring confidence and certainty across the sector by removing unworkable regulatory burden created by the previous ...1 week ago
- Police Minister Mark Mitchell to speak to media
Police Minister Mark Mitchell will speak to media on Sunday afternoon at the Auckland Central Police Station. Follow our live coverage here. ...59 mins ago - Australia can’t afford an AUKUS about-face: 5 things the critics are getting wrong
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Blaxland, Professor, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University Three years have passed since the United States, Australia and United Kingdom announced on September 15 2021 that they would enter into a security partnership called AUKUS. A major part of ...4 hours ago - Pope Francis – a message of peace and real change in Pacific political struggles
COMMENTARY: By Laurens Ikinia in Jakarta Pope Francis has completed his historic first visit to Southeast Asian and Pacific nations. The papal apostolic visit covered Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Singapore and Timor-Leste. This visit is furst to the region after he was elected as the leader of the Catholic Church ...4 hours ago
- Aukus Pillar Two: Australia gets new quantum atomic clocks
Quantum technology is one of eight technologies the US, Australia and UK are sharing more of under the controversial defence pact. ...6 hours ago
- Columnist and political media expert John Bishop dies
He was father of National Party MP Chris Bishop, a former RNZ and TVNZ journalist and chairperson of the Taxpayers' Union. ...7 hours ago
- Transport minister pushed ahead with weaker tailpipe standards to meet car industry’s deadline
Environment officials tried to warn Cabinet the move risked blowing NZ's climate targets - but were told they were too late. ...9 hours ago
- The House: Leading in opposition and building an alternative government
One vestige of the pre-MMP era is the term 'leader of the opposition' - but why does the term still exist, and what does the leader do? ...10 hours ago
- RSF calls on UN to investigate Israeli attack killing photojournalist Issam Abdallah
Pacific Media Watch A month before the anniversary of the death of photojournalist Issam Abdallah — killed by an Israeli strike while reporting in southern Lebanon — Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and 10 organisations have sent a letter to the UN Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including ...14 hours ago
- New Rail Deviations Needed To Improve Productivity
In light of the governments shopping list of roading projects, TRAC would like to draw attention to the governments total wilfully neglectful attitude to rail, climate change, pollution, road congestion and road safety. ...15 hours ago - Watchdog Report On Places Of Detention Highlights Ongoing Harm
The 2022/23 annual report by the National Preventive Mechanism on the Optional Protocol to the United Nation’s Convention Against Torture (OPCAT) has been tabled in Parliament (Friday, 3pm) ...15 hours ago
- Local MP Opposes Greenwoods Car Park Removal
ACT Leader and MP for Epsom David Seymour has written to Auckland Transport and the Albert Eden Local Board in opposition to removing car parks from the West Side of Manukau Rd at Greenwoods Corner. ...16 hours ago
- NRC Pleased To See RONS And RORS Funding Allocation
National Road Carriers Association (NRC) is pleased to see the Government’s announcements today allocating funding to Roads of National Significance (RONS) and Roads of Regional Significance (RORS). ...16 hours ago
- New Zealand Catholic Church Suppresses Abuse Report
Catholic Church leaders in Aotearoa New Zealand have refused to fully disclose an independent report on how they have handled abuse complaints. ...16 hours ago
- Clubs Facing Extinction Should Be Empowered To Do Good
Kiwis shouldn’t have to sacrifice their membership of a rowing club or bridge club just because a piece of legislation loaded on costs in a cost-of-living crisis. The people running these clubs are busy parents, grandparents, and hobbyists building ...16 hours ago
- Donations Available To Support Community Waitangi Day Celebrations
The 2025 Waitangi Day Celebration Fund (the Fund) is open until Monday, 7 October. ...16 hours ago
- Striking Social Service And Support Workers To Rally For Decent Wages
Union members are calling for a 5% increase for all members to keep up with the cost of living. This is their second strike in three weeks, after eight months of negotiations led to Visionwest offering meagre pay increases ranging from 0% to 2.6%. ...16 hours ago
- Shane Jones Called Out For Seabed Mining Misinformation
The minister for mining and burning, Shane Jones, is trying to take New Zealanders for fools with inflated claims and misinformation about seabed mining off the coast of Taranaki, says Greenpeace. ...16 hours ago
- NZ Needs A Safe Rates System To Protect Transport Drivers And Other Road Users
Lance Gush, FIRST Union organiser, emphasised the importance of a Safe Rates system in Aotearoa for both drivers and other road users. ...16 hours ago
- Submissions Open On Amendment Paper No 84 To The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment...
We have decided to extend the deadline for submissions on the Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill to invite submissions on amendments proposed by the Minister for Economic Development, in Amendment Paper No 84. ...16 hours ago
- Fertiliser Pollution Set To Continue Under Ballance’s Call For More Fossil Gas
Greenpeace Aotearoa is denouncing Ballance Agri-nutrients’ call for more fossil gas production, maintaining that urea needs to be phased out altogether. ...16 hours ago
- Free Speech Union Submits In Opposition To Law Commission Consultation On Amendments To Human Rights...
The paper examines extending section 21 of the Human Rights Act prohibited grounds of discrimination to include people who are transgender, non-binary and with innate variations of sex characteristics. ...16 hours ago
- Taxpayer Victory: Health Research Council To Actually Research Health
Health research isn’t a game. Lives depend on medical advancements, and every cent spent on frivalous pet projects is money that can’t go towards improving outcomes for Kiwis. ...16 hours ago
- Government spend on emergency housing drops nearly a third in a month
The government is celebrating the decline, saying emergency housing is not safe for families to live long-term. ...16 hours ago
- Luxon office protesters say at least 15 Hector’s dolphins killed from fishing since he was PM
At least 15 Hector's dolphins have been killed from fishing activity since Christopher Luxon became Prime Minister almost a year ago, a protest group says. ...24 hours ago
- The Secret Diary of .. Sheriff Seymour
MONDAYIt was a bright cold day in September, and the clocks were striking thirteen. A cold wind swept through the main street of Dodge. Rain was headed over the mountain range and would wash all the scum off the streets – but not if Sheriff Seymour, First Minister of Moral Conduct and ...1 day ago - It Ends With Us ends with drama
Is the feud between the co-stars of It Ends With Us a genuine clash of creative minds or simply a clever marketing strategy that’s spiralled out of control?The highly anticipated film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s best-selling novel hit cinemas last month and as soon as the cast stepped onto the ...1 day ago
- A gal’s first hoedown
Last Friday at 7pm, Auckland’s ‘first annual’ hoedown began at the Grey Lynn RSC. Gabi Lardies was there to attempt a line dance. My pink cowgirl hat waited patiently in the lounge all week, quietly anticipating Friday night from her perch atop the couch’s arm rest. When I saw her, ...1 day ago - The Weekend: When an email changes your life
Madeleine Chapman reflects on the week (and 10 years) that was. A lot of big things have happened in my life thanks to my motto of “just do one thing”. As a teenager, I was perfectly content at the high school all my older sisters went to, but my mum ...1 day ago
- ‘My approach was just to scream quite a lot’: Antonia Prebble’s many TV births
The star of Double Parked takes us through her life in television, including a quest to find Play School pens and a glitter disaster on The Tribe. She’s best known for Outrageous Fortune, Westside and Double Parked, but Antonia Prebble also holds a unique television accolade: most onscreen births performed ...1 day ago
- ‘Messy in the most joyful and satisfying way’: Molly Payton’s perfect weekend playlist
Indie darling Molly Payton shares her perfect weekend playlist. Tāmaki Makaurau’s Molly Payton is close to wrapping up a tour across the UK and Europe, off the back of her debut album, Yoyotta. The 10-track record, inspired by the stylings of Big Thief, Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell, sees Payton ...1 day ago
- The slow and painful process of falling in love with my son
A lockdown birth, an abortion, and an excruciating back injury: Annie Wolfe traversed three hospital rooms on her hard road to motherhood. The Spinoff Essay showcases the best essayists in Aotearoa, on topics big and small. Made possible by the generous support of our members. Mum dropped me off at the ...1 day ago
- Review: Home Truths by Charity Norman is an all-too-believable Covid thriller
Sam Brooks reviews the latest novel from one of NZ’s modern crime queens. It’s 2024, and we’re officially in the era of Covid art. After the deaths, after the lockdowns, after the vaccines, it was sort of inevitable. The entire world went through something, and now the artists have the ...1 day ago
- Podcast: What drove the RBNZ’s surprise cut to the official cash rate?
The Reserve Bank hopes high frequency data will better equip the central bank to see the road ahead more clearly – but warns we’re not ready to relax into cruise control just yet. The Reserve Bank’s recent pivot to cut the official cash rate, despite weeks earlier stating that ...1 day ago
- Universal Road User Charges Needed To Future-Proof Transport Funding
Interim Chief Executive Dom Kalasih says while paying fuel excise at-the-pump was convenient for drivers, changes in vehicle technology and variability in fuel consumption meant it wasn’t an effective way of vehicle users paying a fair contribution towards ...2 days ago
- Government’s Plans For Infrastructure Are “Promising” – Templer
Now, Templer is hopeful these initiatives will help projects get started soon and that there will be consistent management of the pipeline of infrastructure projects and workforce needed to ensure their delivery. ...2 days ago
- West Papuan independence advocate seeks NZ support against ‘genocide, ecocide’
SPECIAL REPORT: By Te Aniwaniwa Paterson of Te Ao Māori News West Papuan independence advocate Octo Mote is in Aotearoa New Zealand to win support for independence for West Papua, which has been ruled by Indonesia for more than 60 years. Mote is vice-president of the United Liberation Movement for ...2 days ago
- Fast-track Approvals Bill Still Fundamentally Flawed, Despite Welcome Changes
Fast-track Approvals Bill Still Fundamentally Flawed, Despite Welcome Changes ...2 days ago
- Waitangi Tribunal findings on customary marine title changes no surprise to iwi leader
The Waitangi Tribunal has hit out at the government for blindly adhering to its coalition agreement by making it harder for Māori to get customary marine title. ...2 days ago
- Get set for more extreme weather across Australia this spring and summer
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew King, Senior Lecturer in Climate Science, The University of Melbourne Australia is no stranger to extreme weather. From heatwaves and droughts to flooding rains, hailstorms or fire weather, our continent experiences it all. To help Australians prepare for these hazards, ...2 days ago
- Are you ready for it? What a Taylor Swift endorsement means for Kamala Harris
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Shortis, Adjunct Senior Fellow, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University As the US Presidential debate wrapped up on Wednesday, commentators and journalists regrouped and drew breath. But then, enter Taylor Swift. The pop superstar posted her endorsement ...2 days ago
I think Westboro has more notoriety for picketing the funerals of US serviceman, and victims of school shootings with their anti-gay message. Completely insane, hopefully Fred Phelps dies soon. Louis Theroux did a really good doco on them a few years back.
Phelps died March 2014.
Good.
+1
” Completely insane, hopefully Fred Phelps dies soon”
You are behind the times, he already did some months ago.
Fred Phelps has died, and before his death was excommunicated by his church. It appears that he might have had a re-think of his ideas. Several of the Church’Members have left and are now trying to rebuild their lives.
sadly in this world of fear that we are creating (and yes, with our inactivity and laissez faire attitude we are literally letting stuff happen), it will be ok to bash single mothers as harlots, gay and lesbians and abominations unto the eye of god, to bash the infirm and disabled, and to hold people accountable for their poverty.
Many many churches now preach that god does want one to be rich, and that those that live a godly life – no matter how miserable – will be rewarded with riches, and that those that don’t get rich quick must be doing something wrong, and if they just repent, fast, self flagellate and tithe above the 10 % all will be well.
Also Ladies be submissive, a good Helpmeet, obey your Father and then your Husband always, don’t use the pill, and have as many babies as god will send you and above all be sweet, always smile, always be kind, never complain, or be not well. 🙂 .
Also Gents, be assertive, a good provider, and you shall receive a good Helpmeet, who will be at your service (as is her duty if she wants to be godly).
Yes. Religion is fucked up, but consider the strange times we live in, and it makes perfect sense. Religion is a tool used over and over again to enforce a rigid system of population control.
ex roman catholic here 🙂
Religion generally never wants numbers of population controlled. Simplistic breeding is what they generally go for. It’s interesting that a clever and hard working teenage girl in our extended family who had won awards while at college, and could have been expected to go into engineering and design, has married at the age of 17-18. I am jumping to conclusions here, and may be wrong about her future direction. But I don’t feel that there will be much encouragement for her to keep working and have a career and children and marriage which should be an option for the modern woman.
Her parents are very church minded. Heaven forbid a woman who has forged a career for herself using the advanced part of her brain. The biological imperative is used against her, and her life limited to helping her husband get on in the world and bringing up their children for similar roles.
edited
Speaking as another ex roman catholic kia kaha Sabine! Hope your recovery is going well!
I’m pretty tired of all religions being tarred with the same brush by former Christians and Atheists whose only conception of faith has to be something involving a creator god.
As a Buddhist, I can tell you for a fact that my religion couldn’t give a stuff about population, contraception, or whether you sleep with the same sex or not. Nor is my religion a tool for anything other than attempting to uncover the true nature of reality. So I may be biased, but I don’t think my religion is in any way ‘fucked up’.
So next time you go about referring to religion, please bare in mind that religion does not always equate to Christianity/Islam/Judaism. And that when you draw that line and say that religion is fucked up, you’re being annoying to anyone who has a faith other than those three religions.
I guess it takes an extremist like Pastor Logan Robertson, who by “virtue” of his bigotry, will be able to attract like minded bigots who will keep him in a great lifestyle. Think Destiny.
Dig deeper and I’m damn sure you’d find links to US pentacostals.
http://www.ifyouonlynews.com/politics/az-pastors-biblical-final-solution-to-homo-pedophiles-mass-extermination-video/
People such as you describe are extremists and should be treated as potential terrorists.
“People such as you describe are extremists and should be treated as potential terrorists.”
Don’t worry, haters are already on the case – people have already threatened to kill his wife and children, then him..
How exactly does that help anyone?
Well, the Bible talks about “an eye for an eye”.
However, I suspect vto is advocating for formal action taken by the civil authorities.
The problem is religion. That’s what the Bible actually says about gays, and crap like this is what happens when people believe in supernatural authorities – reason goes out the window and you can believe whatever you like.
The Bible is a stink book. You would think that God would sentence to death people who actually deserve it, like hipsters.
This.
there are two books to the ‘bible’
old testament, new testament.
this guy is quoting the old testament, before jesus. You know the times when Abraham was ready to kill his firstborn (the one born to the slave cause his wife Sara was very old and only was granted a child once Abraham got to commit adultery with a Slave Girl, which was approved by God, cause God) in the name of the one and only god?
the new testament is full of stuff like, Him/Her without sin shall cast the first stone, or treat others like ye want to be treated yerself, or love thy neighbour as ya love thy self, etc. etc.
also there is not one person on this planet that would know THE BIBLE, cause if that book exists its buried in the Catacombs of the Vatican among many other stuff that no one will ever get to see.
This geezer will most likely refer to the King James Bible http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_James_Version
Also check Levicitus out, cause he is hard case
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Leviticus
The instructions of Leviticus emphasize ritual, moral and legal practices rather than beliefs.
but you are not going to hear the good man preach this
And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
If they were truly true to what they preach they would call for divorce to be outlawed, but then their money making ventures would empty out of people.
Who cares? To think that it is worth believing because it is written in a book written by religious barbarians that makes unsubstantiated historical claims, is just silly.
Amen
The thing I like about the sermon on the mount is that it specifically rejects a lot of the old testament, “It is written that…, but I say unto you [pretty much the opposite]”. I don’t hold much with Jesus as a divine creature, but as a historical one he is really quite interesting.
There is a solid line of Christian progressive thought that forms a major part of the Labour movement. It may not be seen as terribly relevant, but I think it would be a shame to throw out Keir Hardie and Archibald Baxter with the bathwater.
The historical Jesus is a placeholder for modern beliefs. Nobody really knows anything substantial about him or his beliefs – even his existence can be questioned. Our sources for Jesus life and works are very limited, and any reasonable historian would have to conclude that the religion called Christianity was created long after the supposed date of its founder’s death and for all we know bears little similarity to his views.
The truth is that religious organisations make up the Jesus that suits them.
Absolutely correct
Tom, it is the prerogative of a free person to choose their belief. I do hope you are not supporting the Romans when they occupied the middle east 2000 years ago or today’s fanatical Muslims that kill Christians in increasing numbers.
The book of Leviticus is actually a Jewish book that incidentally has nothing to do with Christianity at all – or Jesus for that matter. In fact it was the same religious clergy that saw to it that Jesus was put on the cross.
The writing of that particular book, as any religious text need to be seen in context. In my view an attempt to bring rules and restriction into a society thousands of years ago had an entirely different lifestyle and social structure. One should not forget that this was not an age of the internet or text messaging.
As for the words of that “priest” – this is wrong on so many levels that I am aghast.
With a sense of tolerance and good will – have a Happy and peaceful Christmas.
The truth is that religious organisations make up the Jesus that suits them.
That’s very modern. Here is your own personalised Jesus etc.
i am currently halfway thru george bernard shaws’ take on the bible/jesus..
..(it is the preface to his play..androcoles and the lion’..a preface that is 140 pages long..)
..and i wd recommend that exercise to anyone interested in that subject…
..his shavian take has much food for thought..
@ phillip u
You’re always on about food.
i have now finished the shaw preface..
..and i can only highly recommend it again..
..and i am surprised it is not more widely read/known..
..he brings clarity of thought to a very complex subject/issue..
“also there is not one person on this planet that would know THE BIBLE, cause if that book exists its buried in the Catacombs of the Vatican among many other stuff that no one will ever get to see. ”
That’s popularly believed amongst atheists, but it’s complete nonsense. Have you ever heard of the Eastern Orthodox? Their church is as old as the Catholic one, and even if the RC church had hidden the Bible which they didn’t, the Orthodox exist and have it..
“The problem is religion. That’s what the Bible actually says about gays, and crap like this is what happens when people believe in supernatural authorities – reason goes out the window and you can believe whatever you like.”
Yeah, because there are no atheistic homophobes.
“reason goes out the window and you can believe whatever you like.”
I do love it when rationalists feel the need to tell lies to support their arguments.
Plenty for sure but atheist homophobes don’t get to quote the bible as an Ultimate Authority excuse.
Hoho… the fallacy of affirming the consequent.
“When people believe in supernatural authorities, crap like this happens” isn’t the same as saying “when crap like this happens it is due to belief in supernatural authorities”.
I guess religion has affected you so badly that you forgot the most basic logical rules.
Have pity on those of us who don’t believe in the magical catering wizard.
Absolutely Tom.
Seems to me that Logan Robertson might be the only honest Baptist pastor in New Zealand – he alone has actually outlined the “teachings” of his church.
The problem is not one cleric accurately representing his faith, it is the concept of religious faith itself.
Help! I agree with a capitalist running dog… 😉
The Roman Catholic hierarchy is scarcely more enlightened or tolerant. Listen to Archbishop Dunn next time he (lugubriously and regretfully) talks on the subject.
“its practice of picketing the funerals of young gay men and harassing their grieving families”
It’s even more insane than that. They picket the funerals of dead soldiers on the basis that God wants them dead to punish America for tolerating gays.
Maybe they should set up shop in Michigan.
The Bible says you are vile, strange (queer), reprobate, sodomite, natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed.
If Pastor Robertson regards his belief in the Bible as putting obligations on him that he must act on, that’s a death threat. Or, it could be that he believes the Bible shouldn’t be taken literally (lots of it is misanthropic bullshit, after all). Would be interesting to see him clarify that for us.
If Pastor Robertson’s interpretation of the Bible is thoroughly literal, then here is his method for getting rid of bathroom mould:
To purify the house he is to take two birds and some cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop. He shall kill one of the birds over fresh water in a clay pot. Then he is to take the cedar wood, the hyssop, the scarlet yarn and the live bird, dip them into the blood of the dead bird and the fresh water, and sprinkle the house seven times. He shall purify the house with the bird’s blood, the fresh water, the live bird, the cedar wood, the hyssop and the scarlet yarn. Then he is to release the live bird in the open fields outside the town. In this way he will make atonement for the house, and it will be clean.” – Leviticus 14, 49-53
Olwyn
What does the Bible say about getting printing ink out of wool.? I’ve just dropped a few spots of cyan and magenta from liquid ink I got on line and it is a nice icebreaker merino wool top. Trying water laundry detergent paste of white vinegar and baking soda. Haven’t tried proprietary stuff, first using the homey close to hand stuff. Any ideas?
Just from memory, I don’t think the Bible has a lot to say about that one 🙂 I had a quick look on the net and most people seemed to think that aerosol stain removers worked better for that sort of thing than pump or soaking ones. If it is a loved jumper it is also worth ringing a dry-cleaner and asking how much they would charge to do it, as they are practiced in these things.
@ greywarshark
Yeah… sorry to interrupt the biblical reverie, but I suggest you try “Frend” from your local SM. It’s in a bright pink plastic container in the detergent section and all you have to do is spray the liquid on the garment. Leave it on for about an hour (being ink) and then toss into washing machine on a “gentle wash and spin”. Repeat if necessary.
All very practical and lacking literary fervour but you know what I meeean… 💡
Olwyn and Anne
Thanks I did manage to shift it. Got out the pink bottles but went with the dilute with water then paste of baking soda and white vinegar and xx seems to be okay. I’ll find out when it is dry. I didn’t have aerosols so lucky that what i had worked.
Watch out when you change inkjet cartridges especially the cheapo ones. They are giving me good use, cheaper and seem to go for longer, but I didn’t know about the drip. Suggest you spread out some news-paper on the floor covering carpet etc. Old Heralds would come into their own for this.
This is the Jewish Tora and not the Bible…
It is not in the New Testament, but it is in the Bible, Leviticus being part of the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. In some translations the mould is referred to as “leprosy” because mould was taken to be a sort of leprosy of the house.
Olwyn, the old testament is before Christ – so it wont be the Christian Bible.
The old Testament is in many ways shared in the main religion, Judaism, Islam, the book of Abraham in Christianity.
Christianity however is based on the life of Jesus or Christ, being the the son of god – neither Jewish nor Muslim belief this. They accept him as prophet but not as savior of the human soul. This is the centerpiece of difference that also has led to many wars “my god is better than yours” “Kain and Abel”.
The book Leviticus is still published in Christian Bibles, although it is true that instructions of this kind are not part of Christian teaching, and never have been. But if you look at the post, the Pastor quoted from Leviticus to support a claim that homosexuals should be killed. And I was essentially saying, well if you are going to draw such claims from Leviticus, then here is another claim that, to be consistent, you should also consider.
” Leviticus 14, 49-53″
Sigh, the same old argument… have you never heard of the New Testament? That also condemns homosexuality, the practice not the people… anyone can leave their gay fetish behind, if they choose to – but many or most don’t.
“…the practice not the people… anyone can leave their gay fetish behind, if they choose to – but many or most don’t.”
What?!?
Apart from the dog-whistle framing and false notion of your last sentence – why should they?
Heterosexuals can ignore their sexuality as well, but same point as Molly, why should they?
Deb Kean should come out (no pun intended) and like most rational sane people, denounce this sick in the head minister and his vile, hate speech teachings.
What supposed ‘christian’ would advocate and pray for suicide or government murder?
Christ was all about love. There is nothing wrong with Christ or his teachings. What is wrong is with the people and preachers who are narrow minded, shallow and misrepresent the spirit of Christ. At least the present Pope Francis seems to be a compassionate good Christan who is trying to make long due changes and setting a better example.
+1. I certainly did not put up the mould-removal method in opposition to Christianity or the Judeo-Christian tradition as a whole, but to show how selective Biblical literalism tends to be. Moreover, Robertson’s exchanges with the guy from Express show that he is completely overlooking the central message of his religion.
Bastard! I’m up to my ears in blood and feathers and now he tells me it was just an allegory!
😀
Edit: comment of the week if not of the year!
😳
Thank you.
Lol 😀
heh..!
😀 😉 😛
So Leviticus is some sort of translation mistake then ?
Leviticus was completed hundreds of years before Christ.
So homos are back in then, are they? Better tell the majority of the world’s Xtians.
Matt. 7:1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”
“Let him who is without sin cast the first stone” attributed to be said by Jesus.
I was simply pointing out to ghostwhowalksnz that there’s no good reason to throw out Christ’s teachings because of some old world hogwash in Leviticus.
There’s all manner of ridiculous dogma scattered throughout the old testament, along with some profound beauty and wisdom. Each person is their own free agent to take what they want from it. Despite whatever bible clutching loonies you might see in a Michael Moore film or the like, following Christ doesn’t have to mean being obliged to defend every word of it. It’s Jesus’ example and message, and it’s relevence to the kind of person you choose to be that matter, not ‘the book’. It doesn’t even matter if he never even existed.
Wait, what am I saying… I’m talking to someone who magically knows the minds of the majority of the world’s Christians. Please, share the knowledge Professor Xavier. Do carry on painting them all with your righteous stereotyping brush.
@ emergency mike
What you said. Sounds good. What I understood anyway.
I love the old testament. I am always “amazed” that so many good christians don’t know it better. All of the really interesting bits of it.
Genesis 19 for instance is such a revelation about how goodly men should handle their virgin daughters.
I can usually make most moral christians swear off the old testament.
Of course this git looks just psychotic, so I suspect he probably has few morals.
Pope Francis seems to be a compassionate good Christian only because he doesn’t believe the nonsense in his holy book, which means he is not really a Christian at all.
Yes, saying things you don’t really believe makes you ethically compromised, eh Matthew 🙄
I would say, in his case, he is gently trying to modernise his organisation without risking a reaction from his cardinals. It must be extremely difficult. His latest move is he says hellfire doesn’t exist, and nor did Adam and Eve. I assume he never believed they did. The historic significance of those statements can scarcely be overstated. No Adam and Eve means no original sin, and no hell means no place to be punished for it.
I’m sure careful study of the teachings and methods of the Catholic Church can be very instructive to someone with your interests.
“and no hell means no place to be punished for it.”
Hoping much?
It is one thing to think that the story of Adam and Eve is allegorical, and another to think that this means the concept of original sin is pointless – the second does not necessarily follow from the first. And the pope could well think that separation from God is something that no one who really understood what was at stake would wish upon themselves, without the further need for fire and brimstone. In short, the historical significance of such statements can be overstated.
Okay to that, as long as he doesn’t say “No Virginia, there is no Santa Claus!”
You may have to look this up, Santa Claus is a reinvention of St Nicolas, a Russian Priest who traveled during winter on a sled (yes!) from home to home in those frozen out backs bringing food and clothes to the poor. He is celebrated on the 6th December in all of Christian Europe.
The Americans, ever so eager to deny the Christian faith have adopted the image, polished it in Coca Cola fashion and sold it to the world as “Father Christmas” – the word Christmas means Christ mass and surely cannot be misinterpreted.
In that sense, a lot of people are already praying to an odd deity, aren’t they?
@ Foreign Waka
Thinking about the USA I have just found Benny Hinn and his fallover Ministry.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n14mvw8JnAU
Breaking a curse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsQdxJUbahA
and some sort of game with enny Hinn as hero
JC can be marketed in so many interesting ways.
“I would say, in his case, he is gently trying to modernise his organisation without risking a reaction from his cardinals. It must be extremely difficult. His latest move is he says hellfire doesn’t exist, and nor did Adam and Eve. I assume he never believed they did. The historic significance of those statements can scarcely be overstated. No Adam and Eve means no original sin, and no hell means no place to be punished for it.”
Him and Andrew Little should get together for a chinwag.
A nice book for some light understanding.
‘Would You Baptize an Extraterrestrial?: . . . and Other Questions from the Astronomers’ In-box at the Vatican Observatory, October 2014
by Guy Consolmagno SJ (Author), Paul Mueller (Author)
http://www.amazon.com/Would-You-Baptize-Extraterrestrial-Astronomers/dp/0804136955
And oh, here is a cute prayer I found : “Oh God, if there be a God, save my soul, if I have a soul.”
“Pope Francis seems to be a compassionate good Christian only because he doesn’t believe the nonsense in his holy book, which means he is not really a Christian at all.”
A Christian is one who follows the teachings of Jesus. Blind literally belief in the entire contents of the bible is not a requirement.
Why doesn’t it surprise me Matthew, that your concept of the defining moral framework of your civilization is as deep as a paddling pool.
How would you know?
FFS the four gospels were composed decades after the events supposedly took place, and probably weren’t even meant to be a historical record (and then there’s the apocrypha and suchlike to deal with). It’s hard enough to ascertain the beliefs and doings of ancient people who were much more widely documented than Jesus. This case is impossible, as is demonstrated by all the different churches who think that their particular version is correct and inerrant.
To base one’s worldview on such severely limited and fragmentary evidence is moronic.
@ Tom J
Why always be so unswervingly certain and definite. We’re getting near Christmas so soften up and let a bit of human fuzziness drift past while you relax on Cloud 9 and sip your favourite beverage.
These grifters need this kind of extremism to attract the deluded, the stupid and the ignorant to the congregation and then to the donations bucket. They cherry pick from scripture to re-inforce the prejudices of their “marks”. They don’t have them picketing McDonalds about cheeseburgers, or Kmart about mixed fabric clothes because they know they will be laughed off the street, but a bit of gay bashing seems to do the trick for them.
Surely this Pastor is pushing violence and terror to his congregation. As a result of his wrong interpretation of a Holy Book an unstable person may become radicalised and murder a stranger on the streets. In God’s name. Sound familiar ?
The Ku Klux Klan consider themselves to be a Christian Organisation
takes all sorts eh ..
I wonder how many names in that congregation would also turn up on the Conservative Party membership list….
…and Family First, and S.S. Trust, and ACT….
Opening up a personal line to God gives a person integrity and lots of people are willing to buy that, and pay a pretty price.
I have recently bought an old pb on David Koresh – Waco which burned up at the end surrounded by armed officials under the aegis of the Tobacco and Spirituous Liquors Revenue Act or such. It would be farce if it was a film and the Blues Brothers would have broken through in a huge old Caddie and all the lawmakers would have chased it with a sound and light show that would have amused the population for 10 miles around.
Unfortunately it ended in great tragedy and it was everyone else’s fault.
It certainly is hard to deal with these megalomaniac types. As those who remember Jones over in Africa in Guiana with his group of virtual slaves. A fact finding member of Congress? or the Californian politicians was shot by his thugs.
Then there was a group of Swiss who all took poison at one particularly crucial moment in time.
There was Aimee Semple McPherson a leader in radio evangelism in the USA. heard a bit from a bbc program on Radionz the other day. Here is a link to it and it is really fascinating.
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-30148022
Jonestown was in Guyana, in South America.
Thanks Murray for correcting that.
Crazy dogma and hate is not restricted just to religion! A fair few examples on left and right and this site Once any one says they know the truth head for the hills
Heh:
http://biblehub.com/2_peter/2.htm
Not even the King James version(s) mention anything about sodomites, and in general Peters 2 is all about false teachers/priests.
Cue broken irony meters…
And on the 11th day the lord of hosts created KY jelly,
and once more laid with man as if he were womankind,
and he saw that his loins were pleasured,
and the rhythmic thrusting pleased him greatly,
and thus spoke the lord of hosts:
It shall henceforth not be abominable in my eyes
but pleasurable in my bum
Go forth and multiply, or anything else that turns you on.
Robertson fits all the profiles of a low intelligence bigot.
He is insecure with his own sexuality.