Ian Harris worth a read

Ian is the "Honest to God" columnist in the Dom Post (and perhaps elsewhere). His take on Christianity seems to be a thoughtful and interesting one. The latest column (a few snippets below) is worth a read:

New Zealand is still a Christian country by majority, but only just. In this year's census, 53 per cent of the population still considered themselves Christian. But if the biggest single grouping determines our religious character, we are a God-shaped blank. Nearly one in three of us, a total of 1,297,104, ticked the "no religion" box.

That figure has risen by 269,052, or 26 per cent, in the past five years. Any denomination would eat its heart out to net an increase like that. Instead, Catholics nudged up 22,800 to 508,812, Anglicans shed 29,868 to 554,925, and the Presbyterian/Reformed grouping lost 30,102 to 401,445. Methodists were fourth biggest at 122,073, a gain of 1368. Those churches can take some comfort that they account for three in every four of the 2.1 million people who identified themselves as Christian. They will take less from the fact that since 2001 their share of the total population has fallen from 47 to 39 per cent. The trend, evident since the 1920s, continues ever downward.

....

Christians should meanwhile be asking themselves the hard questions about their dwindling numbers. It is the Christian West, after all, that gave birth to the secular society, yet so often the churches see the secular as negative rather than something they can find synergy with. The sooner that changes, the better.

One factor working against the churches might in time turn in their favour. The great majority of the "no religionists" are under 40. They know little about either traditional Christianity or what a Christianity re-imagined for our secular society might be like. If they ever get around to inquiring about that, at least they should be more open than their elders to new ways of thinking about God, without a lot of unlearning to do first.

But the churches seem largely unaware of the opportunities presented by secular society. Also, with new faiths growing strongly around them, they must learn to shed their ingrained attitude of superiority toward other religions, as, too, must the other religions. No religion has a monopoly on truth.

The evolving multi-faith reality also poses a challenge to those who are indifferent or hostile to religion. For the census confirms that even in our secular society, religion has a firm place. Secular tolerance demands that it be respected and safeguarded, not the butt of dismissive sneers.

 

Comments

[Chris]

The major point that I take from his column is that for multiple religions to co-exist within a 'secular' society, each needs to be tolerant of the others. We may not understand why others believe the things that they do, or understand their customs, but we should respect their right to lead their lives as they choose.

The concluding remark perhaps poses the greatest challenge: "Europe's recent history shows that distance can lead to alienation, alienation to discontent, discontent to extremism, and extremism to terror attacks on the host community". In the post September 11 world, certain religions have been pushed into isolation - the results speak for themselves.

[Craig Ranapia]

Well, I think Ian Harris' lead is slightly misleading - as I think he's lumping together those who 'object to state' in the 'no religion' box. I'm a Catholic, and a pretty orthodox one by most measures, but I don't think the state - an ostensibly secular one - has any legitimate interest in knowing my religion.

[Uroskin]

There is really no need to have the religion question in the census at all. No Government services are specifically targeted at Catholics, Tamaki worshipers, tree huggers, Jedi or atheists so that question is irrelevant for the Government.
Instead the Government should allow local councils to start charging rates on church lands and buildings and get rid of that state and local subsidy on religion.

[Paul Litterick]

The census information is useful precisely because religions get tax breaks, rates rebates and other goodies such as subsidised education for their flock. We should know how many citizens are likely to benefit from such generosity. It is also helpful to have this information when reading columnists who claim that ours is a Christian nation or that we are being swamped with Muslims.

What would be more interesting still would be details of how much tax revenue is lost.

[dave]

Harris doesnt know what the hell he is talking about. The Dom Post should get someone who has the finger on the pulse on religion. Preferably someone who is religious.

[Andy Robertson]

I would not be bagging the churches if I were you ,yes you have got the Tamaki nutters and the like , but the core of what i see as Christain church do-gooders are exactly that . The time and effort I have seen local church groups put into non religious comunity efforts behind the scenes as volenteers ,financial contributors and just old fashioned scocial workers is masive and goes unseen . To sugest we should be taxing them or there is lost revenue would be to ignore the work they do just as with other service clubs .Do to others as you would have them do to you ,sounds like good logic to me .