Members of Tamaki's Destiny Church have recently been charged for destroying rainbow crossings in Gisborne and Auckland, and were responsible for a series of drag events being cancelled around the country.

The image of the child and the head are part of promotion for an event last night in New Plymouth.

The next event is to be held in Whanganui on Tuesday evening.

Promotional material on social media for the events uses phrases like "Time to kill", "It's time to gather heads" and "I want a head (trophy) on my mantlepiece (sic)!"

But Tamaki said the imagery was used figuratively and the phrase "Time to kill" was from the Bible. Read more

The idea doesn't make sense to them.

What price community good?

Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki (pictured left) doesn't think much of the tax reform suggestion.

The current tax law - which exempts churches from paying taxes - reflects the good that churches do in the community, he says.

"You've got to wonder where his [Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's] head space is, because a lot of churches pick up the mess that dysfunctional governments leave in society" he told NewsHub.

Tamaki says Destiny Church's social programmes are run without Government help and have a positive impact.

"When you think about it, he's going to tax that or he's going to tax our income, I think that's what he's talking about.

"I'm going to send him a big bill at the end of every year charging all the cost that we're doing for free."

Other Christian church leaders are also up in arms.

Chris Bethwait, who is chair of the InterChurch Bureau explains.

"There's probably some perceptions out there that churches have a free ride, and aren't doing much good in the community, so why should they not pay taxes or rates?" he says.

"It would be good to have the conversation and maybe a little bit more known about what churches actually do in the community."

Why tax churches?

Some say not taxing churches is "an ungodly law".

They argue that churches going tax- and rates-free when Joe Public pays up is wrong.

Luxon (pictured right) is "actually quite open to that consideration.

"I've actually been thinking through the broader dimension of our charitable taxation regimes" he says.

Under New Zealand law, churches are exempt from paying tax but Luxon has left the door open for changes.

"We will certainly be looking at things like that this term, yep."

For now though, he says church tax reform is "not a focus".

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown is also in favour of taxing churches. They don't pay rates, he says.

Under the Rating Act, religious organisations are exempt. That should change, Brown says.

"Everybody that we provide services to, which are pipes and water and roads and footpaths and rubbish collections and all those things, everybody that uses them should pay for them."

Tamaki says Destiny's Auckland headquarters does pay rates as the property is leased.

If the city's rating law did change though, other churches in Auckland - some of them on expensive sites - may find themselves with annual rates bills.

Source

• NewsHub

Tamaki - Destiny Church founder and co-founder of the Freedoms New Zealand political party - says God gave him a vision of how he should run the campaign.

He's "had insight from the spirit world", he claimed.

Undemocratic

The disruption plan is raising fears that Freedoms New Zealand plans to subvert democratic norms in the run up to October's election.

Some disruptive action has already begun, in fact.

On Monday, a Freedoms NZ election candidate scaled a 2m-high fence to interrupt Opposition leader Chris Luxon's press conference.

Luxon asked the candidate to "be respectful" and talk afterwards. The disruption continued. Luxon moved the conference elsewhere so he could talk freely.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins called the interruption an "anti-democratic" publicity stunt. It drowned out other people's voices and gave the public less chance to hear from politicians ahead of the election.

But Tamaki told church followers that Freedoms NZ was exercising its "right to protest and speak publicly".

He says his disruption plan will target Act Party leader David Seymour next.

'You're next David [Seymour], you're another one that hides the truth."

"This could spread right across, down the south and everywhere," Tamaki told his followers.

Security

This weeks interruption coincided with the Government's increased security budget for Members of Parliament, to protect them at their homes, offices and at Parliament.

Politicians have been reporting more confrontations with abusive, threatening protesters. In one case in May last year, Luxon was kept inside a venue in Palmerston North until police arrived.

He later said one of New Zealand's greatest strengths was that the public could easily talk to and approach politicians and that care was needed to preserve that.

But divisive and polarising politics could grow in New Zealand, politicians warn. These divisions are more commonly associated with the United States and are a danger to democracy, they say.

Tamaki's disruption plan

Tamaki told followers in his sermon that his comments about disruption followed politicians' accusations that his team wanted to be disruptive.

He discovered the word's Latin root means to "break apart".

"I love this word disruption, to break apart - break apart this hold they have on our Parliament where the people cannot get their voice in," he told church followers.

"Break apart that Parliament, break apart the lying politicians, break apart the dominant party spirit that does not allow the people to have a voice or access to their own Parliament."

A Destiny church Facebook post shows the Freedoms NZ candidate interrupting Luxon under the headline: "Be a weapon of mass disruption".

This is positive, Tamaki said.

Disruption can be "something that begins to create something better than what was there before".

But violence is not acceptable, Tamaki insists. "Break apart means to challenge by valid and lawful means."

Tamaki said Luxon's press conference interruption was not pre-planned - but "brilliant".

He now expected more of his party members would "pop up" unannounced.

Source

• NZ Herald

At least, that's Brian Tamaki's view.

The self-identified apostle, Destiny Church and Freedoms NZ political party founder says so in a rambling, disinformation-littered diatribe before his church fellowship.

His online sermon, lasting over an hour, draws heavily on the Old Testament's Book of Leviticus.

In it, Tamaki claims Gabrielle "should never have got near us".

"But no, it was swirling, it got strong and He [God] said, 'I'm coming for you, I'm after New Zealand'. Because that's where the most extreme abortion, that's the abomination that's coming up in the air to God. That's the place that has the queerest Parliament in the world."

His oration has been viewed online over 3,300 times.

Describing his research process in forming his opinion, he tells viewers:

"I was suspicious. Don't hate me for this … I see the perversion that is linked to bad weather.

"And I went online. And by the way I don't watch porn."

Nonetheless, Tamaki says he keyed "Porn in New Zealand" into his internet search bar "...and it gave me Pornhub.

"I was shocked by what I found... Hastings and Gisborne, has the highest number of porn watchers in the country and it's one of the biggest averages per capita in the world …

"And they're the biggest watchers on the porn site of gay porn. I know! And I closed it and thought, I can't do this in church, I can't say this publicly."

Despite his concern, he decided:

"I thought, no, God said...you've got it, the revelation, you've got to share it. [Otherwise] they will not see this, they won't connect the dots.

"You'll be mocked, they'll say you're a nutter, but don't worry it gets out and people can see the truth for themselves … Please, stop watching porn, New Zealand. It's getting us in trouble."

How does he know? "I have caught how God feels about it, so I feel how He feels … I transfer His feelings to my feelings, His thoughts to my thoughts."

The mayor of Gisborne, Rehette Stoltz, says Tamaki's comments are "disappointing, unhelpful and laughable".

"We have families struggling after losing their homes and their livelihoods and a much-loved community member lost his life.

"In true Kiwi style, the rest of NZ have mucked in and supported us ...The awhi and aroha have been heartwarming and humbling. We feel loved and nurtured in a very tough time."

Stoltz also notes: "It's worth mentioning that Tairawhiti was without internet access for five days, so Brian's ‘research' might need updating.

"I suggest Brian stop wasting his time ‘researching Pornhub, and instead join the rest of New Zealand who have donated time, energy and money to help us get back on our feet."

Last month Tamaki's Freedoms New Zealand political party successfully registered with the Electoral Commission.

Source

• The Spinoff

Increased powers have been given to Charities Services - the sector administrator - and to the Charities Registration Board.

Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Priyanca Radhakrishnan says New Zealand's 28,000 or so registered charities make a great contribution to the country.

The new charities law follows a review by Internal Affairs (DIA). The government ordered the review in 2018 after the Charities Registration Board deregistered Destiny Church's status as a charity.

The Board said Destiny's deregistration was in the public interest - it had failed to file financial returns for two years and had ignored multiple warnings in doing so.

Deregistration was as far as the Board could go though.

"Many of New Zealand's largest charities have significant unexplained accumulated funds. It is important they are transparent about the reasons for holding on to a large quantity of funds, including donations," says Radhakrishnan.

Very small charities would also be able to get an exemption to financial reporting.

"This will free up resources to allow volunteers to spend more time focused on communities and doing the mahi they are passionate about."

Making sure all charities are treated equally does matter. "It is important that our system doesn't work just for those who have the resources to navigate it. The same service and the same access must be available to everyone."

Proposed changes to the Act

• Charity requirements - maintaining a charitable purpose, having a rules document, and having qualified officers - will be made explicit.
• Larger charities (operating expenses over $140,000) must report reasons for accumulated funds on an annual returns form to be designed in consultation with the sector and iwi.
• Through Charities Services, very small charities can get exemptions from financial reporting. Threshold yet to be developed.
• Charities Registration Board membership will increase from three to five.
• The Board may disqualify an officer for 'serious wrongdoing' or a significant or persistent breach of obligations, without having to deregister the charity. Part of the 'serious wrongdoing' definition will be clarified.
• The Board must publish decisions if declining an application for registration and deregistering a charity. The Board and Charities Services must publish information on decision-making policies and procedures. Significant decisions will include a clear process for charities to raise objections.
• Charities Services' significant decisions, and existing decisions of the Board, will be able to be appealed. Appeals under the Act will go to the TIA first, before the High Court.
• Charities Services must consult with the sector when developing significant guidance material.
• Timeframes for submitting objections, administrative information and appeals is extended from 20 working days to two months.
• DIA will review Charities Services' performance measures and operational practices.

Radhakrishnan says she expects an amendment bill to be introduced this year, with consultation via the select committee process.

This would be followed up with a process to consider more fundamental concerns raised by the review.

Source

• RNZ

It comes amid controversy over Brian Tamaki's involvement in anti-lockdown protests. Tamaki's Freedoms and Rights Coalition is responsible for organising several anti-lockdown protests, while Tamaki himself is before the courts over two protests in Auckland last month.

The petition, which has 11,935 signatures at the time of writing, says Destiny Church is promoting "uncharitable views" which are putting New Zealanders at risk. Read more

Te Runanganui o Ngati Hikairo is concerned about the effect of these gatherings, which involved many unmasked supporters, babies and tamariki.

While Tamaki and his wife Hannah say they are not anti-vaccine, they describe themselves as "pro-choice". They and the Destiny Church have led outdoor gatherings and marches in various parts of the country.

Last Tuesday, for example, Wellington CBD came to a standstill as thousands of freedom protesters marched to Parliament challenging its Covid restrictions.

Recently the Freedoms and Rights Coalition has organised several other protests around the country - including Covid hot-spots like Auckland and Hamilton.

Tamaki's iwi is calling on him to take a "whanau first" approach and tell his supporters to do everything they can to stem the pandemic.

"We all have the right to safety, and the right to life! If they object to measures that protect other people's lives, in our view they are not fighting for justice or freedom," Te Runanganui o Ngati Hikairo chairwoman Susan Turner says.

"We have a responsibility to ask our people to do everything we can to protect one another."

Turner confirmed the Runanganui supports vaccines and "dot" passports as a way of managing the pandemic.

The fight against Covid has been a collective one and it was not justice or freedom, to pull apart the systems that are saving lives, she says.

The iwi is particularly concerned about Tamaki's messages and perspective because its homeland- in the area around Kawhia and Te Awamutu - is on the verge of a major outbreak.

Tamaki was charged last month with failing to comply with an order under the Covid-19 Public Health Response Act and Alert Level 3 Order by co-organising a lockdown protest in Auckland.

He has since appeared in court over breaching bail conditions.

Hannah Tamaki has been sharing her views on social media supporting those standing up for freedom and choice.

At last Tuesday's protest, she told them she was proud of them.

Destiny Church has not yet responded to media requests for comment.

Source

• NZ Herald
• Image:Otago Daily Times
  

This was, after all, the same Brian Tamaki whose Destiny Church followers wanted to reclaim Christchurch "for Jesus" in the immediate aftermath of the 2019 terrorist attacks. And who blamed the Christchurch earthquakes on "gays, sinners and murderers".

Those familiar with the branch of modern Christianity known as Pentecostalism would not have been surprised at all. Tamaki's Destiny Church is part of the fastest-growing religious movement in the world, with an estimated 500 million adherents.

Today the average Pentecostal is as likely to be Nigerian, Fijian, Korean or Brazilian as they are to be British, American, Australian or Kiwi.

Aotearoa New Zealand is just one of many places Pentecostalism is flourishing. As well as the more prominent churches such as Destiny, City Impact, the Assemblies of God (AOG) and Elim, a host of smaller congregations exist throughout the country.

Here and elsewhere, Pentecostals' steadfast assertion that the raw power of the Holy Spirit will prevail over the principalities of darkness has run up against the cultural and environmental realities of the modern world.

A record of resistance

Nowhere is this more obvious than in their responses to COVID-19. As nation-states have rolled out public health measures, Pentecostals have seemed unwilling and unable to accept epidemiological explanations and strategies.

Tamaki's actions are the tip of an iceberg of global resistance. Pentecostals have been at the forefront of legal pushbacks against gathering restrictions and insisted only the second coming of Christ would force churches to close their doors.

They have proclaimed COVID cannot survive in the bodies of the faithful, declared a link between the virus and 5G mobile technology, and maintained the pandemic is God's yardstick for distinguishing his loyal servants from pretenders.

While these claims and interpretations can appear outlandish and dangerous, they are not entirely incomprehensible. Rather than view them as nonsense, it is more helpful to see them as a different kind of sense altogether.

Miracles and wonder

Specifically, Pentecostal values are a religious response to the pandemic and a spiritualisation and demonisation of the virus. This goes directly to the Pentecostal obsession with the Holy Spirit.

Pentecostalism is defined, above all, by its intense experientialism. More than any other Christian variant, it is concerned with saturating human existence in otherworldly power.

The Pentecostal vocabulary is not one of ritual, liturgy or structure, but of ecstasy, surprise, miracles and wonder.

From this standpoint, any stricture, rule or earthly imposition that impedes a life in the Spirit is, by default, suspect and anathema. This sets up an overall opposition between the spiritual and the worldly that helps define the difference between good and evil or God and Satan.

Defining Pentecostalism

For the devoted Pentecostal, everything is either one or the other, and to be on the side of the world is to collaborate with the enemy. Several features of this theology directly shape Pentecostal responses to COVID-19.

Triumphalism: Pentecostals are fearless combatants in a spiritual war against Satan. The Holy Spirit is the ultimate weapon in this charge, providing absolute confidence in a Biblically preordained victory. With its long shadow of sickness and fear, COVID-19 bears the Devil's signature.

Framed as an active demonic force, the virus is something that should not - must not - be feared. The triumphalism determined by a total faith in the Spirit to conquer evil immediately establishes an ethos that spurns caution, regulation and withdrawal.

Deliverance and healing: The former expels demonic forces threatening well-being, while the latter cleanses a diseased body affected by those same powers. These religious tools are brought to bear against the pandemic, warding off the Satanic viral threat while healing the afflicted. Logically, vaccination becomes unnecessary, misguided and a betrayal of faith.

Tribulation: Pentecostals are deeply concerned with the end of human history as the precursor to Christ's return and the establishment of God's paradisical kingdom. The Tribulation is a seven-year nightmare of evil and suffering featuring the rise of a nefarious "new world order".

Within this end-times scenario, all humanity is branded with the mark of the beast, a process authorised by Satan. An apocalyptic plague and Satanic mandates for vaccination provide further prophetic justification for a pro-healing, anti-vaccination position.

The Kingdom: Pentecostals are not huge fans of worldly entities and human rules. They prefer divine authority, spiritual inspiration and Biblically sanctified morality. The Kingdom of God is juxtaposed with the debased platforms of government and capitalism (even if countless Pentecostals embrace a divinely sanctioned materialism).

Translated into the pandemic context, the continual legislative and policy directives of the government are, by virtue of their human origin, tainted with iniquity. As always, paramount trust must be placed in the Holy Spirit and the Bible.

Faith and science

It may be tempting to see Pentecostalism as its own worst enemy by denying the science and leaving its followers vulnerable to epidemiological catastrophe.

But it is also a relatively young branch of Christianity and not necessarily uniform in its beliefs. As has been observed elsewhere, "medical science and divine healing […] have never been considered mutually exclusive by the entire movement".

The question therefore becomes, can Pentecostalism reach a détente with the world, as mainstream Protestant, Anglican and Catholic churches have done?

It would seem the tide can be turned, even if compelled by tragedy. For example, after the death of one of its congregants, the Pentecostal church at the centre of the largest sub-cluster of Auckland's current Delta outbreak embraced vaccination, having initially denied its validity.

This is a pattern now being repeated across many pockets of the Pentecostal world, albeit within a church still fixated on spiritual dynamism and miraculous cures. For now, however, it may take more than faith in worldly reason to persuade Brian Tamaki and his flock that vaccines and lockdowns are a blessing and not a curse.

• Fraser Macdonald is a Senior Lecturer in Anthropology, University of Waikato
• First published in The Conversation

Tamaki went live on social media with the video message this morning, using the sermon as an extended promotion for a nationwide protest planned for October 2. Continue reading

They have accused the "elitist" media of discrimination and say in this time of crisis the Tamakis must continue their "essential work" which cannot be done from the "comforts of home."

"In difficult times, people need to be able to turn to faith ... otherwise all they are left with is hopelessness.

"We believe if Destiny Church and our leaders were to stop functioning, there would be an enormous breakdown in many families across this country. The Tamaki's [sic] therefore need to continue their essential work." Continue reading

Roughly 1000 people gathered in Aotea Square to hear the pair make their pitch for their party, Vision New Zealand, ahead of the upcoming election. Read more

"Satan has control of atmospheres unless you're a born-again, Jesus-loving, bible-believing, Holy Ghost-filled, tithe-paying believer."

This is what Bishop Brain Tamaki told the people at Destiny's South Auckland centre and live stream viewers on Sunday morning.

Tamaki acknowledged modern medicine could help tackle pandemics but also referred to what he called the "PS-91 protection policy", based on Psalm 91:3:

"You're the only one that can walk through atmospheres and have literally a protection, the PS-91 protection policy."

Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.

Interpreting Ephesians 2:2, which refers to "the prince of the power of the air," Tamaki said some evil spirits invaded human bodies.

"Satanic spirits control invisibility on a certain level where they can energise."

Tamaki also said the United Nations and some other global bodies "want to manipulate these pandemics to control people".

Panicked shoppers forced the closure of a major food wholesaler on Saturday.

At other supermarkets across Auckland, queues were out the door and shelves were stripped of essentials like toilet paper and water.

Hand sanitiser has been unavailable at supermarkets for days due to the coronavirus scare.

Tamaki addressed the reports of panic buying at supermarkets.

"We don't need to do that, that sort of hysteria ... you never panic."

He said antidotes and human behavioural changes could stop pandemics, but said he disagreed with closing borders or keeping people of other races out of the country.

"I'm not a PhD but I have the highest doctorates in the word of God. Nobody bigger in the nation right now."

Tamaki said that statement might sound a "bit proud" and then discussed the speed of sneezes and manner in which viruses infect the lungs.

Source

• patheos.com
• stuff.co.nz
• nzhearld.co.nz
• Image: thewanakasun.co.nz

At Waitangi, last Thursday he railed against immigrants and also suggested: "We should drain the Wellington bureaucratic swamp".

The Destiny Church leader was described in the Waitangi Day service schedule booklet as an 'Apostle Bishop'.

Tamaki had arrived with about 200 supporters, including his wife, Hannah.

Initially, his supporters were not allowed into the Waitangi Grounds.

Police were concerned about them causing trouble, but they were eventually allowed to enter.

Tamaki spoke for about half an hour to the crowd of about 1500 people at an interdenominational service at Whare Runanga on the Upper Treaty Grounds.

Te Tai Tokerau Anglican Bishop Te Kitohi Pikaahu had invited Tamaki to speak.

It was the first time he had been invited to participate in the service and was given the honour of delivering a sermon while others did shorter readings.

One of the most inflammatory comments was Tamaki's likening of immigrants to "termites and parasites" that "totally consume the host".

He suggested immigrants coming to New Zealand were pushing Pakeha and Maori out of their homes.

His comments were greeted by cheers from his supporters who were wearing t-shirts promoting the church's Man Up parenting kaupapa and Vision NZ, the new political party fronted by Hannah Tamaki.

The bishop blasted the Government for "selling off the country" to foreign powers - making multiple references to China - and said it's time to take New Zealand back.

His remarks have met with almost universal condemnation.

Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon - who attended the Waitangi Day dawn service - described Tamaki's comments as shocking and utterly false

Labour MP Willie Jackson saying he needed a "slap across the ears".

Senior National MP Judith Collins also condemned the comments.

Source

• newshub.co.nz
• newshub.co.nz
• nzherald.co.nz
• waateanews.com
• Image: Screenshot nzherald.co.nz

Vision NZ - which had to change its name after its original suggestion, the Coalition Party, was rejected by election authorities - has made the promise in an inflammatory announcement railing against multiculturalism. Read more

The High Court on Tuesday ordered that both charities - the Destiny International Trust and Te Hahi o Nga Matamua Holdings - be reinstated their charitable status.

They were taken off the Charities Register two years ago.

Destiny's lawyer, Ron Mansfield, told 1 News that they had felt "singled out for no good reason" - given that more than 1300 other charities around New Zealand had also failed to meet requirements. Read more

Quick, name the most prominent New Zealander you can think of who is a Christian.

Chances are if you follow the news at all, that the first name that comes to mind is probably Brian Tamaki.

The leader of Destiny Church absolutely dominates media coverage of Christianity in this country.

It doesn't matter that his version of Christianity is an extreme form, with relatively few adherents.

During the absolute peak of its powers Destiny Church had around 10,000 members.

At the time of the last census, there were close to two million Christians in New Zealand. The share is tiny, and the attention is wildly disproportionate.

We've seen this time and again with Islam.

The voices of the most hardline extremists get amplified, while the vast, overwhelming majority of Muslims get next to no coverage.

It's not excusable, but it is explainable by the fact that ‘ordinary person who happens to be Muslim does something' isn't much of a story.

What needs to be stressed a lot more is that there isn't one Christian perspective, and that the loudest voices don't necessarily speak for many people at all.

With that in mind, we at The Spinoff have put together a list of Christians with completely different points of view to those of Destiny Church.

It's not meant to be a comprehensive list of all strands of Christian thought in New Zealand.

There are dozens more that could be included.

Nor are these people necessarily spokespeople for anyone over and above themselves.

Some of them are media commentators, some are elected officials, some are figures within church hierarchies, some are activists, and some are a combination of all four.

All this list is meant to do is show clearly and easily that there are far more points of view within Christianity than typical media coverage would indicate.

Some of the people here are more liberal, others are more conservative. Some would be considered to be on the left, others to the right.

The point is, the extremists are in the minority.

So when the question comes up about what Christians think about an issue, perhaps asking one of these people would elicit a more representative position than that of Destiny Church's leaders. Continue reading

• Alex Braae is a staff writer for The Spinoff.
• Image: YouTube

Since Brian and Hannah Tamaki announced the party, Kiwis have been snapping up domain names left, right and centre.

Kiwi comedian Tim Batt was one of those who swooped in, buying the www.coalitionparty.co.nz page. Read more

Tamaki made the comments Monday, on Q+A.

Threatening to re-enter politics if nothing is done to stop Maori families suffering and to fix the prison system he said he may need to talk to Hone Harawira about taking Corrections Minister, Kelvin Davis' Te Tai Tokerau seat.

Calling New Zealand prisons "our rotting dark shame", Tamaki's concern is that the Government is not allowing his Man Up programme in prisons.

The programme targets troubled men, particular Maori men, and claims to help to break cycles of violence and repeat offending.

Calling Davis a liar, Tamaki also threatened to call on inmates to revolt if the Government continues to deny the programme.

Saying the justice system is broken, he told Q+A that it's not him on trial but Kelvin Davis.

Questioned about his comments last week attacking the Government, Tamaki said he would apologise if the Government came to the table.

"Someone needs to have the political courage to stand up in Parliament or in this Government and say, 'You know what, we're not going to continue to see our Maori families suffer'.

"I mean we need a change, we can't leave it like this.

"So if that (political courage) does not happen then maybe I'll have to ring my mate Hone Harawira up in the north and say, 'Brother we might have to take this electorate'."

Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis denies Tamaki's claim that the Government has stifled his attempts for the church to work in prisons.

Instead, he claims Tamaki has not applied through the proper channels.

Tamaki says he tried email, formal letters and talking to ministers.

He says he applied through Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, Justice Minister Andrew Little and Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis himself.

Tamaki says he has spoken with Peters and Little and that both are mystified Davis would not receive his formal approaches.

The Man Up programme is affiliated to Destiny Church.

Sources

• NewsHub
• Twitter
• CathNews
• Image: Man Up

The photo above shows Destiny Church Christchurch senior pastor Derek Marina Tait reaching out to a member of the Muslim community during the call to prayer and peace vigil at Hagley Park on March 22.

But on April 25, in the same place, about 100 men from Man Up and Legacy, groups affiliated to Destiny Church, proclaimed New Zealand and Christchurch belonged to Jesus.

Tait said the purpose of the meeting was to stand out in the open and to declare that Christchurch and New Zealand belongs to Jesus Christ who is the one true god.

Social media users were not happy with Destiny's move.

"It is Christians like Destiny Church who give God a bad name," said blogger Martyn Bradbury.

"How insecure do you need to be in your faith if you have to turn up at the site of an atrocity against another religion to proclaim your God rules this land?"

"Leave the Muslim community alone/show some respect. PS their religion and yours come from same place, difference is ok," wrote former Green MP Catherine Delahunty on Twitter.

More than 384 people liked her tweet.

Darryl Ward, an Anglican lay preacher from Paraparaumu, urged Christians to instead show love and care "for our Muslim brothers and sisters".

Ward said Christianity had never been the "sole faith tradition" in New Zealand.

"Maori spiritual beliefs preceded the arrival of Europeans and Christianity, and other faith traditions from overseas soon followed," he said.

"While Christianity has been the dominant faith tradition since colonial days, its position has been eroding."

Source

• newshub.co.nz
• thedailyblog.co.nz
• nzherald.co.nz
• Image: stuff.co.nz