Fundamentalism in its multiple different expressions is a global reality. It is today vigorously alive at home and abroad, and Pope Francis is right: “Fundamentalism is a sickness that is in all religions”. Fundamentalism is a form of organised anger in reaction to the unsettling consequences of rapid social and religious change. The atmosphere is ripe Read more
“It was not a prepared or planned message at all – but came at an ‘inspired moment’ before the sermon,” said Bishop Brian Tamaki on his latest blog. “The earthquake that struck midnight Sunday (sic), the 13th of November 2016 was warned of that Sunday morning at 10:45am, during the Sunday morning church service of Read more
Pope Francis said, “Fundamentalism is a sickness that is in all religions … Religious fundamentalism is not religious, because it lacks God. It is idolatry, like idolatry of money … We Catholics have some — and not some, many — who believe in the absolute truth and go ahead dirtying the other with calumny, with Read more
The FBI thinks that Lyle Jeffs, the polygamist religious leader accused in a multimillion-dollar food stamp scheme, disappeared from house arrest by coating his ankle monitor in olive oil and sliding it off. That explanation may fly with non-believers, but in court documents filed last week, Jeffs’s lawyer has put forth a divine reason for Read more
Every winter for the past three years we’ve been offered another rare glimpse inside the controversial West Coast Christian community, through a series of documentary specials which increasingly seem to be little more than a NZ On Air-funded PR exercise for one of the country’s richest churches. Wednesday night’s instalment, provocatively subtitled A Woman’s Place, Read more
New Zealand-born evangelist and creationist Ray Comfort has announced he is planning to feed 5000 atheists attending the the Reason Rally. “We are hoping to feed 5,000 — it’s been done before,” he said. Comfort will be handing out $25,000 worth of Subway gift cards, alongside a copy of his book, Why Pigs Will Fly Before Read more
A nurse has described a bizarre community exorcism in Auckland where a travelling pastor allegedly punched her in the face to cleanse her of demons. Ketina Chivasa, who works at Auckland City Hospital, said the close-fisted punch was so hard she became dizzy, her face swelled up and she suffered a two-day headache. “It was Read more
Prophet Mboro, the leader and founder of the Incredible Happenings Ministries in Johannesburg, says he ascended into heaven on Easter Sunday. Luckily he had his Samsung Galaxy S5 with him, and took a selfie of him chilling with the angels. Pastor Mboro said he was willing to share his photos with people, but they had Read more
“In the case of our Pacific region, the hotspot is West Papua, the threat of ISIS, if there’s any degree of threat at all, it would be West Papua, because of the issue of West Papuan independence,” says John Tekwie, a community leader in Vanimo, the PNG town closest to the border. All mainstream religions Read more
Many of us have a negative view of fundamentalism, but doesn’t that word simply describe the beginnings of our growth in faith? Whether we talk about Islamic fundamentalism, Bible fundamentalism or Canon Law fundamentalism, we are referring to a belief system that is the religious ground in which people are planted. These systems are designed Read more