"It's a very strange sample because it inconsiderably includes less than our population percentages of Maori and Pacifika, and that may have actually impacted on the result - in that those two groups, particularly the Pacific group, tend to record much higher levels of religious beliefs and activities," he said.

According to the study, which surveyed more than 1000 New Zealanders, about 33 percent identify with Christianity, 35 percent were non-religious, 20 percent spiritual but not religious, and 67 percent were non-Christians.

Morris said more people were finding fulfilment in other spiritual practices without the need to be part of a religion.

"The work we've done with our students at Victoria show that large numbers of students who record no religion - in terms of a census category and were reflected in this survey - meditate, pray and [have] very strong ecological concerns, which they see as spiritual but not religious.

"My students are very open to Maori spirituality, te hunga wairua and at playing a role in individual and New Zealand's public life."

He said various forms of media have also helped shape New Zealand's views on different religions.

"People also have - through media, social media and mainstream media - much more awareness of the positive and negative things of religions, but just a variety of religious and spiritual positions.

"So, in that sense, they're conscious of a set of choices and a cultural openness where none of these things are coercive.

"They're choices. You can select to be religious or not religious."

Source

• radionz.co.nz
• Image:nzfaithandbeliefstudy.files.wordpress.com

Toaipuapuaga Opapo Soana'i, 23, spoke during a Mass at the Catholic cathedral at Apia last week, the Samoa Observer reported.

She delivered a message that heaven and hell are real.

The young woman spoke of a vision she had on Good Friday, which came after several other visions in preceding days.

On Good Friday, she passed out while suffering the ordeal that saw the wounds appear.

She said God took her through hell and let her see the suffering people will endure if they don't change their ways.

"People in hell are calling out for help, begging Jesus to save them, but there is nothing that can be done," said Ms Opapo.

"God also took me to heaven, he let me see how magnificent that place is."

She said she saw a gate guarded by angels with the book of life.

"I hear angels singing, there was laughter, there was happiness everywhere, children sitting on clouds, everything was white," she claimed.

"I cried and thought to myself I am not ready to leave my family."

It was at that point that she regained consciousness.

Ms Opapo is the daughter of a Congregational Church pastor.

A New Zealand religious expert said rapid social change and the challenge of new religious movements to mainstream Christianity in Samoa may have played a role in Ms Opapo's wounds.

Professor Paul Morris of Victoria University told the ABC that the Congregational Church — the largest in Samoa — has undergone tremendous pressure over the last 15 to 20 years from other churches.

"In the history of stigmata incidents, they arise in a particular social reality and context and call those who are ebbing away from faith, back to faith," Professor Morris said.

He allowed for the possibility that Ms Opapo's wounds were psycho-somatic, "that intensity of identification . . . where a young woman or man identifies with Jesus to an extreme degree".

"This auto-suggestibility [can] lead to this physical transformation."

Professor Morris said it is very unusual, but not unheard of, for stigmata cases to occur outside the Roman Catholic Church.

Sources

• Samoa Observer
• ABC
• Image: New Zealand Herald