The nation of New Zealand continues to mourn over the massacre of last week. Today several minutes of silence took place, along with Muslim prayer. While one can understand some of this, certain questions nonetheless arise here. One way to look at all this – from a religious point of view at least – is as follows. Consider this headline and news story from just hours ago:
Israelites Pray To Baal In Show of Unity
Israel has paused for two minutes of silence to commemorate the 50 victims of the Shechem altar killings. Thousands of people gathered at Friday prayers in Ashtoreth Plains across from the El Baal temple, a week after a lone killer entered and speared Baalist worshippers in the deadliest terrorist attack in the country’s history. The call to prayer was broadcast throughout Israel and Judah. Israel King Ahab and Queen Jezebel led approximately 5,000 people in the ceremony in the plain. “Israel mourns with you. We are one,” they said.
New Zealand has paused for two minutes of silence to commemorate the 50 victims of the Christchurch mosque shootings. Thousands of people gathered at Friday prayers in Hagley Park across from the Al Noor mosque, a week after a lone gunman entered and shot worshippers in the deadliest terrorist attack in the country’s history. The call to prayer was broadcast live on New Zealand television and radio. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern led approximately 5,000 people in the ceremony in the park. “New Zealand mourns with you. We are one,” she said.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-22/new-zealand-pays-tribute-to-christchurch-victims-in-ceremony/10929060
My satirical analogy is not perfect – most analogies are not – but you might get the gist of what I am trying to do here. And I am seeking to do a few things. First, not everyone was thrilled with Ardern’s show of solidarity and oneness with the nation’s Muslims.
It is one thing to offer official sympathy and support for a minority group as they grieve. And plenty of that has already happened in New Zealand. Fair enough. But it is quite another to in effect blur the lines separating church and state – or in this case, mosque and state – which the secular left is forever insisting we must never do.
But I am not aware of any of these lefties howling down the Prime Minister for doing this. Where are all the protests by angry atheists denouncing her for turning New Zealand into a theocracy? Where is the leftist media when you need them? They should be leading the charge in criticising this clear case of the state jumping into bed with religion.
But another point to make is the fact that Muslims make up just one per cent of New Zealand’s population. Christians make up around 50 per cent. One wonders if Christianity would get so much attention, honour, respect and emphasis if a church was shot up and Christians killed.
Of course if a Christian wants to show respect for the fallen by observing a moment of silence, that is one thing. But partaking in the offering of Muslim prayers, which are hardly inclusive nor an example of pluralism and tolerance, is quite another.
One Christian leader at least made his voice heard loud and clear on this. As one news report puts it:
Bishop Brian Tamaki says he “strongly denounces” the Islamic Call to Prayer ahead of the two minutes of silence being held for the victims of the Christchurch terror attacks today. “Today for at least a moment New Zealand will become an Islamic nation,” Mr Tamaki, who heads Destiny Church, says. “It would be disingenuous for me as a Christian leader in this nation for near forty years to stay silent about what I believe is highly offensive to all Christians in this nation.”
He says it is important to reiterate that he and his church condemned the shootings. “Man Up and Destiny Church members in Christchurch have been tireless on the ground, in offering love and support to the Muslim community and the victim’s families, with food, prayer and compassion, and organising the Haka of Hope and Ride of Hope as covered by TV1 and TV3.
“To say I, or Destiny Church, are disrespectful at this time, or do not care, would be incorrect,” he says. Mr Tamaki praised Jacinda Ardern’s response to the tragedy. “The nation has mourned, and our Prime Minister, Jacinda Adern, stepped up as a symbol of national unity and healing. She received praise from across the political spectrum, including from me, and rightly so.”
His concern is the “declaration over the nation”. “Out of the Islamic prayer ‘Allah is the only true God. There is none worthy of being worshipped except Allah’.” Mr Tamaki says no Muslim country would ever allow for Christ to be proclaimed as the “one true god” in any shape or form in their country at all. “This only highlights the identity crisis we face and a loss of conviction to our beliefs as a nation. We need to be far more secure in what we believe as a nation,” he says.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/destinys-brian-tamaki-strongly-denounces-use-islamic-call-prayer-victims-christchurch-terror-attacks?fbclid=IwAR1Yj7WYsroqUz_ST742yWt39OsQcKU8ErL_wXEWPzBWoivHvublCanIziU
I do not know much about this church leader, but I believe he is basically right to be concerned about all this. The Christian does not go along with pretending that all religions are the same or that all gods are identical. Christians affirm the one true God, and will bow down to no other.
Thus my opening satire. Imagine reading about something like that in the Old Testament. And if we did, it would have been a prime example of how Israel had lost her way, and was bringing upon itself Yahweh’s just judgment. As I said, no analogy is foolproof. New Zealand is not like ancient Israel, but still, God’s people at least should choose to not get involved in interfaith activities and the like that minimise their Lord while elevating other faiths that are diametrically opposed to biblical Christianity.
And of course this is not the only example of creeping sharia there. Ardern has already been shown in public with a head covering on, and she has been gushing about the benefits of Islam in New Zealand. I don’t recall her doing or saying anything similar when it comes to Christianity. Watch for even more fallout, including more crackdowns on the ability of concerned citizens to share criticisms of Islam.
In the meantime, this just in: yet another clampdown on free speech in New Zealand. It seems that Jordan Peterson’s best-selling book is now the subject of a witch-hunt there – at least in some quarters. Check out this shocking news item:
Major book seller Whitcoulls has pulled a Jordan Peterson book off its shelves following the Christchurch Mosque attacks. The controversial celebrity psychologist toured New Zealand in February, weeks before 50 people were killed and dozens injured in terrorist attacks at two mosques in Christchurch. During his tour Peterson was photographed with a fan wearing a T-shirt that read: “I’m a proud Islamaphobe”, along with other derogatory comments about Muslims.
In an email to customers a Whitcoulls spokeswoman said his book “12 Rules for Life” was currently unavailable. “A decision that Whitcoulls has made in light of some extremely disturbing material being circulated prior, during and after the Christchurch attacks. As a business which takes our responsibilities to our communities very seriously, we believe it would be wrong to support the author at this time.” Social media users have been quick to point out the book store continues to sell books such as Hitler’s “Mein Kampf”.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12215124
These are very scary times indeed my friends, and the days are certainly getting darker. While we continue to pray for all those still grieving so bitterly, we also need to be keeping a close eye on creeping sharia and the erosion of our freedoms.
Update
I have just added a pic from the New Zealand evening news. Now this is scary – nothing but full-tilt dhimmitude! Are they all dhimmis now in New Zealand?
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