Submission to the Human Rights Commissioner, 21 November 2006.
The introduction to the proposed statement acknowledges the recent growth of faith communities as a result of recent immigration from Asia, Africa and the Middle East. However it ignores the most significant factor in the last three censuses – the tremendous growth of those professing No Religion.
Moreover there is no section on freedom from religion. Some examples (in no particular order) of why this is needed:
- National anthems: God defend NZ and God save the Queen
- Flag: Union jack is composite of various crosses plus Southern Cross
- Prayer before parliament opens
- Assumption that witnesses and jurors will swear on the Bible in courts
- Churches pay no taxes
- Integration Act uses taxpayers’ money to fund religious schools
- No constitutional separation of church and state as in other countries
- Church services on state occasions, e.g. state funerals, ANZAC remembrance
- Promotion of religion is one of four justifications for charitable status; promotion of a non-religious alternative, e.g. secular humanism, is not
