Destiny and christian politics

I really wonder where the Destiny Party will lead the Christian vote in New Zealand. Will it split the "conservative Christian vote"? Will all the CHP supporters turn to Destiny in the wake of the Capill affair, or will voters realise that a vote for a Christian party has always been a wasted vote.

Destiny is polling more than the Government coalition partner. The party is attempting to divorce itself from the Church wing to initiate broader appeal amongst Christians and values voters. Brian Tamaki wants to "stir the church into political action". In doing so he is not only separating his party from his church, but is divorcing his church from the wider Christian community. His version of political action involves working against the Government, not working with it. The Government is evil, according to Destiny.

So Un-United Future -and so Unchristian. Most church leaders do not like the Destiny approach.

That’s because the Church does not want to partake in the kind of political action that Tamaki is proposing - apart from Destiny Church members. Destiny- the church and the party - draws people from the lower classes, predominately urban Maori and Polynesians, and is more well known for what it opposes than what it proposes. Most people don’t want to spend $55.00 and contribute to a collection (eftpos available) to attend a Church meeting to see their leader ordained - with transport costs and annual leave on top.

Brian Tamaki is no more a spokesperson for the wider church than Graham Capill was. Most Christians will not want to support Destiny, or any other Christian party, just as CHP failed to get a seat in Parliament. That’s because of the Party's public image - but take a look at the party's policies. .

Take its welfare policy - The Party wants to scrap sickness and invalids benefits if alcohol and drug addiction is a factor in their beneficiary status - but then the party also wants to "give cases of Child Poverty immediate action"

Except if their invalids or sickness beneficary parents have drug or alcohol problems, of course.

Destiny Family policy emphasises the married family in all aspects of law. Parenting in non-married families does not count as a family. What the party does not say is that it will have to rewrite the Human Rights Act in the process, and scrap most of the International treaties with the United Nations.

Most people in the non-Destiny Church will oppose such drastic measures. They have more respect for international relations

Destiny also wants greater censorship of Films, Movies, video games and music, but guess who the Chief Censor is?

Gay man Bill Hastings - who, ironically, is at present looking at one of Destiny's own videos as it failed to classify as fit for general release. Getting rid of Hastings and replacing him with his deputy wont help - his deputy is gay as well.

Sure, Destiny has some good points - such as addressing fatherlessness, promoting marriage, and the desire for unity and strong families.

It's just that for all the noise, showbiz, marches and media statements, there will be no Destiny MP in parliament after the election. Whizz, bang. whimper.

The role of the Destiny Political party will be no more influential on party politics than the Christian Heritage Party currently is. The fact is that, like CHP, a vote for Destiny will be a wasted vote.

Most Christians want their vote to count. A list vote for Destiny is more likely to be a vote for the much-hated Labour once the wasted votes are distributed in proportion to the sucessful parties in Parliament.

I wonder if Tamaki's followers realise that.

Probably not.