Speaker and Worship Leader:- David Hines

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David Hines © 22nd January 2023

My original subject for today was Gonna lay down my sword and shield, which was about concentration camps in World War 2, and how this appalling story was the background to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

But it was such a complicated story I couldn’t get my head around it. And I was looking for a new topic.

And then Jacinda came up with the idea of resigning …. And it was obvious.

with David Hines

David Hines and panelists © 11th December 2022

A panel of leading religious and non-religious leaders discuss the government’s new religion in schools programme.

The panel:-

Paul Morris, Emeritus Professor, School of Social and Cultural Studies, Victoria University of Wellington / Te Herenga Waka.

Secular Education Network chair Penny Ehrhardt, and New Zealand Association of Rationalists and Humanists vice-president Sara Passmore, have already spoken in our church, but that was before we had the full text of the government’s plans. They’ll be on Zoom.

Anjum Rahman, Founder and Project Co-Lead of Inclusive Aotearoa Collective Tāhono, who must be the best known Muslim leader in the country, due to her frequent interviews on TV. She has also advocated for religious studies and the end of Christian religious instruction (Bible in Schools).

David Zwartz former president New Zealand Jewish Council will be speaking for most Jewish people.

Peter Lineham religious history prof, is equally well known. Not so well known is he is a Christian who once described himself as a liberal evangelical.

Also this statement was read to the meeting from Robert Hunt, chair, NZ Buddhist Council, on behalf of the Executive Committee.

with David Hines

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David Hines © 16th October 2022

Intro

A couple of days ago I heard about a friend who was 80 years old and said he had aged more in the past year than the previous 10 years. He had a heart attack and prostate problem in the same year.

I had a similar experience this month. I went to my GP for my routine checkup, but I took a longer than usual list of questions: five of them. Two of these were old issues, up to about eight years ago, but had got so used to them I didn’t bother reporting them any longer.

with David Hines

The above include contributions from:-

Sara Passmore, NZ Humanists

Penny Ehrhardt, Secular Education Network (NZ)

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David Hines © 9th October 2022

Introduction

After two years of waiting, I’m excited that a government proposal for religious education in state schools is about to be revealed.

But I’m also concerned, because very important questions have still not been answered, like:

• Will it include teaching about non-religious views?
• Will it be neutral and professional, or will it be a soft-sell of our main religions.
• I know the release will include a report on the subject by Professor Paul Morris, but I don’t know whether his suggestions are going to be:
  • slashed back or
  • Whether this will be the start of a thorough public discussion. That would be my hope. But
• Releasing it on November 18 also makes me suspicious. That is just before the Christmas break … this is a favourite way of burying something controversial.

with David Hines
Worship Leader:- Nina Khouri
Song Leader:- Sally Mabelle

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David Hines © 3 July 2022

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Introduction

Usually when I preach in church it’s because I’ve done some homework on a subject and think it might be useful to other people. Today I’m in the opposite situation. I’ve done a survey on Christian karakia. But the problem is more complicated than I realised, so I would appreciate your input before I come to a firm conclusion. As a second step, I would like to take your conclusions to other groups, such as atheists, Jews and Muslims, and then to the government.

with David Hines

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David Hines © 16 January 2022

Introduction

My sermon today says Let’s stop making apologies for God. She’s a total nuisance.

In the Christian circles I grew up in, people were constantly saying how good God was.

They blindly ignored all the grief and harm in the world, and if anybody drew attention to it, they’d come up with excuses. Like: God sent this to test you.

If you pointed out that God did nothing whatever to help you through these troubles – after you prayed for help and nothing happened, they’d say: God aways answers your prayers: Sometimes the answer is Yes. Sometimes it’s no, and sometimes it’s wait.

I was not very old before I realised this too was crap, because that means absolutely any thing can be called God, and in practice that’s the same as there being no God at all.

So I’d like to talk about the claims religious people make for God, and the major excuses they make when she doesn’t deliver.

with David Hines,

Sally Mabelle, Nina Khouri.

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David Hines © 10th October 2021.

Intro

When I agreed to preach at this service a couple of weeks ago, I had to pick a topic off the cuff, so I said I’d talk about how we can help people who are especially hard hit by the lockdown. In our Prime Minister’s words “Be kind”.

But eight days ago that story was overtaken by Brian Tamaki running his protest against the lockdown ….

So I’ve changed the topic a little: Be kind, most of the time.

with David Hines,

Sally Mabelle, Nina Khouri.

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David Hines © 3rd October 2021.

In July I was surprised to get a call from a member of the Association of Rationalists and Humanists asking if I had written a submission on the government’s new hate speech proposal. I hadn’t, but I was grateful for the suggestion.

I had written a a similar article a couple of years ago – taking a free speech approach, and found my thoughts had shifted a little in between.