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22 October 2008 - On behalf of Destiny Church I wish to respond to comments from Prime Minister Helen Cark labelling the church a 'cult' and on par with the Black Power and Mongrel Mob.
As Destiny Church approaches the eve of celebrating 10 years as a movement (A Decade of Destiny), we will be launching our new status as an Urban Iwi Authority. This enables us to build far greater capacity around the services we provide to our people, as up to this point, our community work has been entirely self-funded, without any government support whatsoever.
I am immensely proud of the track record of Destiny Churches in helping a great many Maori and Pacific people improve their position in life, not only for themselves but also for their families, their children and our communities. This is the essence of what we have done and will continue to do. Indeed, there are many men who were once part of the gang culture Prime Minister Clark has referred to, but who have turned a new chapter in their lives to take responsibility for themselves and their families.
Our church is underpinned by the fundamental tenets of the Christian faith: a faith and lifestyle that is shared by a great many New Zealanders and evidenced by the many churches, Christian organizations and denominations that are a part of our landscape and heritage.
To be branded as a 'cult' by our Prime Minister is not only racist and discriminatory but is hurtful to me, but is hurtful to the many thousands of Destiny Church members who have served and continue to serve our people and our communities selflessly. It is also a slight on New Zealand's Christian community that shares our values and aspirations.
To that end, I will be seeking an apology from the Prime Minister for her discriminatory comments towards the members of Destiny Church.
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Comments
Destiny Church
I agree with the PM they are a cult. Furthermore they should not by any means get any money from the taxpayers. The Churches are amongst the richest institutions in the world.
cult [kult]
(plural cults)
noun
1. religion: a system of religious or spiritual beliefs, especially an informal and transient belief system regarded by others as misguided or unorthodox
2. religious group: a group of people who share religious or spiritual beliefs
3. idolization of somebody or something: extreme or excessive admiration for a person, philosophy of life, or activity (often used before a noun)
a cult following
4. object of idolization: a person, philosophy, or activity regarded with extreme or excessive admiration
5. fad: something popular or fashionable among a devoted group of enthusiasts (often used before a noun)
cult status
6. ethnology system of supernatural beliefs: a body of organized practices and beliefs supposed to involve interaction with and control over supernatural powers
7. elite group: a self-identified group of people who share a narrowly defined interest or perspective
[Early 17th century. Directly or via French from Latin cultus ‘worship’ (the original sense in English ), from colere (see culture).]
-cultic, adjective
-cultish, adjective
-cultism, noun
-cultist, noun
Microsoft® Encarta® Premium Suite 2005. © 1993-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
@Oldlund
It seems Helen and Oldlund (and many others) are not at all worried about their credibility; jumping on the "damn destiny" bandwagon and opening their mouths with not so much as a single shred of evidence (unless of course you accredit the media with actually reporting anything close to the facts).
I have personally met Bishop Brian and have also met many of the people who's lives have been totally changed for the better by his hard work and his sheer determination to do what it takes to help people. I could go on but I will just say this: As soon as I see you put in HALF the effort and sacrifice that he has then I "might" give your insults the time of day (I know by writing this I have already given too much - my time is better spent helping people who know they need it than fighting the arrogance of those who -think- they don't.)
Sadly I think Helen will never apologise, it's all about the ultimate power at any price for her and her "cult" response to someone like Brian Tamaki - who has gained huge influence through personal sacrifice and by helping those less fortunate - just smacks of jealousy and insecurity.
My challenge to all the mockers and slanderers is this: Get your facts straight, check the guy out for yourself, have a coffee and chill out!
Ben Stanton. I know you from
Ben Stanton. I know you from the past. You are the one that needs help. I hope you did get help for what you did. Did god offer your forgiveness or did the money you pay into Destiny buy your forgiveness?