Christian politics in New Zealand
While the Baptist Union endeavoured to get alcohol-prohibition policies passed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the Catholic Church urged its members to vote against such laws, concerned that the measures would outlaw wine for the Eucharist.
[6] Labour won an overwhelming victory by presenting itself as the party of practical Christian compassion, in contrast to the "anti-family" depression-era coalition government.
[8] Savage's successor, Peter Fraser (1940–49), reflected in his personal life on the lasting impact of his Scottish Presbyterian upbringing, and the next leader, Walter Nash, was "an avowed Christian strongly committed to the Anglican Church".
For example, Keith Holyoake (Prime Minister 1957, 1960–72), was "brought up in a strict Open Brethren environment", and in later years was an irregular attender of the Presbyterian church.
In recent times[update], however, religion has not usually formed a major component of either Labour or National platforms—and three of the last four prime ministers have described themselves as agnostic.
Perhaps surprisingly, members of the generally conservative National Party (George Gair and Venn Young, respectively) championed each of these legislative measures.
Shortly afterward, many of the same liberal Christians participated in the peace movement of the 1980s, which resulted in New Zealand becoming a declared nuclear free zone in 1987.
By the early 1980s, the Christian evangelical revival of the 1960s had developed into a social movement that utilised community and political action in response to "moral" issues.
As with their American counterparts, these conservative evangelicals opposed homosexuality, abortion, feminism, sex education, and supported traditional family and moral values.
[26] Opposition by conservative elements within mainstream denominations towards a perceived "liberal trend" led to a decline in church membership by 7 percent between 1976 and 1981.
Two National members of parliament, Graeme Lee and Norman Jones, organised a petition against the bill; and three Labour MPs, Geoff Braybrooke, Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan, and Allan Wallbank supported their campaign.
One such activist, Barbara Faithfull, founder of the pressure group CREDO, alleged that Soviet Communists were using sex education, abortion, and homosexuality to undermine the "moral fabric" of Western civilization.
[30] Some conservative evangelical elements, such as Faithfull and the Coalition of Concerned Citizens, also joined forces with other right-wing groups in alleging that there was a conspiracy by Communist groups such as the pro-Moscow Socialist Unity Party (SUP) to infiltrate the Labour Party, the trade unions, and exploit various popular issues such as the anti-Springbok tour protests, the Māori biculturalism, and the anti-nuclear movement.
[31][32] In response to perceived Communist influence within these popular causes, some conservative Christian elements such as the CCC and former–Communist–turned–right-wing pundit Geoff McDonald supported maintaining ties with South Africa and preserving the ANZUS security alliance with the United States and Australia.
[33] The CCC and another evangelical advocacy group, the Concerned Parents Association (CPA), also criticised the introduction of Māori biculturalism and multiculturalism into the education system as 'anti-Christian' for allegedly promoting alternative religious beliefs.
