Neemia Tialata, All Black prop, features his tattoos and faith in a slideshow on Rugby Heaven. Neemia talks about the process of getting his tattoos in Petone, the reaction of his mum, and the role of faith for him and a few of the Pacific Island guys on the All Blacks team.
Pictures, audio and production were by Peter Meecham, Fairfax photographer.
Tags: All Blacks, Christianity, New Zealand, rugby, tattoos
Tapu Misa, columnist with the New Zealand Herald, recently mentioned her conversion to Christianity in passing. In her post, Discovering mum’s right about religion? Priceless, she unpacks the costly nature of that conversion.
…Having become a Christian, I can see why I resisted it for so long. People who dismiss it as a crutch for emotional cripples are wrong. Although I find the world a better, richer, more compassionate place with God in it, there’s no getting away from the fact that Christianity is a demanding religion. I’ve no problem loving my neighbours as myself but loving and praying for my enemies has so far proved more of a struggle (though I have ceased to wish them ill).
And not only am I supposed to face up to my awful imperfections, but I’m supposed to do something about them….
Tapu is helpfully deconstructing the illusion that conversion is merely some temporary fix to an emotional problem or an indication of an intellectual weakness. Following in the footsteps of Jesus is not an easy option - in fact it flies in the face of the natural outcomes of a busy, consumer-driven comfortable lifestyle. Thanks for the reminder Tapu.
Tags: Christianity, NZ, Spirituality
Two years ago I posted on the results of an investigation into a complaint of vilification against Muslims in Australia: Vilification Sentencing in Melbourne Reveals Need for Humility. Two years later the parties to the case, the Islamic Council of Victoria Inc., Catch The Fire Ministries Inc., Daniel Nalliah and Daniel Scot, have released a joint statement…
The Islamic Council of Victoria (the ICV) has reached an agreement with Catch the Fire Ministries, Pastor Daniel Scot and Pastor Daniel Nalliah about the complaint the ICV brought in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), concerning what it alleged were acts of religious vilification in contravention of s 8 of the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001 (Vic).
Although some of the terms of that agreement are confidential, the parties have agreed to make this joint public statement.
Notwithstanding their differing views about the merits of the complaint made by the ICV, each of the ICV, Catch The Fire Ministries, Pastor Scot and Pastor Nalliah affirm and recognise the following:
1) the dignity and worth of every human being, irrespective of their religious faith, or the absence of religious faith;
2) the rights of each other, their communities, and all persons, to adhere to and express their own religious beliefs and to conduct their lives consistently with those beliefs;
3) the rights of each other, their communities and all persons, within the limits provided for by law, to robustly debate religion, including the right to criticise the religious belief of another, in a free, open and democratic society;
4) the value of friendship, respect and co-operation between Christians, Muslims and all people of other faiths; and
5) the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act forms part of the law of Victoria to which the rights referred to in paragraph 3 above are subject.
Tags: Australia, Christianity, inter faith, Islam, Reconciliation, Spirituality
