New Zealand is not a secular country, say Catholic bishops

New Zealand�s Catholic bishops have thanked the Human Rights Commission for a document they say is �an excellent and useful legal, social and historical commentary on freedom of religion and belief in New Zealand�, but suggested two statements be reconsidered.

The draft discussion document, \"Freedom of Religion and Belief\", forms part of the Commission�s status report \"Human Rights in New Zealand Today\", currently being updated.

In a submission to the Human Rights Commission, the bishops say the document�s statement that �matters of religion and belief are deemed to be a matter for the private, rather than public, sphere,� is not easily reconciled with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights or the New Zealand Bill of Rights.

�These speak of the right to manifest religious belief in public or in private and to teach one�s religious beliefs,� say the bishops. �To suggest that matters of religion and belief belong only in the private sphere undermines the right of churches to seek to influence public opinion and political decision-making.�

The bishops also suggest that the document�s description of NewZealand as a �secular state� implies that a majority of New Zealanders have no religion. �This is contradicted by official statistics which show that a majority of New Zealanders described themselves as having a religion in the 2006 census.�

To arrange an interview with one of the bishops contact
Angela Pyke
Communications Adviser
New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference
apyke@nzcbc.org.nz
Tel 04 496 1725
Mob 021 611 052