Christian Lawyers Association

May I begin by greeting everyone in the languages of the realm of New Zealand, in English, Māori, Cook Island Māori, Niuean, Tokelauan and New Zealand Sign Language.  Greetings, Kia Ora, Kia Orana, Fakalofa Lahi Atu, Taloha Ni and as it is the afternoon (Sign).

May I specifically greet you: Michael Burrowes and Craig Boyes, Secretary and Treasurer respectively of the Christian Lawyers Association of Wellington and your fellow committee members; Chester Borrows and Simon Bridges, members of Parliament; Your Honour Judge David Carruthers, Chairman of the New Zealand Parole Board; Richard Fowler, Chair of the Wellington Branch of the New Zealand Law Society; Distinguished Guests otherwise; Ladies and Gentlemen.

Thank you for inviting me to attend this luncheon of the Christian Lawyers Association (Wellington).

I would like to take an opportunity to speak briefly about my own profile as a Christian and the role that I see for Christian lawyers, and indeed the legal profession in general, in the difficult times that our country and the world around it currently face.

As a number here may know, I was born in Auckland and grew up in a Catholic household. My parents who were born in Fiji had migrated to New Zealand. I attended the state primary school in Richmond Road Ponsonby and went on to the Marist Brothers at Sacred Heart College in Glen Innes, a school with which I have retained an association to the present day.

In looking at an individual's religion, some people in our country tend to compartmentalise it, as if it was a discrete segment of their lives. I have not ever seen my religion in that way but instead as a part of the tapestry of my life, interweaved with a number of other threads and hues.

I am a Christian and I am a Catholic, but I am also a New Zealander of Pacific and Asian linkages. Likewise, I am also a lawyer and an erstwhile judge and ombudsman. And further, I am also a husband, and father and, joyously, my wife Susan and I have recently become grandparents, not once but twice in the last three months. None of these parts of me are separate from each other.  All of them have and continue to interact to form part of the person standing before you.

I also attend Church in Auckland or Wellington but due to the commitments that come with my present role and the travel it entails often on the weekends I am not always able to be at Mass every Sunday.  Even so I would brindle more than somewhat if described as a "Christmas Catholic"!

Likewise in my family and home, whilst I am a Catholic, not everyone in our household shares that faith. Our household, and indeed that of my parents, who were both Catholics, has always welcomed people from many different religious backgrounds and faith communities. I believe I am fortunate to maintain, as does my wife, Susan, connections and friendships with people of many faiths. In that, we happen to be similar to many other contemporary New Zealanders.

My Catholic faith has provided me with a compass that has helped guide me in my life and work.   But it doesn't happen to be the sole guide. I can see merit in and have taken heed of teachings from other Christian and non-Christian writers and texts and indeed from philosophers and thinkers who profess no faith at all.

This openness to others of different faiths, both Christian and non-Christian, is one that I think is shared by a number of New Zealanders.  But sadly, that is not the case throughout the world.

The opportunities and challenges posed by religion remain the same today as they have been in the past. History shows that religions can be instruments of peace, healing and love and can inspire creative works of beauty, but they can also inspire violence and discrimination. Religious beliefs can not only bring enemies and strangers together, but they can also pull families and countries asunder.

During the Cold War, when the world was divided between capitalist and communist ideologies, it was often said that religion was no longer a significant divisor. But with the fall of the Iron Curtain, it quickly became apparent that conflicts along religious lines had not gone away.  They had simply been suppressed.

Nor has New Zealand been immune from these conflicts. Controversies which New Zealanders can readily bring to mind such as the Virgin in a Condom, the wearing of burqa in court, the desecration of Jewish headstones and the publication of the Mohammed cartoons show the challenges inherent in New Zealand's increasing ethnic, cultural and religious diversity.

The 2006 Census showed that about 55 percent of New Zealanders said they were Christians, a small drop on five years earlier. Of those who said they were Christians, there were considerable changes. While the four major groupings remained dominant, there were moderate drops in those saying they were Anglican or Presbyterian and modest increases among those calling themselves Catholics or Methodists.

But there were, however, larger increases in those affiliated to other Christian denominations. The number of people affiliating with Orthodox Christian religions increased by more than a third, while those affiliated with Evangelical religions increased by more than a quarter and those linked to Pentecostal religions increased by more than 17 percent.

Against these changes, and reflecting immigration from Asia, there were also major increases in those holding non-Christian religions. While starting from much smaller bases, the numbers of Sikhs, Hindus or Muslims all increased by more than 50 percent.  And finally, and equally important, about 34 percent said they professed no faith at all-a figure up from 30 percent five years earlier.

New Zealanders are known, probably worldwide, as an inherently tolerant people.  Newspaper columnist in Wellington's  Evening Post Linley Boniface once put this well when she wrote: "New Zealanders are genetically programmed to be nice, no matter how culturally inappropriate."

A scholarly view was contributed by historian, the late Dr Michael King, at the conclusion of his Penguin History of New Zealand.  While his comments were framed in the context of a discussion about the relationship between Māori and Pākehā, I think they could equally be equally applied to religion as well.  He said, and I quote: "Most New Zealanders ... are good-hearted, practical, commonsensical and tolerant.  Those qualities are part of the national cultural capital that has in the past saved the country from the worst excesses of chauvinism and racism seen in other parts of the world."

That New Zealand should be a place of religious tolerance was accepted as a founding principle when our country was born as a modern nation.   The Preamble to the Statement on Religious Diversity prepared under the auspices of the National Interfaith Forum says, and I quote: "At the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, Governor Hobson affirmed, in response to a question from Catholic Bishop Pompallier, [that] "the several faiths of England, of the Wesleyans, of Rome, and also Maori custom shall alike be protected"."

That my predecessor Governor William Hobson could have referred specifically to the followers "of Rome"-the Catholic faith-only 11 years after Catholic emancipation in Britain, was highly significant. Likewise, his reference to those of "Maori custom," a non-Christian belief system, was equally significant.

Likewise, in 2007, a research company asked 500 New Zealanders in a scientifically conducted survey whether Christianity should be our nation's official religion.  Some 58 percent said no, with little over a third saying yes.   But interestingly, when those being surveyed were asked whether schools should teach students about all religions to promote tolerance of other's beliefs, two-thirds agreed.  

Yet against this apparent openness, can be contrasted the quite intolerant views that are often expressed about issues related to culture and religion in letters to the editor, on talk back radio and in blogs on the internet.  The views expressed show that while New Zealanders may be tolerant of others, the understanding, at least by a minority, of those who are different from themselves is not as well formed.

In summary, New Zealand is becoming increasingly pluralistic and diverse, both religiously and culturally.  Maybe we are not always as understanding as we might hope or wish, but we remain a highly tolerant people.  The world around us, however, is one where religious disputes and tensions are continuing to multiply.

Against this backdrop are the current economic circumstances that our nation and the world currently faces.   According to many economists, New Zealand and the world are entering one of the most difficult economic periods since the time of the Great Depression of the 1930s.

A malaise that was originally centred on the financial sector has spread far further.  A recent report by the World Bank suggested that the world economy as a whole would shrink for the first time since the end of the Second World War.   Sadly, history and daily experience show that economic stress can quickly exacerbate religious, cultural and ethnic tensions. 

So what does the picture I have painted mean for Christian lawyers?    In the first place, I think all lawyers need to remember what service to the law is about, in particular the importance of upholding the key principles of the rule of law and those, for example, in the New Zealand Bill of Rights.  The point was well made by one of New Zealand's foremost jurists, the Rt Hon Sir Ken Keith, who said:  "I see the law as a wise restraint that makes us free.  Obviously it controls people-you only have to look out on the street to see that in terms of traffic laws-but it also makes you free so you can make your own decisions.  As a judge, you're keenly aware that the law is not just about order, but also about freedom and justice."

Law and order, freedom and justice-we all know that balancing one against the other has never been easy.  Indeed, even a cursory reading of The Bible shows a similar tension, for example, between the emphatic strictures of the Old Testament Pentateuch, and Christ's message, as outlined in the Gospels, of forgiveness and love. 

The reality in times of economic hardship is that those inevitable tensions between different people are often played out in legal disputes.  Both the precepts of the law and of a Christian faith require one to give service to everyone regardless of their background and to provide fair and reasoned advice. 

There is an old saying that will no doubt be familiar to everyone here that the role of a professional is to keep their head when everyone else is losing theirs.  It should be the nature of a professional, that one promotes tolerance and understanding.

Despite the acerbic comments that litter the internet about the legal profession, and regrettably the activities of the occasional wayward member, I believe the community continues to look favourably on the work that lawyers do.

That respect is earned and should never be taken for granted.  Being a member of a profession also means giving back to the community.   Late last year, I spoke at a University of Otago graduation ceremony and emphasised the need for graduates to recognise the contribution, not only of their family and friends to their educational success, but also that of the university and the wider community.   I noted: "With your graduation, a mantle passes to each of you to make this day the first step in using your qualifications.  You have it in your power to better yourselves and to seek leadership. But the mantle of leadership means you also have it in your power to improve the communities that you will serve and will make our country-or wherever your career takes you-a better place."

That obligation, to make our nation a better place, never goes away.  I recently read in the media, for example, of a group of lawyers in Auckland who have offered their services to assist the SPCA in undertaking prosecutions for animal cruelty.   This initiative gained headlines.  There are many others who work pro bono for charitable and voluntary causes, such as service on school boards.  All are to be commended.

In conclusion, my message is two-fold.  It is first to urge you to continue to contribute to our community and to promote tolerance between those who are different from ourselves.  Secondly, it is to urge  continuance to uphold the principles of our legal system.  If I might allude to St Matthew's Gospel, they are the "rock" on which our system of government is built.  They have served us well in previous times of trial, and I am sure they will continue to do so in our current troubles.

And on that note of challenge, I will close in New Zealand's first language Māori, by offering everyone greetings and wishing you all good health and fortitude in your endeavours.  No reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora, kia kaha, tēnā koutou katoa.