On the 29th August 2012 the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill passed its first reading in the New Zealand Parliament by 80 to 40 (with one abstention). From here the Bill went to a Select Committee for further consideration. Public submissions closed on the 26th October. I had been wondering if the church would respond, and there it was, right at the 12th hour, a letter from a NZ Area Authority stating my…, sorry their…, sorry our position. While... Read more
I’ve only been blogging since the beginning of the year but in that time I’ve had hundreds and hundreds of comments from readers. On a regular basis I get messages from well meaning folk who have questions about my level of observance, some gently call me to repent, some have even urged me to leave and become a Unitarian (not that we have Unitarians in New Zealand). I can often feel the head shaking, the disappointment and the confusion of... Read more
I woke up this morning to the announcement that the age of missionary service has been lowered for both males and females. My first reaction was, ‘hurray!’ About 30 years ago the General Young Women Presidency visited Christchurch New Zealand and had an open forum with leaders and Laurels. At that stage I shared my frustration that as a young woman there was little in the church for girls to hope for, that there was little systemic interest in my... Read more
I had determined that I had said all that I was going to say about Romney – I wasn’t going to dignify the man with any more attention, nor give his groupies yet more fuel to respond with their ‘correctives’. But I’m too gob-smacked at the moment to be restrained. Firstly, I don’t know where Romney gets off complaining about anyone who pays no taxes when he’s used every trick in the book – (financial instruments I think they are... Read more
This post is in response to a recent blog by Ben Witherington ‘Why Mormonism is not Christian – the issue of Christology.’ My nine year old adores his older brother and it was no surprise that after years of watching Isaac sing choral evensong he too wanted to don a bright red cassock, a crisp white surplice and ruff, and praise the Lord in an Anglican cathedral, resplendent with flickering candles, stained windows, crosses, and the Book of Common Prayer. ... Read more
Seriously? So Romney doesn’t want to disclose his financial returns because he feels that the amount of tithing he pays to the church should be private? Rep. Jason Chaffetz’s rationale is that Romney’s desire for tithing privacy is meant to save the recipients of his tithing largesse from the embarrassing position of having their financial need nationally publicised? Bollocks!! Unless, as a big donor, he has the inside running on where his money is spent by the Corporation of the President,... Read more
In anticipation of a television interview I gave for TV3’s “The Nation” (airing this weekend), I prepared some answers to the reporters pre-interview questions. Its likely that only a fraction of what I said will make it into the segment so I thought I’d share some of my initial thoughts here. Its also remotely possible that they might cut and paste my comments to death, so just for the record here’s what I tried to say. What does your faith means to... Read more
As I gaze on with admiration as my friend Joanna Brookes becomes Mormonism’s media darling in the US I’m both thrilled and excited about this moment in our religious history. Joanna’s love of a faith that we share, combined with her take no prisoners honesty about its complexities, inconsistencies and fractures is a rare compound that is deeply missing in the alchemy of our religious conversations. Her freshness, her openness and her willingness to hold meaningful, non-evangelizing discussions with the... Read more
Last Sunday our RS teacher asked, “What prevents us sharing the gospel with others?”. My immediate thought was, “Nothing prevents me from sharing the gospel, but a thousand things seem to prevent me from actively recruiting for the church”. We have a wonderful ward, full of very bright, thoughtful and open-minded women. A couple of months ago one of the more mature women in our ward stood and expressed her gratitude for the church for the support it gave her... Read more
I remember the day I first wrote the word ‘girl’. I was five years old and in Mrs Brunsden’s Primer Two class at Bamford Primary School. Of course I always knew that I was a girl, but there was something in the writing of it that gripped me so much that to this day I can recall the moment with intense clarity. As I made the shape of the letters, I thought, “This is who I am – I am... Read more
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