Attempts to form Christian Party racked by problems.

Attempts to form a Christian political party in New Zealand have been having problems. Fundamentalists formed the Christian Heritage Party. It was headed by Graham Capill, a fundamentalist Calvinist.

They were the “family values” party and Capill proved it by getting his wife pregnant nine time. They were the party of morality and anti-gay to the core. Capill is in jail today for multiple counts of molesting girls unders the age of 10. Some of his fellow fundamentalists supported him arguing that what he did is not actually condemned in the Bible. And indeed it isn’t. Neither is slavery but I am not sure that would mean he should practice it. The CHP couldn't survive the arrest and folded.

The one Christian party that managed to get some members elected was the United Future Party. But once in office they went into coalition with the rather left-wing Labour Party, keeping it in power. They prefered the privileges of having ministers in the cabinet to their principles. In the next election most their supporters deserted them and they lost most their seats. The more religious types left the party and the rump of it still sits in parliament, with far fewer seats and still votes for the Labour government in exchange for positions for the party leader.

The fundamentalist Destiny Party tried to launch but it was built around a self-proclaimed bishop who scares a lot of people. He didn’t make things better by having his male supporters dress in black outfits and then march through the streets paramilitary style. The look was so reminiscent of the Nazis that it was a major PR disaster and they were never able to dig themselves out of the mess.

One member of parliament, who had deserted United Future because they weren’t religious enough, was going to form a united Christian party with the Destiny people. But they have been fighting like cats and dogs. And apparently they have been telling lies about the process to form this united party. The MP said Destiny lied to him. Destiny announced they were delisting their party and forming the new party with the MP as a co-leader. He said they had done this without his approval and he was ambushed. Apparently he knew about the announcement all along.

After saying he had no idea what was going to happen in that press conference he now admits that the answers given there were scripted in advance with his own knowledge. This MP says he still intends to launch a new party with himself as the leader. And one of the individuals involved is another member of parliament Taito Phillip Field. But the New Zealand Herald reports that Mr. Field has been “held up by his legal fight agaisnt police attempts to lay bribery and corruption charges against him.”

I wonder what it would be like it they weren’t the moral majority?