Matua Kahurangi
Matua Kahurangi is unapologetically provocative and infamous for his incendiary writings that challenge societal taboos and stir relentless debate.
Kia ora, whānau. What a time to be alive! Destiny Church is out here getting labeled as a gang. The same fellas who’ve been stomping around on their motorcycles, wearing their Tu Tangata Iwi Tapu patches, are apparently just one step away from getting lumped in with the Mongrel Mob and Black Power. It’s almost like we’re living in a comedy sketch where the punchline keeps writing itself.
Now, I’m just a regular bloke who likes to have a laugh, but even I can’t help but shake my head at this circus. Sure, Brian Tamaki can be a bit much at times – the theatrics, the rants, the over-the-top hakas – but a gang? Come on, whānau. If we’re tossing the term ‘gang’ around like a rugby ball, where does it stop? Are we banning the bowls club next because they’re an ‘outspoken group’ with matching WHITE uniforms?
The latest karanga from some social media warriors is that Destiny Church should lose its charitable status and that their motorcycle club colours should fall under the New Zealand Gang Patch Ban. Patches? That’s when you know things are getting a bit ridiculous.
If these critics want to crack down on Destiny, then we’re gonna have to be consistent. How about the rainbow community? They’ve got their flags, their parades, and a vocal social media presence. Are they not also an ‘outspoken group’? Some would even say they ‘gang up’ on straight folks who aren’t singing from the right hymn sheet. I mean, let’s be real here. When did expressing a different opinion become the equivalent of declaring a turf war?
Of course, it’s easy to point fingers at Destiny Church. They’re loud. They’re brash. At the end of the day, they’re still a church. And for all the flak they get, they’ve actually helped some brothers turn their lives around. That Man Up program? It’s not just fluff and empty promises. Men have walked away from real gangs – the ones with violence, drugs, and crime, to become better husbands, fathers, and partners. That’s not nothing.
And let’s not pretend that other churches don’t have their fair share of controversy. The Catholics have their scandals and the Anglicans their politics, and yet no one’s calling for their patches to be banned. So why the special treatment for Destiny? Is it because they’re too Māori, too working class, too ‘in your face’? If that’s the case, maybe it’s time we had a bigger kōrero about who gets to wear their identity proudly and who doesn’t.
I’m not saying Destiny Church is perfect. They’re far from it. But the idea of labeling them a gang and banning their patches is just another case of society losing the plot. We’re in the age of outrage, where every group we don’t like suddenly becomes the enemy. And while we’re busy pointing fingers and slapping labels, the real issues – poverty, addiction, broken whānau – get lost in the noise.
So let’s all take a deep breath, eh? Maybe even have a laugh at the absurdity of it all. Because if a church can be a gang, then we’re all just one step away from joining a gang of our own. Kia kaha.
This article was originally published on the author’s Substack.
