Brian Tamaki
Most Kiwis will enjoy a long weekend this Easter – maybe grab a hot cross bun or head to the beach – but few will stop to ask why we have this holiday at all.
It’s not just a break on the calendar. It marks something far deeper: a story of sacrifice, forgiveness and fresh starts. The Christian faith shaped more than just our weekends – it shaped our laws, language, values and national identity. You don’t have to be religious to recognise that.
But while most New Zealanders quietly appreciate the freedoms and fairness our country was built on, our leaders seem determined to forget where those things came from.
This Easter, once again, our prime minister will be noticeably silent on the name of Jesus Christ – the very reason this holiday exists.
And yet, in the same breath, we see him warmly attending Ramadan iftars, celebrating Buddha’s birthday or visiting Hindu temples abroad. Every other god seems welcome, except our own.
We’re being told this is ‘inclusion’.
But let’s be honest: it’s replacement.
The Two New Religions of New Zealand
Here’s the uncomfortable truth. Christianity is being replaced – not by neutrality, but by two very aggressive and state-sponsored belief systems:
- The Rainbow Religion – a belief system now baked into our laws, our schools and marketed directly to our kids, even in our kids’ picture books. It demands loyalty. It punishes dissent. We’re not allowed to question, opt out, or speak freely – not without consequences. It expects worship – not of God, but of identity.
- Foreign Religions – Many of these belief systems are being fast-tracked into Kiwi life, with little expectation of cultural alignment. Some bring values that directly contradict ours – particularly when it comes to women’s rights, democracy and freedom of speech. And yet, our politicians fall over themselves to welcome them in and elevate them into public life, often above our own.
Meanwhile, the faith that built our nation – the one that gave us our freedoms, shaped our ethics and still underpins our legal system – is considered too ‘controversial’. It’s now more controversial for a PM to mention Jesus than to celebrate Buddha’s birthday, or break fast at a Ramadan feast.
New Zealand needs to make a choice – and fast. What belief system will shape our future? Will it be Christianity, the faith that built this nation and carried us through our golden years? Or will we bow to the demands of the Rainbow Religion and imported foreign faiths that reject the very values we were founded on?
We cannot serve three masters.
We cannot keep sacrificing truth for tolerance.
A nation that forgets its foundations is a nation destined to fall.
This Isn’t Bigotry
This is a call to remember who we are.
No other religion built this country.
No other belief system gave us the freedoms we now take for granted.
No other belief system gave us the moral compass that built New Zealand.
No other religion shaped our holidays, our parliament prayers, our anthem and our sense of justice.
We cannot erase our roots.
And we can’t keep pretending that neutrality is possible – not when government, media and education have already picked sides.
A Challenge to Everyday Kiwis
You don’t need to be a churchgoer to feel what’s shifting.
When we remove the foundation, the house doesn’t stand.
So this Easter, don’t just take the long weekend.
Take a stand. For the values that built New Zealand.
This is not about forcing faith. It’s about honouring it.
And if our own leaders are too embarrassed to say His name at Easter… then maybe it’s time for ordinary Kiwis to do what they won’t.
Say His name.
Stand for the faith that built this country.
Not just for yourself – but for the kind of New Zealand we’ll pass on to our children.
That’s why I’ll be at the STAND FOR JESUS CHRIST march this Saturday, 19 April, 12pm at Aotea Square.
Because if our leaders won’t take a stand for the truth – we will.
Join me. Say His name. Defend what built this land.
GOD DEFEND NEW ZEALAND!
