Advancing religion is a charitable activity in NZ

In this morning’s NZ Herald Robert Sirico complains about the restriction on proselytising by churches while doing welfare work contracted out by the US Government. The restriction stems from the constitutional separation of church and state in the USA. He would not have the same problem in New Zealand. The Charities Act 2005 grants charitable status not only for the relief of poverty, which most people think of as charity, but - conveniently for the churches – also for the advancement of religion.

The inclusion of advancement of religion as a charitable activity will probably surprise many Kiwis, especially the one million who indicated in the 2006 census that they have no religion. In effect they are subsidising beliefs which they do not support or may even be hostile toward: because the churches pay no tax, the rest must pay more.

This state subsidy for religion has enabled it to amass a huge fortune over the years and yet it is not available to the non-religious. It is inconsistent with the Bill of Rights Act 1990 which forbids the Government from discriminating on the basis of religion or lack of religion. How can the law of NZ contradict itself like this? Beats me. Ask your MP.