I would like to raise the recent problem of contributors to NZ Baptist magazine stating views that are not scriptural or even Christian without editorial. Because our magazine is representing a mainstream Christian denomination, what is printed needs to be in line with what the Bible says. If we print non-biblical points of view uncritically, people risk being misled into thinking what is in the pages is the truth of scripture.

Lately there was a Dr Tallon who claimed science is more reliable than scripture. I’m glad to say that in the August issue a fellow letter writer pointed out the error, but the original piece passed by editing without comment.

In the August issue though there was a piece from David Whyte that really needed serious re-writing or at least editorial footnotes giving the Bible’s perspective. The spirituality was too New Age for my comfort, containing such gems as: “Remove the Christian/nonchristian distinctive,” “everything in this world has a piece of the Father in it,” “everything is a shade of grey,” “don’t criticise abortion,” and “the longer we have been a Christian the less honest we become.” He also put in a plug for his local Mormon church!

I really have to put pen to paper to protest about seeing this in a Christian newspaper.

While this piece was written by a non-churched person and is a backwards plug for the benefits of pastoral care and accountability that happen within a church family, the editors really need to take a stand over what gets space in our magazine. We risk becoming a wishy-washy, irrelevant shadow unless we proclaim the truth of the Gospel.

– Chris Ward
Doubtless Bay