NiuZila: Land of full fat milk and welfare money

At the back of the New Zealand Herald there is a daily section, Sideswipe, with funny and outrageous quirky happenings in Niu Sila / New Zealand and around the world, with commentary provided by readers.  But lately there’s been a bit of debate around a Cosmopolitan Club in Manurewa, Aukilani Saute / South Auckland. 

A reader wrote: “Bureaucracy gone mad? A woman and her 5-month-old baby came into the Manurewa Cosmopolitan Club. The door person asked the mother to remove the baby’s woollen hat because hats were not to be worn in the club. Another time a child was stopped because he had a number on the back of his T-shirt, and numbers on the back of rugby shirts are not allowed. His grandparents had to turn his T-shirt inside out to gain entry. This is a great, well-run family club but surely this is a bit over the top?”  From there other readers wrote in stating similar treatment at this Club including disallowing a muslim student wearing a head scarf

Doug Montgomery from the Manurewa Cosmopolitan Club responded saying the no-headwear rules date from when it was considered respectful to remove one’s hat when entering a home. “The club makes an exception for people who have to wear a covering for medical reasons but not for those who wish to wear religious headwear of their own choice. The old unwritten rule has always been that if someone comes in wearing a hat he must shout the bar. In the case of the baby, one cannot always allow for the over-enthusiasm of a door person.”

However a reader retorted saying: “A headscarf worn for religious purposes is not unusual and hardly offensive. The club’s actions smack of intolerance. Wearing a headscarf shouldn’t be compared with the ignorant behaviour of those who wear hats, caps or hoods inside or at the table.”

Many of the comments were along the lines of this readers response: “A Manurewa old boy writes that if his wife went to a mosque she would be expected to cover her head with a scarf. If she did not cover her head, then she would not be made welcome. ‘When in Rome do as the Romans do.’”

There was a similar public response to the dispute between the Worship Centre and Hotel Millennia in Apia, Samoa.  A complaint was lodged by the hotel next door to the open air Church, which claimed the volume of hymn singing had become so insufferable that some guests had packed their bags and moved out.  Samoa’s Supreme Court has sided with the hotel and forced the Worship Centre Church in Apia to stop its Sunday service until it can get the singing noise down below 55 decibels.

I was a bit annoyed.  It seemed like tourism had trumped church in Samoa.  Why should we pander to the tourist dollar?  Especially when it’s compromising our cultural and religious beliefs.  Like they say, “When in Rome do as the Romans do.” - When in Samoa…

One Samoan respondent to a Stuff.co.nz article said “If you ask someone to reduce the way they praise God, God will reduce your life span or punish you in some way. How dare you take anything away from God, without whom there would be nothing! Especially Hotels!”

But somehow I don’t think God judges us on how loud we sing.  God sees our heart.  He also commands us to love our neighbours, even if they think we are annoying.  The church could have provided community outreaches to their neighbours, show our brotherly love.  After all, showing a heart of service would do more to advance God’s kingdom on earth than pursue legal action.  I think God would’ve preferred a solution where we got along with our neighbours rather than cause more strife.

Our God is a compassionate God.  Although I’m sure He loves Rock praise songs as much as traditional hymns, it’s not volume that will get us into heaven or make our lives longer, but it is our heart for God AND his people.