The Anglican Church in the West spends an inordinate amount of time pontificating on how the government isn’t doing enough to redistribute wealth, combat global warming or is tilting at an insufficient number of other trendy windmills.
Strangely enough, when governments attempt to interfere in church matters, the church is suddenly overcome with spasms of territorial outrage.
From here:
The Anglican Church is dismayed that the rebuilding of earthquake-damaged ChristChurch Cathedral may feature in talks to form a government this year.
The church is deconstructing the cathedral in the face of rage from heritage groups, and now NZ First leader Winston Peters has put the issue of its restoration high on his agenda and called for government intervention.
[….]
Diocese of Christchurch spokesman Rev Jayson Rhodes says it’s puzzling that privately owned land and buildings could become part of government confidence and supply agreements.
“Diocese of Christchurch spokesman Rev Jayson Rhodes says it’s puzzling that privately owned land and buildings could become part of government confidence and supply agreements.”
Why should there be any surprise at all about the government interfering in property “rights”. We only need to look at what happens once a building, including privately owned buildings, are declared historic/heritage sites. I remember an old barber shop in downtown Brampton, ON that was declared an historic site. The owners were not able to do anything to upgrade or update the shop. They could not even replace the faded and peeling wallpaper and floor tiles without the approval of the local historic board. Consequently it was left to rot and became an eyesore. Another incident in the same city, a private owned and lived in house (a former residence of a prominent historic person) was about to be declared an historic site. The current owners and residence of this house quickly obtained a demolition permit and their home destroyed, and later constructed a new home in its place. The historic society was outraged. But can you imagine if you lived in a house that you owned and not being able to repaint the walls or change the curtains without first applying for permission from a government busy body?
So it should come as no surprise that the Cathedral is now falling under this very same dark cloud.