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Last Updated on Wednesday, 20 January 2010 08:31
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With our global image as being a highly desirable place to live, the ethnic makeup of New Zealand has grown considerably in recent years, making it an increasingly more multi-cultural country, and in our opinion, an even funkier place to live!
With people from all around the world coming to settle in NZ, we are constantly being introduced to new religions and ways of life, so we thought that we would give you guys a quick introduction to some of the most common religions that can be found in NZ.
Christianity:
Christianity follows the belief of Jesus as the Messiah, the ruler and savior of humanity, and a culmination of the Trinity- the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Christians aim to know, love and serve God in the hopes of achieving eternal heaven in the afterlife.
In the Christian calendar, the most important event in history is marked by the death and subsequent resurrection of Jesus (also known as the Easter holiday), and the Bible is seen as the authoritative text- written by those under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
The 1996 census showed us that over 2 million people in NZ consider themselves to be Christian, with Christianity also maintaining the largest following worldwide. Within the Christian faith there are several groups. In NZ the main denominations are Anglican, Catholic and Presbyterian.
Church youth groups such as Primal Church work in many areas around the country so check out their website if you’re interested in meeting with other young Christians!
In the Christian calendar, the most important event in history is marked by the death and subsequent resurrection of Jesus (also known as the Easter holiday), and the Bible is seen as the authoritative text- written by those under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
The 1996 census showed us that over 2 million people in NZ consider themselves to be Christian, with Christianity also maintaining the largest following worldwide. Within the Christian faith there are several groups. In NZ the main denominations are Anglican, Catholic and Presbyterian.
Church youth groups such as Primal Church work in many areas around the country so check out their website if you’re interested in meeting with other young Christians!
Buddhism:
Buddhism was founded in India around 2,500 years ago, and although it is no longer practiced widely there, it has grown to become the dominant religion in many other Asian countries, and has also gained popularity amongst those living in Western countries such as NZ. Since the NZ census in 1996, those that consider themselves to be of the Buddhist faith have increased by 48%. As in Christianity and many other religions, there are numerous strands of Buddhism; however the common elements focus on the wisdom of the Buddha, or ‘Enlightened One’ as opposed to the creation and ruling of the world as the work of a ‘God’.
Buddhism centers on the understanding of human nature and ultimate reality, with beliefs centering on the preciousness of human life, the inevitability of death, and karmic belief.
Buddhism centers on the understanding of human nature and ultimate reality, with beliefs centering on the preciousness of human life, the inevitability of death, and karmic belief.