The notoriously homophobic 'Bishop of Bling' Brian Tamaki has held a massive commitment ceremony with 700 male members of his Destiny Church - could this be New Zealand's biggest-ever unofficial Civil Union? Have you committed to Brian Tamaki? Let us know - email gaynz@woosh.co.nz The NZ Herald reports this morning that about 700 male members of the church swore a "covenant oath" of loyalty and obedience to Tamaki at the weekend and were given a "covenant ring" to wear on their right hands. Church protocol is strict - the male members of his church must follow Tamaki around with pens and papers ready to take notes on his teachings. A group of men around their bishop "reflects his importance to them" says Destiny's cult-like rulebook. Tamaki's new-found embrace of all-male commitment ceremonies comes as stark contrast to his tantruming during the debate about the Civil Union Bill in 2004, when he organised his church members to march in Auckland and Wellington to oppose the legislation. Complaining that the government had "gone evil" with a "radical homosexual agenda" and that the media was "modern-day witchcraft", he later promised he'd become Prime Minister, but his Destiny Church political party secured only 0.6% of the vote in the 2005 general election.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News Staff
First published: Thursday, 29th October 2009 - 10:19am