Totalitarianism Concern (Press, 25 June 1984)

During the week of 25 June 1984, Christians across New Zealand are set to reflect on themes from George Orwell's novel "Nineteen Eighty-four." The annual Christian Action programme, designed to engage New Zealanders with pressing societal issues, was officially launched in Christchurch by the Catholic Bishop of Christchurch, the Most Rev. B. P. Ashby, and in Auckland by the Rt Rev. Godfrey Wilson, an Assistant Bishop of Auckland. The co-ordinator for Christian Action Week, the Rev. Michael Elliot, emphasised the book's relevance to contemporary New Zealand, particularly in light of the upcoming snap election. He encouraged Christians to make voting decisions grounded in Christian principles instead of political promises. Bishop Ashby highlighted three significant concepts from "Nineteen Eighty-four": "freedom is slavery," "war is peace," and "ignorance is strength." He expressed that Christians must confront apathy to avoid affirming the themes of Orwell's dystopian narrative. Christian Action Week presents a valuable opportunity for individuals to engage with these themes and progress towards peace. This initiative, established in 1979, has previously addressed critical issues like unemployment, the "think big" economic strategy, racism, and housing matters. For 1984, activities in Christchurch are primarily focused within congregations.

The text on this page is created, in the most part, using Generative AI and so may contain errors or omissions. It is supplied to you without guarantee or warranty of correctness. If you find an error or would like to make a content suggestion please get in contact

The text on this page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 New Zealand