TALKING TRIPE

The New Zealand Herald provides space for the public to write arguing issues that a letter cannot adequately cover. One assumes some editorial influence is applied but there have been past lapses.

Most memorable was a ludicrous contribution by former Waikato University Vice Chancellor Brian Gould. He’s now 80, an age when most yesteryear left-wingers have usually come to their senses but in Brian’s case, evidently not so. In his article Gould assured readers that banks create money, citing the Bank of England no less as confirming this.

The Bank of England said no such thing. Banks cannot create money but like everyone, can create credit, a vastly different proposition. As credit by definition is offset by a corresponding debit, ergo; no net gain.

For example, if you sell your lawnmower to your neighbour for $100 and he issues an IOU to pay you in a month, Brian believes there’s now in existence $200 in value, being the lawnmower and the $100 IOU. There’s not. The $200 is offset by the $100 debit owed by the neighbor.

That particular Gould/Herald contribution regularly comes up in mirthful conversation, despite the passing of time, and is always accompanied with much headshaking.

At the time it was a huge embarrassment for the Herald thus one (or at least one unfamiliar with ageless print journalism slop) would think they’d take greater care. Seemingly, not so.

For following Education  Minister Chris Hipkins long overdue action to end religious instruction in schools, the Herald gave a half page to a bearded wet called Bruce Logan, to spout some unbelievable gibberish!

Bruce suffers under the infantile belief that somewhere in the sky lurks a bearded old duffer calling all the shots. If we don’t follow his biblical guide-lines and instead think for ourselves as to how we wish to live our lives, apparently we’re all buggered.

More to the point, Bruce insultingly claims we’ll go off the rails and behave badly. Thinking for ourselves he labels a “fantasy.”

Frankly, it’s difficult to think of a greater fantasy than that proffered by Logan babbling on about God. This God chap apparently is nameless, after all “God” is a descriptive noun and not a name. On that note one would hope, Bruce being so familiar with this creator chap, might at least tell us his name. I’m picking Cecil but readers will have their own thoughts.

One thing’s certain and that is Bruce’s “contribution” is the best argument I ever read as to why we need to cut out primitive witchcraft and ensure secular education. I’m offering two to one Bruce believes in the tooth fairy.

That said, religion, given its huge historic impact, is certainly a legitimate field of study, but should be confined to universities as school kids have much more important basic things to first study in the time they have available for learning.

As a teen I worked in factories to save up for a full-time year at university. My principal subject was history and specifically medieval church history. Why? Because I found it interesting. I regularly visit churches and mosques, not because I’m religious but for my love of buildings and in the case of churches and mosques, my interest Is aesthetic, for which they have enormous appeal. But I stress; that is a personal interest and not something for school kids to waste time on, anymore than teaching them about the spinal system of zebras.