I believe the community should share the cost of the Christchurch Cathedral. Some will take the individualistic view that as they are not personally Christians, none of their taxes should go towards the cost of a place of Christian worship. The same argument could be used against funding hospitals by a person in good health.
The cathedral is more than a place of worship for Christians. It is a part of the cultural heritage of the City of Christchurch, one of the great cities of New Zealand and the world.
It has architectural, design and artistic merit, it is a venue for cultural and civic events, it is a feature of the landscape of Christchurch, giving it an air of graciousness. By its very existence it gives expression to the freedom to worship we value for people of all faiths or none, we would all be the poorer without it.
As a building it bears physical witness to the important contributions Christianity has made to our society. In arts and culture, science and medicine, justice and civil governance Christianity has brought unrivalled benefits to our world. There is a lazy amnesia or even denial by many people about this, so we need churches and cathedrals both as architectural reminders and as living expressions of Christian faith.
The cathedral community would have preferred a more modest building, but government and community organisations rightly insisted that a cathedral is for church and city, for all people not just Christians.
