Now, I really couldn't decide whether this fitted into the AoDA or the Colosseum so I went here just to be safe.

This story ( http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10352414) from the front page of today's NZ Herald is about a church in New Zealand that is planning to replace its usual Sunday morning services with live coverage of the All Black rugby matches from their tour to Great Britain. The church figures that everyone is going to be watching the rugby anyway so they might as well screen the games on their big screen. They will hold their Sunday services on Friday instead.

Questions:
1) Does this sound like a good idea?
2) Will it get more people to come to church?
3) What sort of church has a big screen TV to start off with?
4) Who says rugby isn't a religion in New Zealand?

A lot of newer churches, especially the mega ones in suburbs here in the U.S. might have quite fancy audio/visual systems with wide screen TVs/projectors that they do Powerpoint slide shows on for the liturgies and songs.

Not so sure if it's a good idea. Maybe that's why Saturday evening vigil mass counts as a Sunday attendance for Catholics.

NZ must be one of the few places in the world where a major sporting event even occurs on a Sunday morning. It's because some of our most important sports involve competing against countries on the other side of the world.

Why not choose a different hour on Sunday for the Sunday service?

Yeah, I wondered that as well. Surely it would have more sense to have the service just after the rugby finished, seeing as everyone was going to be there anyway.

Why not choose a different hour on Sunday for the Sunday service?Because on Sunday afternoons all the Kiwis from as far east as Brandywine to as far west as the Far Downs are on the road to Hobbiton for some genial storytelling, pipeweed smoking, and apple-dunking...

Because on Sunday afternoons all the Kiwis from as far east as Brandywine to as far west as the Far Downs are on the road to Hobbiton for some genial storytelling, pipeweed smoking, and apple-dunking... Not all of them, Bion... they had to source the Uruk-hai hordes from somewhere, you know! :p

(just kidding, HB!)

"NZ must be one of the few places in the world where a major sporting event even occurs on a Sunday morning. It's because some of our most important sports involve competing against countries on the other side of the world."

the US also has a major sporting event on Sunday. Football(not soccer)

Yeah, but I bet it's not on at 7am on Sunday.

I'm with Chev: Can't they schedule services for early in the morning, and then have the game at around 1 or 2? Unless their service lasts all day...

You can't change the time of the game! It's LIVE on TV.

Too right! Sport is much more important than religion. Why is there even a debate?

Looks like the All Blacks have got the wood on GB so far anyway... getting a good lead going and had one try disallowed.

Barmy! That's not the All Blacks! That's a rugby LEAGUE test that's being played right now! I thought you at least would have got that one right.

It's GB vs NZ, that's good enough for me :lol: .

Are you on about the union tour? Bloody hell, I never even knew NZ were touring the UK in union! Be interesting to see how the new look England do.

GB are pulling this back by the way! 2 tries straight into the 2nd half, that's just what the doctor ordered.

[ October 30, 2005, 11:07: Message edited by: Barmy Army ]

We're not really 'touring' the UK. It's just the UK leg of the League "Tri-Nations" tournament. GB will be playing Australia next. We've already got one miracle win over Australia.

Anyway, this church thing is about the All Blacks tour where they will be trying to do the Grand Slam which they have not been able to do for years. I bet it's much tougher than the Lions were.

Ok, now you have confused me. How will GB play NZ in union?? That's league!

This is not the Colosseum...