Even been to Paraparaumu?

The Herald reports:

A religious spat has broken out between two neighbours in rural Auckland after one erected a 6.4m statue of the Hindu god Shiva.

Ravin Chand told the Herald on Sunday that he installed the 30-tonne religious effigy so that he and his family could pray to it.

But neighbour Bryce Watts, a Catholic, said the marble statue was “bizarre” and “offensive”.

“Religiously and culturally it’s a bit insensitive to us and I can’t believe they’re able to do this. Part of our property looks at it and it’s part of a religion we don’t agree with,” he said.

In Paraparaumu there is a 14 metre statue of the Virgin Mary on a hill, which most of Paraparaumu can see. That’s no more (or less) offensive than a statue of Shiva.

People have the right to worship whatever God they want. They don’t have the right to stop their neighbours putting up a state of their God, on their land – even if it is of a different God. That’s what we call freedom of religion.