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Matthew Tso / Things
Haley Rivas Herrera is upset that her 11-year-old daughter has been asked to hand her a book titled National Sunday Law, which she calls “conspiracy theory” and “extreme propaganda.”
A Lower Hutt mother is horrified that children are being used to deliver books selling extreme religious rhetoric to her neighbors.
Last week, lots of National Sunday Law appeared at Haley Rivas Herrera’s home in Lower Hutt for her 11-year-old daughter Amelia to deliver as part of her newspaper round.
She was upset that the Ovato distribution company expected her daughter and other children to deliver material containing what she called “a conspiracy theory” and “extreme propaganda.”
A Jan Marcussen’s book is connected to an independent group of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and is not endorsed by the New Zealand church. It alleges that the United States government is enacting imminent laws limiting religious freedom and attacking the Catholic Church.
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“It is one thing to distribute supermarket flyers, but another is to spread the messages here,” said Rivas Herrera.
The books came with material that included advertisements for fast food chains, health care providers and liquor stores. The prominent instructions provided by Ovato directed deliverymen to place books in all mailboxes, including those with posters rejecting circulars, junk mail, or advertising.
Rivas Herrera questioned the morality of having children to deliver the book.
Matthew Tso / Things
A Jan Marcussen’s book is related to an independent group of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
He said the unsolicited nature of the deliveries was insidious and that some people were vulnerable after the difficult shutdown.
Rivas Herrera had emailed Ovato, but had not been able to reach anyone at the company to discuss his concerns.
Ovato did not respond to requests for comment.
RNZ
This episode of the Newsroom podcast ‘The Detail’, first published in May, examines why conspiracy theories thrive in times of crisis.
The books would go to the wood stove, Rivas Herrera said.
Copies have appeared in Lower Hutt and Wellington, but Things understand that deliveries are more widespread.
The books are published by an organization called the NSL Project. Things He called a number listed in the book that was answered by a man who identified himself only as Brent.
He said 1.5 million copies of the 94-page paperback had been printed and distributed in New Zealand.
He declined to comment further.
Matthew Tso / Things
Stacks of the book at Rivas Herrera’s house.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church in New Zealand, North Island Senior Pastor Bob Larsen, said the book was not endorsed by the church.
“The [church] was not involved in the publication or distribution of the book … The church does not endorse or recommend this book. “
