Official apartheid may be over in South Africa, but the religious support and defense of both racial bigotry and racial discrimination continues to exercise a powerful influence over many South Africans. Indeed, there are signs that racist religion is only growing in popularity.
The BBC reported a couple of years ago:
The majority of South Africans find the message of this church deeply offensive. But for a minority of Afrikaners it provides reassurance in a country that is changing so fast all around them. “We know that we are God’s people, he forbid us to mix with other nations, to marriage with other nations, to live on the same level as they are. We see this ANC government as punishment [for abandoning apartheid],” says Reverend [Willie] Smith.
Religious Tolerance quotes Smith:
“I looked around and saw the need of my people, the Afrikaners. They do not know who they are. The other churches are not preaching the truth. But I tell them, you are the people of the Bible. The Bible was written for you....We strayed from the teachings of the Bible. Our leaders sold us out. They want us to mix with the other races. But it is not working. The other churches are preaching that you must love all. But we don’t want that. We don’t want to overthrow the Government. We have to wait for deliverance from the Lord....We are suffering under this ANC-communist regime. We want blacks, coloreds and the other races to return to their traditions. If we rule, it will be a blessing for all of Africa.”
This sort of racist bigotry has always received powerful support from religion. Even in America, both slavery and segregation were preached from the pulpit, although today people only seem to remember the political defenses of those ideologies and never the religious. Smith’s church should serve as a reminder to Christians about what sincere, devout Christians can be capable of.
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