Church tells Zuma to leave God out of it

African National Congress (ANC) president Jacob Zuma has been “extremely unwise” to claim divine blessings for the leading political party, church leaders of the Apostolic Faith Mission said in Tuesday.

In a statement, the leaders warned of a Messianic danger when invoking a divine blessing on a political party.

“We believe firmly in the separation of church and state. Although there is a biblical injunction to obey the laws of the land [if just and fair] it does not mean that God favours any political ideology.”

Zuma reportedly told a party rally in Khayelitsha on Sunday that even God expected the ANC to rule the country, because it was the only organisation blessed by pastors when it was formed.

To claim that God’s blessing had been bestowed on the ANC was dangerous because it introduced the possibility of inter-faith confrontations as well as the danger of a Messianic cultism, the church said.

The church also took exception to the laws that the ANC had sponsored, such as abortion and same-sex marriages, saying it was not the kind of legislation that found approval in the Bible.

“We believe that Mr Zuma should stick to politics and leave out God in his campaign speeches or at least keep his comments to his own personal faith.” - Sapa