The festive season is here and it already shows. This morning I was on a Metro train from Stellenbosch to Rondebosch. As usual, in the coach which I boarded, there was a congregation of women Christians preaching the word of God.
Sadly, today the ladies failed to impress me because their service was not pure. It was conducted over a case of beer by half-drunk Christian freaks in the presence of children.
I have always been sceptical of Christianity. I perceived it as one of those Western cultures which did little to sustain morality among black folk. I think of Christianity as something which eroded our African cultures, with everything they stood for; including acceptable moral behaviour. Today’s circus served to buttress that notion.
I am not holier than thou and I have no right to prescribe to other people what they should do with their lives or how to conduct themselves in public places. I do not think people have to conform to the dictates of society. But I do feel that as a member of this African village called the ‘New South Africa’, I have a responsibilty to challenge my fellow humans to do the right thing when presented with an option between good and evil.
Parents who openly drink in a train are setting a bad precedent ‘ not only for their children but for ours too ‘ that it is a cool thing to consume alcohol in public and above all to preach while intoxicated. Remember they say: ‘What we learn as children is what we do as adults.’ ‘ Mpumelelo Ncwadi, Rondebosch, Cape