We live in a country constantly divided by intolerance, lack of understanding and lack of respect. Surely, as the editor of this newspaper, your prime objective should be to counter all this. For you to have allowed the cartoon on page 23 of the September issue of the Teacher to be published indicates to me a complete lack of understanding and respect for other people’s beliefs and values.
I believe that your newspaper has a vital role to play in South Africa – to heal and to make us truly one nation, but as long as you allow cartoons in such appalling bad taste to be published, you are doing more harm than good.
– Colette Hinton, Secretary, Mary Immaculate Nursery School
I hereby object in the strongest possible terms to the blasphemous cartoon on page 23 of the latest edition of the Teacher. The cartoon is offensive to those of us who belong to the Christian faith.
My objection is made on behalf of the school governing body, the representative council of learners and the staff of Muriel Brand School. We urgently request you to place an apology in a prominent place in the Teacher and to refrain from publishing blasphemous material in future.
– JL Stander, Principal, Muriel Brand School, Forlsen
In the September edition of the Teacher you decided to make a joke of God, the Holy Prayer of Jesus Christ and possibly the Pope.
If this is the standard and way of thinking you wish to follow, your paper will in future take the shortest route to my waste paper bin.
I would like to see an apology on the front page of the next edition of your paper. If you are unwilling and therefore insensitive to the feelings of Christians, we are not interested in your paper.
– M J Koen, Headmaster, Gill College
We the staff of Kuswag School object in the strongest terms to the cartoon that propagates condoms on page 23 of the September issue of the Teacher. It is blasphemous and as Christians we object strongly to the way it has been published and how the words of the Lord’s Prayer have been ridiculed.
– PH Pettit, Principal, Kuswag School, Amanzimtoti
As a Catholic I object strongly to your cartoon on page 23 of the September issue of the Teacher.
It is both tasteless and offensive to many Catholics and other Christians as well, and cheapens your otherwise excellent articles. Whom is this cartoon to help or inspire?
– Clare Nerz, Mount Carmel School, Aliwal North
As a member of the teaching fraternity of our country – and a member of the Roman Catholic Church – I am deeply shocked and dismayed to find the cartoon on page 23 of the September issue of the Teacher.
While we are endeavouring to promote tolerance and understanding, is this the kind of tolerance we can expect for our convictions of conscience?
– MA Wild, Pomfret, North West
As Christians we strongly object to the caricature on page 23 of the September issue of the Teacher.
The Holiness of God the Father is degraded. The Our Father prayer of Jesus is ridiculed and the Lord’s third commandment to honour his name is violated.
We believe that you will understand that we do not want to be associated with the Teacher and most definitely do not wish to receive further publications.
Hereby we wish to reach out to you in love and pray that the Holy Spirit will move you to repentance.
– The staff of Bollie Knyn Pre-Primary School, Aliwal North
– The Teacher/M&G Media, Johannesburg, October 2001.