It is with disappointment that we took notice of the way in which your paper of September 2001 made the Christian religion an object of derision with the “joke” on page 23.
Furthermore it is surprising that a paper, which takes such a strong stand against racism, does not hesitate to practise religious discrimination. Considering the name of your paper, the possibility exists that un-informed people might perhaps think that your points of view represent the national Department of Education’s points of view. We are convinced that this is not the case.
– Staff of Bastion Secondary School
Your cartoon with a modified quote from Jesus’ prayer is totally unacceptable to all Christians. You are supposed to promote peace and co-operation between diverse groups in this country. The cartoon is however dividing us more.
– Johan Grobler, Computer Assisted Telephony Systems
I want to express my strongest disapproval of the caricature of the Lord’s Prayer in the Teacher of September 2001 in which you replace the word “kingdom” with “condom”. The Lord’s Prayer is one of the most holy rituals in the whole of Christianity, irrespective to any specific church. To use it in ridicule is blasphemous and totally in opposition of the respect for fellow South Africans which our Constitution requires. There are widely diverging opinions in the struggle against Aids, and condoms are part of that differences. Anybody is welcome to differ, but expressing it in a blasphemous and degrading fashion is totally unacceptable. This is grave error in editorial judgment by the people involved.
You argue for respect and appreciation for teachers and teaching “as a noble profession” in your editorial on the same page. Respect has to be mutual. You ask respect from the overwhelmingly Christian majority of parents, learners and community while showing no respect to their faith. This editorial judgment elicits no respect at all and is counterproductive.
I am the chairman of the Youth Committee of the Dutch Reformed Church, representing 1,24 million members. We are deeply committed to be an active partner in the education aims of our country. This partnership requires a relationship of mutual respect. We await your reaction to the teaching profession and the Christian community to repair the damage done by this to the whole christian community.
– Henk Gous
We wish to express our extreme dissatisfaction with the wording next to the drawing on page 23. It is disgusting and a mockery of Christianity.
If in future you want to convey a certain message, please do not use the Christian religion in such a way.
May God help you in this regard.
– DC van Schalkwyk, principal Hoerskool Steynsrus
The disrespect you show to Christianity by this cartoon is simply appalling! You disgust me!
– Mark Allen
God in school
In response to Deputy Minister of Education Mosibudi Mangena’s comments about “Should God be kept out of school?” (the Teacher, August 2001), I have this to say. I have lived with people in Europe and Africa and have never come across a person who has no knowledge of or belief in God. It is therefore weird that we can keep God out of schools. One way or another, God appears. Because of the complexity of our times, it is hard to find a few who honestly have faith in God. However, God will still reign and cannot be removed from everybody’s minds.
– GD Nxomolo, Louwsburg
– The Teacher/M&G Media, Johannesburg, November 2001.