September 18 to 24 2009

Prayer to cherish diversity

Your report ‘Pastor Ray: ANC at prayer?” (September 11; front-page headline ‘Zuma’s new God squad wants liberal laws to go”) is cause for huge concern. One gets the feeling that President Jacob Zuma, being a ‘nice guy”, is being used by religious fundamentalists in the National Interfaith Leadership Council (NILC) to further their own ends, such as, to quote ANC chief whip Mathole Motshekga, by ‘revisiting legislation which permits same-sex marriages”.

South Africa is a secular state. Our Constitution guarantees freedom of expression and conscience to all. No religion has a right to impose its views on citizens, or to seek to use or change the Constitution to impose its teachings on those who hold contrary views. Similarly, religious organisations that oppose same-sex marriages are entitled to their views and are not legally obliged to facilitate such unions.

The question comes into focus: can our government be trusted with the protection of our Constitution? It is again under threat if the NILC has its way. — Reverend Gordon Oliver, Unitarian minister, Cape Town

Morally complex issues deserve careful consideration rather than resolutions by appeal to tradition, prejudice or superstition. We have no evidence that being a member of a religious community confers this moral expertise, or that being a leader of a religious group makes one especially qualified to pronounce on such matters — except when one is addressing one’s own flock.

The South African population is not comprised exclusively of people requesting shepherding, and even those who do belong to a religious community may object to being told that they speak in a unified voice. Many of us want policy to be derived from sound reasoning, applied to available evidence, towards fostering the sorts of norms and standards that can be agreed to further the flourishing of all our citizens – not merely the ones who belong to a particular club.

It is therefore of great concern to observe the increasing influence McCauley and the NILC seem to be exerting on government, as well as to observe that some members of the ruling party are willing to collapse church and state, as evidenced by NILC press statements being released from ANC communication facilities. This may not constitute a formal link between government and the NILC, but it is not reassuring for those of us who want to believe the ANC remains committed to the constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion — including the freedom to not have religion interfere in matters that affect all, religious or not. — Jacques Rousseau, Free Society Institute

McCauley’s aspiration to exercise leverage over the government — and, more importantly, the Constitution — first came to the nation’s attention when he invited Jacob Zuma to address Rhema church ahead of this year’s general election.

The leaders of the next three largest parties were conspicuously not invited. This was odd. Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille is known to be a committed Christian. Inkatha Freedom Party president Mangosuthu Buthelezi is a lay minister and a recipient of the Order of Simon of Cyrene, the highest given by the Anglican Church. Cope’s presidential candidate, Bishop Mvume Dandala, is a highly regarded cleric and was the head of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa. McCauley is free to invite whom he likes to his Sunday services, but he was obviously punting the ANC.

In a liberal democracy it is the right of the president and religious conservatives in the ANC to consort with whomever they wish. But it becomes a matter of public interest when these interactions potentially infringe on the spirit and human-rights provisions of the Constitution.

Today we know, thank God, that oranges are not the only fruit. South Africans cherish diversity. McCauley has the right to declare homosexuality ungodly and not to marry gay people at Rhema. Rhema members could, if they so wished, follow the Levitical instruction not to eat shrimp, crab, lobster, clams and mussels (Leviticus 11:9-12) or obey the Pauline injunction that women wear hats in church (I Corinthians 11:15). But it is not permissible to limit other people’s constitutional freedom.

To use McCauley’s catchphrase, ‘please turn with me” to Isaiah chapter I: ‘How the faithful city has become a prostitute! She that was full of justice, righteousness lodged in her — but now murderers! [South Africa has one of the highest murder rates in the world] … Your princes [ministers?] are rebels and companions of thieves [surely not!]. Everyone loves a bribe and runs after gifts [you know where this is going, don’t you?].

‘They do not defend the orphan [children orphaned by HIV/Aids?], and the widow’s cause [girl/woman-headed families and single mothers?] does not come before them —”

I wonder what McCauley, in his privileged role as Zuma’s camerlengo, has said in response to Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda’s claim that his BMWs, valued at R2,4-million, will help him deliver on his mandate. Did he speak out when Transport Minister S’bu Ndebele said Zuma and the ANC leadership told him he could keep a luxury Mercedes-Benz given to him by road-work contractors?

South Africa is not a theocracy and McCauley’s selective approach to morality is dangerous. Liberal democrats will fight him tooth and nail. — Jon Cayzer, Cape Town

The Mail & Guardian yet again flew its anti-Christian colours last week, breathlessly announcing that ‘Zuma’s new God squad wants liberal laws to go”. In an article that otherwise pushed all the right liberal buttons, it managed to avoid using the words ‘fundamentalist” and ‘religious right”.

So those nasty Christians in the NILC are actually lobbying government to change the laws on same-sex marriage and abortion? How dare they?

Well, it’s called democracy, and in a democracy anyone can organise and lobby their elected politicians. You know, the democracy that was absent when an unelected Constitutional Court interpreted the sexual-orientation clause in the Constitution to give gay people the right to marry rather than the right to civil partnerships. And the democracy absent when the government ignored the overwhelming views of the public on gay marriage in the public hearings, and when ANC MPs were compelled to vote for it, many against their conscience.

So, more strength to the NILC. Maybe the politicians will actually listen to the voters who put them into power this time! — Philip Cole

Zapiro’s cartoon of Karl Marx being run over by Blade Nzimande’s luxury car struck a chord in my Christian soul.

Christians and communists alike are challenged by a society where the gap between rich and poor is horrendous.

Christian conservatives propose moving us away from social justice. The legal framework for abortion is based on the deepest Christian principle of taking sides with the poor. It is designed to save the lives of poor women. In the same vein, the Christian principle of equal justice is the basis for same-sex marriages.

Christian faith is a protest against all forms of oppression and injustice. Jesus of Nazareth took a special interest in protecting children. In South Africa, the vulnerable children in need of justice-oriented Christian ministry are the nearly 1-million Aids orphans. They are the victims of our prevailing cultural and religious paradigm of gender apartheid. The root of our Aids catastrophe is patriarchal power structures. — Reverend Renate Cochrane, Hout Bay

Perhaps McCauley and his council could advise on who Caster Semenya should be allowed to marry if she is found to be intersexed? — Jeff Hughes, Bloemfontein

Whispering women

Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein’s rejoinder (‘Pray softly and don’t sing”, Letters, September 4) claims that Judaism ‘accords women an important role in prayer”, and in support adds a biblical reference to a woman who whispers in prayer. A woman remains, to this day, ‘our role model in prayer”, says Goldstein. He then adds that the central prayer in Jewish services ‘must be said softly by both men and women”. That sounds like fair and equal treatment of women and men.

The Rabbi omits to mention that in his synagogues, after the whispered individual prayer, only men are allowed to raise their voices and lead the congregation in prayer. Women have to remain whisperers, and may be audible only in what Goldstein terms ‘lesser prayers”. So, while the biblical woman can be ‘our role model”, in the Chief Rabbi’s jurisdiction only the men may actually model themselves on her role.

Women in most South African orthodox synagogues are silent spectators, consigned to whispering and listening. Men may lead services, read the Torah, and chant the benedictions aloud. Women are not counted in the quorum of 10 necessary for prayer.

This is such an outdated view that it’s actually a bit shocking to read it in print. Orthodox Judaism worldwide is rapidly becoming more egalitarian as it responds to the realities of an egalitarian society.

For example, Riverdale synagogue in New York, an orthodox Jewish community, has a female spiritual leader. Cape Town’s Tikva Tova congregation holds egalitarian orthodox high-holiday services. Many initiatives in the Jewish world are seeing women and men increasingly participating on the basis of gender equality.

Only in 1975 was the Comrades’ Marathon opened to black runners and to women. Before that, it was run exclusively by white men. Today, such a policy seems bizarre. In a few years’ time we may look back on the notion of women participating in ‘lesser prayers” and not being counted for a prayer quorum as an oddity. I would urge Goldstein to be among the leaders in creating a more egalitarian Jewish orthodoxy, and not among the stalwarts of a bygone era. — Gilad Stern, Cape Town

Hungry for clarity

Thank you, Percy Zvomuya, for the great article (‘Hungry for change”, September 11), which lives up to the standards I had expected and hoped for from you. Yet there are three important things I must correct:

Obviously during its first two decades it was not, only attempting a few stirs of effort in the early 1990s, but not becoming a truly hopeful institution in the late 1990s. From my limited knowledge, acquired from people who worked there, this trajectory lasted a few years until maybe 2002, when it all started falling apart.

I did not stop the hunger protest for health reasons. My doctor said I was fine, but I had to promise my family, friends and people in the industry (including the South African Screen Federation board) that I would stop at 30 days. This was not announced in advance. There was no danger to my health identified. — Michael Lee, Johannesburg

M&G replies: We apologise for misidentifying Britz and saying Lee had stopped his hunger strike for health reasons. We stand by the rest of the story.

What syndrome misses this?

My ire has prompted me to respond to Shain Germaner’s review of the movie Adam (Friday, September 4). One can understand Adam’s missing of emotional cues, given that he suffers from Asperger Syndrome. But what accounts for Germaner’s missing of the emotional content of the movie?

The only comedy is in the review and the suggestion of a paedophilic tinge in Beth’s fascination with Adam. What syndrome prevents Germaner from appreciating the import of Beth’s final decision and her understanding of the difference between needing someone and wanting someone? What a pity if this undiscerning review discourages people from seeing a fine and sensitive movie. — Sheila Vanderplank

In brief

I read Lloyd Gedye’s article on the BLK JKS (Friday, September 4), as well as Joseph Stannard writing in The Wire, of their album Mystery, ‘buy this”. In June I asked at Musica in Port Elizabeth: ‘Have you got BLK JKS?” The folks there looked at me as if I were a crazy American. July: I asked in another Musica in PE. I was told that in all Musica branches countrywide there have been four copies ordered! August: Musica in Grahamstown ­- surprise, nothing! Mystery indeed. — Jonathan Pryor, Grahamstown

Vehicle sales are down 26,2% in South Africa. I hope this sends a wake-up call to manufacturers, because in South Africa we’re paying more than double than the cost of the same car elsewhere. At www.autotrader.co.za, a used 2006 Ford Mondeo sells for R99 000 in South Africa. In the United Kingdom (www.autotrader.co.uk) the same vehicle is £3 500 (about R44 000). A year-old Ford Fiesta is R190 000 here and R560 800 in the UK. As far as I’m concerned, the motor industry can weep into its beer. — Edward Mitchell, Gillitts

Why all the fuss about Blade Nzimande and his BMW? He is merely following sound communist leadership practice, as established by Vladimir Lenin, who owned no fewer than nine Rolls Royces during his term. — William Quigley, Howick

It is unfortunate that Eskom has spent more than a decade dreaming up reasons why renewable energy is ‘unsuitable” for electricity generation in South Africa — there is not enough wind, renewable energies are too expensive, renewable energy cannot generate the capacity we need, electricity generation in South Africa cannot do without coal and nuclear technologies — Yet Mozambique, Angola, Kenya and Botswana have all secured funding for feasibility studies for renewable energies. Why is Eskom so unyielding? Perhaps there is too much wind — from MegaWatt Park, that is. — Craig Morrison

What a beautiful and positive Madam & Eve cartoon (September 4). It made my morning. Congratulations. — Sershan T Naidoo

Why Paul Ngobeni?

Good day

I have always admired your newspaper and have read it from cover to cover every week but with Paul Ngobeni and his obvious racism being included as a contributor to your publication, I am asking myself whether there is any point to continuing my reading of this publication. You know, this country has so many problems and many of them are being perpetuated by people like this.

If you keep on picking at a wound, it will not heal but if you keep on applying the right medication, you will be surprised to soon discover that the wound has healed and the health of the body is restored. This man flouts his credentials but his credentials are not complete and some action needs to be taken.

This man does not have an opinion, he has an agenda and your publication is surely not the place for an agenda to be carried out. You have credibility at the moment but with people like this it may soon be gone. You know, the most valuable commodity that anything has is trust and when the trust is gone, it cannot be replenished by going to a store and topping it up–Mike Jones