Christian leaders Michael Cassidy, Moss Ntlha and Andrew Selley have called pastors in South Africa to an urgent meeting in Johannesburg on Thursday 29 May 2014 to inform them of the escalating threat to religious freedom and the autonomy of the Church in South Africa. At the meeting pastors will be called upon to rally behind FOR SA (Freedom of Religion South Africa) to create a powerful united voice to government on issues affecting their religious freedom.
Increasingly the South African government, in ascribing to well-meaning Conventions from the United Nations, is inadvertently proposing laws that break down the family and cross the line of religious freedom, making the State rather than the Bible the highest authority on what Christians should believe, what they may preach and how they should act according to those beliefs. Many of these laws subscribe to a secular liberalist world-view and are in direct conflict with Christian and family values. As a result, Christians are forced to choose between obeying their conscience, beliefs or faith or obeying the law. Failure to obey the law will result in fines or even imprisonment should they choose to obey their conscience rather than the law.
Already, in a number of cases, pastors and Christians in South Africa have come under fire for believing, preaching and living their lives according to the Bible.
In two cases already, the Equality Court and the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) have found against Christian churches and/or pastors. Three more cases are pending with the Equality Court and human rights organisations against Christian churches and/or pastors, for preaching biblical scriptures that are seen to undermine secular humanist values. Another two cases are currently pending with human rights organisations against Christian business owners, for conducting their businesses in accordance with biblical conviction and moral conscience. (For a full summary of these cases, see http://gatewaynews.co.za/if-not-us-then-who-if-not-now-then-when/).
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Over the next few months, Parliament will be asked to pass a number of laws that will have the effect of muzzling Christian pastors from preaching certain scriptures and/or forcing Christians to compromise on their biblical beliefs.
In one of the first, government intends to outlaw spanking and parents who continue to do so because of their biblical convictions (based on scriptures such as Proverbs 13:24, Hebrews 12:6-7 and others) or otherwise, will be fined or imprisoned, even where no child abuse has occurred. Alternatively, parents may be forced to undergo parenting programmes that will no doubt seek to impose secular liberal values on them, and that leave no room for following their Christian convictions.
This Bill is obviously a gross interference with parental authority and family life. Good parents who discipline their children will be made criminals and will potentially have their children removed from them and placed in foster care as is already happening in Sweden and other countries.
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Commenting on the disastrous consequences that Sweden’s anti-spanking law has had on children, families and society as a whole, Roby Harold-Claessen (President of the Nordic Committee for Human Rights) explains that this law has resulted in “hundreds of normal parents being harassed by the police and social authorities, prosecuted and sentenced because they have smacked their children for bad behaviour”. (In this regard, see http://www.barnasrett.no/Artikler/smacking_and_the_law.htm).
In a recent case, the Swedish district court sentenced a Christian couple to nine months each in prison and fined them the equivalent of US$10 650 after they admitted to spanking three of their four children as a normal part of their parenting methods. The children have been remanded to state-sponsored foster care, and it is “extremely unlikely” that the children will ever be returned to their family home. This all, despite the fact that there is no indication of abuse by the parents in the released documents, with the court noting that the parents “had a loving and caring relationship with their children.” (For article, see http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/swedish-parents-jailed-for-spanking-children-seized).
Another Bill in the pipeline is the Hate Speech Bill. While Christians believe that God loves all people (heterosexual and homosexual), the Bible also tells us that He calls all people to turn from behaviour that is contrary to His divine will.
The proposed Hate Speech Bill will effectively make it a “hate crime” to preach that homosexual behaviour is contrary to the divine will, and effectively stop the church from preaching scriptures such as 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Romans 2:26-27 and others.
Against this background, FOR SA calls Christians to unite to stop government from interfering with their constitutional freedom of religion and the autonomy of the church.
Andrew Selley, Founder and CEO of FOR SA, said that while Christians may disagree with each other on certain doctrines and interpretation of Scripture, they can agree on this: it is not for the government to say what they may or may not believe. That privilege belongs to God alone, who is the highest authority of all people and to whom all people (including those in authority) shall give an account according to 2 Corinthians 5:10 and other scriptures.
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For more information about FOR SA, see www.forsa.org.za
South Africa is going the same way as UK and other countries have already gone. But it is good to see that Christian leaders in S.Africa are standing up against it. But it will not be an easy battle as many Christians have given in already, even agreeing with these new laws, in some cases
Certainly a pre requisite & a noble deed. However, Christians voted the DA & ANC into power & nobody is saying a word about that! Christians need to stand up & be counted at the ballot box, Not in post election discussions! Amen.
these proposed laws will herald in the lawless one as explained in the book of Revelations. Lawlessness is ever increasing throughout the globe with people taking the law into there own hands (mob rule. one sees it daily on television where strikes and civil disobedience is the order of the day. These laws will add fuel to an already uncontrollable situation. We have to stand up now or we will breed a new generation of lawlessness.
I tend to agree with you on this; most of the UN’s teachings – especially in the field of education, family and relationships are base on the teachings of Alice Bailey, one of the most influential writers and proponents of the New Age movement.
Godless Humanism is part of the United Nations agenda being forced down onto the world. Children are sent to school at an ever earlier age in many countries in order to counteract the influence of their parents and teach loyalty to the state rather than to God and family.
I don’t know if the government is suckered into it because it sounds good, for “political correctness” or because they ascribe to the UN conspiracy that aims at creating a one world religion but they will surely bulldoze this through as the always do with their vast majority in government.
All praise to those who stand against this insidious eroding of Christian values and I can only pray that we have more success in doing so that the rest of the Western Word has had.
God save us all!
Mike
Time to arise, stand up and be counted, and stop compromising. South Africa is moving in the direction where Christian values will be under attack and forced by law to exept what the present government will prescribe, we start seeing it implemented in schools,
Time for a Revolution. Yes, a JESUS REVOLUTION! Time to get of the couch and UNITE in LOVE. if Christians don’t save this beautiful country the humanists/atheist/New Age/UN will destroy it completely and we will living as robots who are forced to obey the state.
I know that the Bible tells us we’ll be persecuted for righteousness sake, but where is the Bible mandate for Christians to stand up and fight the Government regarding it’s laws or proposed laws?
“parents may be forced to undergo parenting programmes that will no doubt seek to impose secular liberal values on them”
This is hearsay. No comment can be made about any such programmes before they are established. If they are established and their content is known, show proof.
With regard to the “hate speech bill”, I have this to say: While I’m not homosexual myself, I don’t speak out against homosexuality. The choices other people make as far as who they want to be sexual/romantic partners with has nothing whatsoever to do with me.
That said, however, what Christians say or do in mutual consent within their churches has nothing to do with me either, so by all means, teach those who you wish to indoctrinate into your culture that homosexuality is wrong if you must… Just also teach them to keep that opinion to themselves where sharing it would be inappropriate.
We’re all entitled to believe what we want and to live the way we want. I don’t go telling off Christians because I’m not one, so I think its fair that Christians not go around telling off people for being homosexual.
On the topic of religious freedom, I’d like to point out that FOR SA (Freedom of Religion South Africa) makes no mention of any religion in particular. I don’t see that there is any website with a Mission Statement for it though, so I assume (as I think any man would) that the generalized “Freedom of Religion” encompasses ALL religions in South Africa.
I’d urge that this be remembered when it comes to dealing with things that do not appear to be of Christian origin in the future.
Sorry Drake but this is already being done in Germany – see previous articles in the newsletter!!!
Leave us Christians alone We will obey our Bible teachings and serve our God and Jesus Christ.WE WILL NOT ALLOW satan TO REMOVE OUR GODLY LIFE. WE WILL FIGHT believe me
Its not by Power not by Might but by My Spirit says the Lord Sag 4:5
False Christians allowed this by voting for a an unti Christ leaders. We are to strive to bring a Christian President.
FOR SA is right in what it says. The Church must stand up against this trend. We have already seen the evil effect of such anti-Christian laws in other countries, notably the USA and Sweden. Could FOR SA call for a national day of prayer or, if it was believed appropriate, a march or public protest?