South African Christians divided over morality of genocide

On Saturday, 22 March 2025 an event was held that was presented as an
occasion for national prayer and repentance, with the intention of
encouraging Christians "to reflect and realign our hearts with God´s
purpose for South Africa." The speakers included prominent South
African leaders and the event was live-streamed on YouTube and
Facebook. 

As South African Christians of various traditions and political
affiliations, we are united in affirming that our nation is in real
need of prayer and repentance, and that aligning our hearts with God´s
purposes is of the utmost importance. We are also pleased that
speakers explicitly repented of the sinfulness of our country´s
apartheid past.

However, the full agenda of this meeting only became apparent towards
the end, when a "Prophetess Janet" stated that what South Africa needs
to repent of is "that which has been brought against the nation of
Israel" and that "our destiny as a nation is tied to Israel." She
proceeded to declare (claiming to speak the words of God) the need to
"win this nation [South Africa] from the hands of Islam," going so far
as to call for a new political leadership. The meeting ended in the
ritual lighting of a seven-branched candelabra and a dance in which
the dancers were attired in the Israeli colours and the Star of David
while singing in Hebrew.

Whatever our perspectives on our government´s record on various
matters, we want to unequivocally affirm that its action in taking
Israel to the International Court of Justice, and its stance against
Israeli apartheid and genocide more broadly, is a righteous action and
something that makes us proud to be South Africans. Indeed, those who
need to repent are those who have supported, and sought to provide
theological justification for, the actions of an illegitimate,
apartheid, and genocidal state. The modern state of Israel cannot be
equated with any of the biblical references to Israel. So-called
Christian Zionism is a heresy and its interpretation of Scripture is
absolutely alien to a traditional Christian understanding. 

Read it all here:

<https://sites.google.com/view/sachristians-not-in-our-name/home>


-- 
Steve Hayes
http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
http://khanya.wordpress.com