August/September/October 2000

The Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders promoting the New World Order. - Spiritual powers which prevent a success of the African Renaissance.

Dear Friends,

On 31 October 1517 Martin Luther nailed the 95 theses on to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. With this he turned the whole Western world away from a religion of superstition and works to a religion of faith and freedom. The period of the Reformation was an exciting and heroic one. The men who led it in Europe ? John Wycliffe, John Huss, Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, and William Tyndale ? were men of strong faith and convictions, high intelligence, and great moral and physical courage. The spiritual liberation which God gave to men foreshadowed great changes in every sphere of life.

Reformation What does the Reformation mean to us today? Can Christians still stand up and say with Luther: 'V am subject to the Scriptures.. My conscience is captive to the Word of God It is dangerous to do anything against one's conscience. Here I stand I cannot do otherwise. So help me God Amen. " Do we still celebrate Reformation Day in thankfulness for Christ's victory? Do we rejoice in the abundant blessings which Christianity has brought to the world? For there is no other force or movement which can equal the Church's achievements. 'Most of the languages of the world, "writes Dr Peter Hammond, "were first codified and put into writing by Christian missionaries. More schools and universities have been started by Christians than by any other group. The elevation of women (from the second class status they were kept in by other religions) was a Christian achievement; as was the abolition of slavery, cannibalism, child sacrifice and widow burning.. Christianity gave birth to liberty. Constitutional republics, the separation of powers, limited government and freedom of conscience are the result of the Reformation... We recount the unparalleled contributions made by Christians in the fields of science, art, education, economics, civil and human rights and in works of compassion and mercy.. The teachings and example of Jesus Christ have inspired the greatest acts of generosity, hospitality, self?sacrifice and service for the sick, poor and needy. " 1)

The Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders The year 2000 is named after the Lord Jesus Christ. It is His year, the Year of our Lord 2000. Our times are measured from His birth. Every person in the world lives by the years which Christ gives him. Yet in the year 2000 the anti?Christian forces are gathering. From 28?31 August 2000, the UN Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders took place in New York. It was so?to?speak a follow?up of the Parliament of the World's Religions which met in Cape Town in December 1999. Mr Bawa Jain of the Inter Faith Center, New York, provided the vision, the Catholic Swiss Prof. Hans Ming the humanistic "&bal ethic", and CNN's Ted Turner the money, key note address and world?wide coverage. The aim was "to unite the religious and spiritual organisations with the political institutions of the world and to make them work together with the United Nations to accomplish world peace. " Naas le Roux of Kerugma, who produced excellent Christian videos of the Parliament of the World's Religions, comments: "There are two goals that the United Nations wishes to achieve with the summit. One is to draft a declaration and to get the religious and spiritual leaders to sign it. The second and more important aim is that which will emerge from this summit, namely the founding of an International Advisory Council of Religious and Spiritual Leaders. The function of this body will be to serve as a council of advice to the Secretary?General and the UN community. Interesting4y the Millennium Summit for the heads of States has been organised to take place at exactly the same venue on 6 September 2000. " (My emphasis, DS) 2) The purpose is to encourage the heads of state to set up an anti?Christian New World Order on the basis of a common humanistic spirituality.

The African Renaissance
Africa is a continent where Christianity is growing fast. It is therefore surprising that many of its governments disdain the Christian religion. In South Africa, for instance, Reformed Christianity is perceived as having given rise to Apartheid. So it is rejected outright in favour of a multi?faith spirituality which is supposedly more tolerant and non?discriminating. This has caused a crisis of faith and ethics in many people and resulted in social disturbance. The South African Constitution declares that all religions are to be equal. But when all religions are equal they are equally invalid? A multi?faith South Africa can have no common spiritual and ethical foundation, for every man will do what "is right in his own eyes." (Prov. 21:2) It is difficult to build a nation on a fragmented basis. Such 'nation building' can have no social cohesion. For, where there is no common standard of right and wrong there will always be tension.

Until recently, in spite of a multi?cultured populace, South Africa upheld the Ten Commandments as the pillars of civilization. It affirmed the First Commandment: "You shall have no other gods before me ", by pledging in its Constitution "humble submission to Almighty God". The New South African Constitution, however, does not contain such a pledge. The Commandments are no longer accepted by all. For instance, the Sixth Commandment, "You shall not kill, " has been replaced by laws which make murder pardonable (through amnesty) if it is politically motivated. Murder is allowed if committed against unborn persons (by abortion). ? The Seventh Commandment forbids adultery but has been replaced by laws which protect adultery (granting rights to perverts and sex workers) ? The Ninth Commandment forbids false witness but has been replaced by laws which reject the Truth by rejecting Jesus Christ who is the Truth. ? The Tenth Commandment forbids covetousness but has been replaced by a philosophy which encourages envy by constant talk of 'privilege' and 'disadvantage'.

Many of the former liberation theologians encourage this development. They find greater freedom in a multi?religion than in Christianity. For instance, Buti Thlagale, the Catholic Archbishop of Bloemfontein and President of the World Conference on Religion and Peace, sees the future of Africa in multi?faith terms. He says: 7he spirit of African Renaissance seeks, to uplift, promote and sustain all that is noble in the human being. This spirit seeks to encompass the technological, economic, political, cultural and religious developments of the people of Africa. The spirit of African Renaissance is a new orientation... It requires a clear and conscientious.. adoption of values which hitherto have been overlooked.. Communities of faith ought to be the first to lead if they are to be part of the rebirth of anew African civilisation." 3) But can a fragmented multi?faith value system create a new African civilization and a better life for all?

Why no Progress?
Africa, and especially South Africa, have greatly benefited from the Protestant Reformation. Schools, missions, hospitals, homes, welfare organisations, free enterprise etc. are a witness to the heritage of the Reformation. So, if Christianity is no longer an option, what is meant by "African Renaissance" Does it mean a return to a pre?Christian culture? After all, Renaissance means 'new birth' or 'revival' of a culture of the past. So we should ask: Can a traditional, pre?Christian African value system create a new African civilization and a better life for all? Would it be possible for Africa to maintain a Western?style material culture, while affirming an African?style spiritual culture? Can Africa reconcile its own social, religious, and kinship relationships with Western?style individuality and competitiveness? Can it re?interpret traditional culture into a modem idiom? The African Renaissance will have to answer these question.

All Africa longs for peace and prosperity, food, education, and medical care. Yet, in spite of massive foreign aid many African countries have declined to such a point as to be called the "Fourth World". Indeed, Western nations, over the past 30 years, have asked: Why is there so little success ? even complete failure ? of development programmes in Africa? Researchers came to the conclusion that the lack of success was due to divergent world views ? to "the mental attitude of the African, as shaped by his cosmology. " Scholars found that the African world view "is not conducive to the successful transfer of capitalist ideas such as individuality)~ creativity, conceptual thinking, a rational approach to cause and effect, linear future planning etc. " In order to successfully develop Africa, they said, "the obstacles of a counterproductive, fatalistic, and psychical world?view, " need to be overcome, "before the new value?.system can be implanted. " 4)

Through the great religious renewal of the Reformation the people of Europe were freed in heart and mind, as the Bible says: "If the Son (Jesus Christ) makes you free, you will be free indeed. " (John 8:36) This new spiritual freedom affected all of life. People abandoned their age?old superstitions. They no longer believed that supernatural forces determined life's events. They felt free to pursue science, philosophy, and technology, and they achieved progress in every area of life. ? Africa, on the other hand, remained caught in psychical thinking. The Christian anthropologist and ethnologist, Prof JS Malan, wrote: 'Africa is to a large extent still caught up in its traditional cosmology based on psychical thinking. Ancestral spirits and magical powers manipulated by medicine men and sorcerers are regarded as the most important agents of causation, hence the predominantly fatalistic outlook on life... Even despite extensive Christianisation, most of these ideas still prevail. ', 5)

African Spiritual Powers
According to traditional African belief there is a creator God who, after having made the world, withdrew and left his creation to be run by his agents. This God is not actually worshipped. He created the world full of natural and supernatural forces, of which the ancestral spirits dominate African life. These spirits need to be appeased lest they bring disease and disaster, when impressing their will on their living kin. There are other supernatural powers which are harnessed and manipulated through diviners and medicine men. Medicine is mostly made of herbs, but the really potent magic has animal and human ingredients, sometimes obtained through ritual murders. Such medicine is used to ensure food crops, health and strength. But Africans also seek magical help to improve their economic, social or political position. 'Muti' is used even by executives and entrepreneurs to ease their competitive lifestyles. 6) In Parliament itself there is a 'Sangoma' who has a good clientele. ? Life and well?being is also threatened by witches and sorcerers who are said to do their evil work at night, often against people who are more prosperous than they are. They may poison their victims or send lightning and hail. Many Africans believe that evil must be resisted by killing such sorcerers and witches. Even other individuals who threaten group solidarity ? such as for instance the 'sell?outs' and `informers' during the liberation struggle, are dealt with in the same way.

Nature In Africa nature is seen as a whole. No distinction is made between natural and supernatural forces. The entire cosmos is perceived as an integrated system, a holistic entity. Whereas Christianity does not ascribe conscious life to all natural objects.. African religion sees everything permeated by spirit and spirits. Nature is believed to have a soul. Therefore, a person or an ancestor spirit may appear in the form of a snake or any other animal. Even a mixture of herbs, a piece of fur, hair, nails etc. can cause either misfortune or protection. For the African it is of great importance to live in harmony with nature. Whereas Christian?based cultures believe that man shall have dominion over the creation, to change it (under God) to his needs (Genesis 2:28), Africans deem it religiously wrong to change the rhythm and course of nature. For instance, they tend to avoid building dams or canals along rivers.

In Africa, whatever nature provides is exploited only after rights over its resources have been obtained. Prof Malan says: "All natural resources are viewed as having been provided by the Creator in order to meet the demands of man. These resources are only exploited after rights over them have been obtained ?they are not properly managed or refined An inevitable consequence of this attitude is the overexploitation and destruction of natural resources. In this context wealth is intimately associated with political rights over natural and human resources. The strongest group will attain rights over the best resources in a particular region. Wealth is, therefore, not regarded as something that can be generated by the individual through hard work. Rather, it is the result of a collective endeavour to acquire and control whatever resources are available. These assets should then be shared by handing some of the benefits from the macro level down to the individual members of society. " 7) Do we not see some of this thinking reflected in the present land/farm crisis in Zimbabwe?

Communalism
Whereas Western man is strongly individualistic and competitive and often takes these traits to excess, Africans live communally, firmly embedded in their tribe or group. The Black academic V. Mulago states: "For the Bantu, living is existence in community, it is participation in the sacred life of the ancestors; it is an extension of the life of one's forefathers, and a preparation for one's own life to be carried on in one's descendants.. The dead constitute the invisible part of the family, clan or tribe, and this invisible part is most important... " 8) The ability to procreate many offspring is therefore of great relevance to one's future well?being as an ancestor spirit. ? In African society the common weal is more important than the well?being of the individual. It is the group which determines values and social orientation. Personal initiative and independent action are discouraged. Individualism and private ownership are rejected. Upward mobility is inhibited, and respect for the tribe or group is enforced by the ancestor spirits. ? Indeed, though we live in the age of democracy, even political pluralism is disliked, as it endangers the unity of the group. Group consciousness is so great, that if something happens to one it is perceived as happening to all ? and vice versa, Africans, therefore, tend to observe their traditions. This stops many a creative person from initiating developments unknown to his peers and ancestors for fear of arousing their envy.

Holism
Because Africans take a holistic view of the cosmos and of life, they do not divide social life into different categories. They do not, for instance, regard church, education, justice, sport, or the economy, as separate areas of life, each built on its own principles, each independent of the State. Analytical, categorizing and conceptual thinking is foreign to them, whereas Western man divides and discriminates ? seeking to separate various fields and freedoms, e.g. distinguishing between religious and academic freedom, and observing an independent judiciary, free market, or particular culture etc. The African world view sees all things as a whole ? all matters as of the same fabric and ultimately related to the ancestor orientation ? all ruled over by a central power which must grant progress and prosperity. The central power is the giver of all.

Many Africans sense that this holistic world view is inadequate in the modem world. Prof. Malan writes: 'Most Africans realize that their own culture does not afford them all the ways and means to exploit the various natural, human, and spiritual resources in the cosmos to their fullest potential. For this reason they are quite prepared to adopt institutions from other cultures on the basis of their utility unfulfilling specific needs. This process of acculturation occurs predominantly on the functional level with the objective to maximize subsistence conditions on all levels of life. " 9) If the new and the old clash, as for instance Western medicine and the belief in traditional healers and sorcerers, Africans do not make much of it. The 'foreign' religious ideas are simply accepted into the holistic world view and serve as a sort of religious insurance.

Time
The African concept of time is cyclical, i.e. time is seen in days, months, and seasons. Crops are planted to satisfy the basic needs for the coming season. There is no long?term planning. Even trees and other perennial plants are seldom planted. Dr Malan says: "No future is envisaged beyond the limits of the annual seasonal cycle, as people do not project themselves existentially outside the temporal framework of the seasons. Time is, therefore, perceptual and cyclical and not conceptual and linear ? it is not a commodity that can be used and planned for. " 10) For this reason little surplus is produced for investment and expansion, and Africans seldom initiate medium and long?term developments based on future economic projection. In a Christian?based culture, however, the concept of time is linear. Time has a beginning and an end God created and rules over time, working out His perfect plan for the world. There is progress, meaning, and significance to all man's efforts. The future is not uncertain. Our times are in God's hand, (Psalm 3 1:15) and our goal is eternal life. (Matt. 19:28; Lk. 22:30) Time, therefore, is not cyclical, centering ever on the present. It is a dynamic, goal?directed, entity. ? Without a linear view of time, planning for the future is difficult. Without faith in man's destiny in God it is difficult to go forward in hope.

Work
In a Christian?based culture work is considered to be good, since God worked in creation. God is a worker. He created man in His image to be a worker. He gave work to Adam and Eve as soon as they were created ? long before the fall. Work is not part of the curse. The curse only made it harder. Jesus Christ Himself gave a new dignity to labour by taking up the axe, the saw, the hammer and the plane. Consequently Christians take pride in their work. They have transformed the social orders of the world. The Christian work ethic gave rise to the free enterprise system, bringing unparalleled prosperity and progress to millions of people. ? But pagan cultures fail to see the connection between work and prosperity. Rather. they believe that prosperity depends on manipulating and propitiating magical forces and ancestor spirits.

Fatalism
Africans believe themselves to be exposed to supernatural forces which direct them from outside and therefore show little initiative to understand the world through rational thinking. Ancestor spirits and magic powers hinder creativity and development. They stop them from overcoming obstacles. Many Africans regard the knowledge of supernatural powers as more important than other kinds of knowledge. They want to become traditional healers to understand hidden and mystical powers and use them for the benefit of the community. Even success and failure are believed to be caused by external powers. Many believe that they are victims of circumstances ? of exploitation, oppression, colonialism, apartheid, and many nameless powers. A failed student, for instance, often finds fault with the educational system. A commuter may say: "The bus left me behind." ? Not: I was too late for the bus. ? An injured man may say: "The knife cut me." ? "The car overturned with me." Seeing themselves as victims of external powers, Africans find it more logical to fight against a perceived wrongdoer or oppressor than to look at themselves. ? Indeed, even right and wrong are subject to external powers, and ethics are situational. For instance, if a man is considered oppressed, his deeds are not seen in terms of fixed ethical norms, but as arising from the situation in which he finds himself The "Truth Commission " bears ample witness to this.

In a Christian?based culture, on the other hand, ethical principles are absolute, because God who gave them is absolute. A Christian who has suffered failure or misfortune will look for the fault in himself and then double his efforts to put things right. He is conscious of his own sinfulness, of Gods discipline, and of having to account for his deeds on the Day of Judgement. As a Christian he knows that evil does not come from outside, but "from within, out of the heart of men." (Mark 7:20?23) He needs to repent and then, with the help of God, overcome his problems.

No Salvation without Jesus Christ
The 'African Renaissance" should take another look at Christianity and examine the life?changing power of Jesus Christ as illustrated by the Reformation. It would be well advised to apply Biblical principles to every area of national life. Africa knows that it belongs to a world which is becoming ever more interlinked. It needs this world's technology, its banking systems, its methods of food production, its educational and medical systems if it wants to survive and succeed. Yet much of what this world calls )7rogress'is foreign to its soul. The anthropologist EP Beukes said: "Development does not flow mechanically from rational actions in the economic, political and social spheres. It needs a spark or dynamic impulse operating in the minds of people, galvanising them into action... A fundamental problem is whether and how this broad reorientation in the world?view of underdeveloped people can be brought about. " 11)

Can a multi?faith spirituality provide this spark? No, because it brings spiritual and moral fragmentation. Can the religious humanism of the One World movement galvanise Africa into action? No. because man cannot succeed as his own god. Can the 'global ethic' give the dynamic impulse? No. The only Person who can lift Africa out of its despondency, trouble and suffering, is the Lord Jesus Christ. Africa needs a Renaissance which is a Christian Reformation. The Gospel of Christ is life changing, history making, and nation transforming! The American theologian Brian Abshire says: "The problems facing modern Africa are due to the affects of paganism. Africa has a thin layer of Western materialism covering millennia of pagan philosophy. The endemic poverty, sickness, tribal warfare, etc., can be attributed to the paganism which continues to operate. The problem is not race but religion. The main difference between white Europeans and black Africans is not skin colour but the influence of 2000years of the Christian religion... Africa will continue to experience its cycles of poverty, warfare and famine until this pagan orientation hay been overcome by the Gospel. " 12)

Though the Christian Church has made many mistakes throughout the ages, it has caused more positive changes on earth than any other force or movement in history. The question therefore is: What philosophy will undergird the 'African Renaissance "? Will it be Christianity, New Age Humanism, or African paganism? African paganism has failed to produce a good life for all. Humanism has plunged whole nations into poverty (through Socialism/Communism). Only Christianity has produced a "better life for all". notably in the West, where its heritage, if not its faith, continues. ? Africa needs the Good News that God has given a Saviour who is Christ the Lord! This "gospel is the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith. " (Romans 1: 16) God saves in every area of life. He saves the soul, the family. society, politics, and the economy. He saves from ignorance and darkness, crime and corruption, hunger and poverty, death and disease. He blesses the nations which honour Him. "The only hope for Africa, "says Abshire, "as well as for the West, is anew Reformation and revival. Cultures will prosper only as they repent of their sins, acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ and obey His Law. " 13)

May God bless you richly,
D. Scarborough.

Footnotes:

1. Barlow, Tom, & Hammond, Peter, Renaissance or Reformation? United Christian Action, Cape Town, 1999; E?mail: uca@g1obal.co.za.
2. Le Roux, Ignatius A., The Millennium World Peace Summit..., Kerugma Bulletin, August 2000; E?mail: info@kerugma.org.za
3. Thlagale, Buti, The Role of Religion in the African Renaissance, Journal of Constructive Theology, Univ. of Durban Westville, Vo.6, No. 1, 2000
4. SA Journal of Ethnology, 1988, 11(2), The cosmological factor in development programmes, by JS Malan.
5. Ibid.
6. ?At the Sonke Festival in Durban on 24.10.93 more than 100 Sangomas invoked ancestral blessings on Nelson Mandela's forthcoming presidency through the muti ceremony 'Kushisha impepho.'
7. SA Journal of Ethnology, 1988, 11(2), The cosmological factor in development programmes, by JS Malan.
8. V Mulago, 1969, Vital participation: The cohesive principle of the Bantu community. Cited by Prof JS Malan in the SA Journal of Ethnology, as above.
9. SA Journal of Ethn. Op. Cit.
10. Ibid.
11. EP Beukes, 1987, Theoretical and methodological guidelines for research on the development of Southern Africa. Cited by Prof JS Malan, Op. cit.
12. Brian Abshire, Paganism and Modern Africa, Chalcedon Report, Dec. 1997, reprinted in The Christian Digest, Nov. 1998.
13. Ibid.

P.S. Though we touched on the subject of the African Renaissance before, we felt it merited some expansion.