Jacob Zuma wants kids to pray.
Thursday, 20 November 2008, at 11:53Jacob Zuma has come out swinging by suggesting that kids should pray before school. He stated that, by “fearing God”, as a result of prayer enforcement, society’s moral code will return to the “norms of yesteryear”.
Here is what I think.
“We need to teach our people to fear God,” ANC president Jacob Zuma said on Wednesday, and he suggested the way to do so would be by making children pray before school - “as it was in the past”.
(Source: here.)
To be fair on the future president (with his multitude of wives and offspring), he is not the sharpest tool in the shed. But a quick analysis is in order.
Firstly - and I might be reaching a bit here, but - progressing a country into one where the church and state are separated, a general prerequisite is that the church and state are separated. (By “the church”, I am including all religions, belief systems, and people who are still waiting for the mother ship.)
Secondly, forcing kids - or anyone, for that matter - to pray will not alter their morality. Similarly, forcing me to sing my school’s anthem did not shift my absence of patriotism. If anything, it made it more absent. (Plus, it was a rubbish song about standing my ground while spreading my wings and soaring through the clouds.)
Thirdly, Zuma’s “as it was in the past” is nonsense. Where, in history, are we able to observe a time of greater (im)morality than today? Because, quite frankly, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Everything is relative.
Lastly, religion is certainly not a benchmark for a healthy moral code. But that is a topic for another day (and not really part of today’s one).
Kudos to him for trying, though.
Thursday, 20 November 2008, at 11:59
and what about the muslim, hindu, pagan and athiest kids, aye, even the satanists?
Thursday, 20 November 2008, at 12:26
Every time he makes a public appearance, he makes a bigger fool of himself…
Is he not only preaching what he believes people want to hear? Same goes for when he was in Mitchell’s Plain..
How can a man with 5 wives & 3 finance’s, 2 affairs, outspoken violent nature and past corruption/rape charges, preach about morality and goodwill? His beliefs are entirely different to those of South Africa as a whole..
He reminds me of an idiot.
And Amen to that Jeremy… singing at school?? What were they thinking.. hehe
Thursday, 20 November 2008, at 12:46
he’s a hypocrit.
plain to see
Thursday, 20 November 2008, at 13:35
He needs to practise what he preaches
Thursday, 20 November 2008, at 14:12
Whatever he practices and whatever he believes in, changes daily.
It would be
to hear his thoughts on atheists… Or how the telephone was created, or his theory on how the world was created…
Anywho, I was thinking, seeing as this talk seemed to be specifically for traditional healers, I wonder where old Zuma will go if his heart fails? Or if he has a stroke? Or breaks a leg..Or better yet, requires an organ transplant..
Thursday, 20 November 2008, at 14:55
zuma is a showerclod. please dont insult hippo’s.
Thursday, 20 November 2008, at 20:02
Good speech Jeremy!
Pleeze enter politics, I’ll vote for you! Hey, I’m being serious now!
Zuma is definitely playing for the crowd. Telling them what they want to hear, smearing them with honey, Honey. Afterwards he’ll eat them all alive! (They’ll be honey-coated afterall… Haha.) (Referring to the Difekane again.)
I wonder who his PRO is.
Friday, 21 November 2008, at 07:19
People have no respect. Once our children learn to have respect for human life again, morality may return. But where will they learn respect? Certainly not from the news, or looking at our leaders’ behaviour, or even looking at other people in their lives (road rage, crime, violence, domestic violence) It’s a vicious circle
Friday, 21 November 2008, at 08:28
Here’s agreeing with Janel!
How can someone who has blatantly no morality be the “preacher” to the nation of who should pray (kids and adults alike) at any time of the day??
Forgive me if I seem judgmental….but as you all may well know, JZ has made a bigger ass of himself before, and I just think there is some frantic backpeddling happening beneath that cool exterior!
Friday, 21 November 2008, at 08:34
He is disgusting - what is he trying to prove? He doesn’t have to belong to any form of organised religion as far as I’m concerned - but the man doesn’t even prescribe to the basic tenets of natural law!!! How does raping a young HIV positive woman and then lying about it fit into any moral code? Never mind the crime perpetrated against her - what about his wives?
And why should I want to “fear” God?
Friday, 21 November 2008, at 10:38
Rapist telling people to pray PPPPUUUUULLLLLEEEAAAZZZZEEEEEEEE
I am a Christian HE is not - period - ad NO I am not a Bible basher or lay preacher or whatever - I actually did some research into the history of Christianity and OH BOY did we (Christians) ever screw up SO badly …..one word Inquisition
Went to France last month - I can understand WHY the French Huguenots left and WHY There was a revolution Notre Dame and Versailles - Beautiful and also in the same breath TOTALLY revolting
Which bring me back to the big bug ZOoM-ZOoM (if I was Mazda I would change my slogan quickly!!) Hypocrite
Friday, 21 November 2008, at 21:53
Typical of the prevailing attitude that anyone who isn’t religious is amoral.
My kids have more morality in a single one of their eyelashes than Zuma has in his whole body - and the bodies of all his wives and bodyguards and hangers-on. And we are atheists.
Monday, 24 November 2008, at 08:04
I can imagine Zuma in a jerry curl wig with a .45
There’s a passage I got memorized. Ezekiel 25:17. “The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of the darkness. For he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know I am the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you. blam blam blam
Monday, 24 November 2008, at 09:27
Zuma probably thinks that in his capacity as leader of the ANC the Bible doesn’t apply to him and since he’s not the brightest button he wouldn’t have read it, anyway. His record speaks for itself. It’s evident that he believes that the law doesn’t apply to him.
It’s a beautifuly verse Dude, you impress me actually.
Sunday, 17 May 2009, at 21:45
Multitude of wives = 3.