Written by: Gillian Fraser 

Yesterday, a video went viral in South Africa showing an emotional Christian father who is outraged at a demonic art display at the Grantleigh Curro School in KZN. This school claims to be Christian and proudly declares a Christian ethos online, yet is openly displaying an art exhibition by a student that features torn up Bibles, satanic sculptures, perverse depictions of Jesus, and renditions of famous Biblical artworks reworked to depict the Mc Donalds clown.

Grantleigh’s former headboy from 2011, Sinjon Moffett, wrote an open letter to the school and shared it online:

Dear Grantleigh Staff, particularly Mr. Andrew Norris,

I, alongside many South Africans, have recently been witness to the artwork prepared by one of your current Grade 12 learners that formed part of the year-end exhibition. I have also been following the widespread upheaval in reaction to this display.

Furthermore, I have seen the school’s official preliminary response. I believe it is my responsibility as a past-pupil and a representative of the Christian faith to voice my deep disappointment over this matter. Before I do so, I would like to point out the following:

  • The fact that the artwork formed part of the students ‘IEB Final Submission’ in no way removes the responsibility that Grantleigh bears for the final product. All accolades achieved by learners within Grantleigh are claimed as a result of the excellent education offered by the institution. And rightly so. Learners are truly only as good as the opportunity’s and care they are given. However, this means that Grantleigh assumes full responsibility for this learners artwork, as was established when the learner was rewarded and commended publicly by the school.
  • ‘Freedom of expression’ is unfortunately not a viable justification. You should make no attempt to pretend that Grantleigh allows students to express their unbridled personal opinions and beliefs. This is simply not true, and I say this to your absolute credit. I was witness to a number of students during my time in Grantleigh who expressed racist and homophobic viewpoints, who were instantly shutdown and disciplined by staff. And rightly so. The school and all of its staff are actively involved in moulding the minds of their learners to develop an open and compassionate worldview.
  • The artistic technique used by the student is clearly exceptional. Besides the fact that a number of their pieces carry plagiaristic similarity to other international artist’s works, it is clear to see that they are an extremely talented individual. However, the first lesson of contemporary art is that it is the message, not the method, that carries importance. Any art teacher or enthusiast will attest to this, as this has been the general understanding of art since around the time of Duchamp. This removes the prospect for any explanation that the learner’s art was skilfully executed and therefore respectable.
  • Children are impressionable. I am not referring to the young adults occupying Grades 8 through 12. I am referring to the little children, as young as 5 years old, who have free access to the school hall and therefore these artworks. Disregarding the religious controversy that the artworks present, they are objectively violent and graphic in nature. Surely the public display of these works within a sheltered school environment is deeply irresponsible and a complete oversight on behalf of the staff body. A school should be where dreams are inspired, not nightmares.

I am well aware that the learner who created these artworks is perhaps revelling in the amount of attention their work is currently receiving. I am also aware that you perhaps consider this situation to be a statement on the school’s behalf to disassociate yourselves with the Christian ethos rooted in the school’s history. With all this in mind, I have one question I would like to pose to you:

Why was it deemed appropriate to publicly deface, misrepresent and mock the figure who many within the Grantleigh family, as well as millions of people globally, worship as their God?

The simple truth is that if this was attempted with any other religion, Grantleigh would (hopefully) never have permitted it. If the learner had made an artwork that encourages racism, Grantleigh would (hopefully) never have permitted it. If the learner had made an artwork containing bigoted slurs against the LGBTQ community, Grantleigh would (hopefully) never have permitted it. I say this with such confidence because I know that Grantleigh does not allow their learners to be hateful, disrespectful, or prejudiced toward any group of people, but to rather be respectful and loving of all races, cultures and religions. This is what Jesus himself preached, what Jesus himself displayed, and what Jesus himself still inspires within people today. I am deeply disappointed to see that it is Jesus who has been belittled under the flag of the school that claims to embody a Christ-inspired ethos.

Grantleigh, you are responsible for this iniquity against all the people who follow Jesus, and against God himself. I hope that you are humble enough and wise enough to accept this responsibility, ask for forgiveness, and disassociate yourselves with the artworks and the artist.

With love, as a proud Grantleigh alumnus,
Sinjon Moffett
22.10.2019

Sinjon Moffett. Image Credit: Linkedin

Grantleigh is situated just north of Richards Bay/Empangeni on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast. On their Facebook page they proudly declare that, “The school has a Christian ethos.”

On Grantleigh’s website they state that their mission is “to uphold Christian values and encourage principled, caring and responsible behaviour at all times.”

Visit their website here: www.grantleigh.co.za
Or email them to respond here: andrew.n@curro.co.za

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Date published: 23/10/2019
Feature image: Sinjon Moffett / Linkedin

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43 COMMENTS

  1. Thank you Thank you Dear Sinjon Moffett for writing this letter and sharing the truth so absolutely eloquently. Well done and God Bless you!

  2. I cannot agree with Sinjon more! For any education institution that promotes healthy (emotional) living, to be so irresponsible, is unthinkable! As a christian I am appalled!

    • Maybe the school is to blame for this. It has failed in educating this student in the sacredness of Christ and the Holy Bible. Maybe they should consider this and that they even allowed this to be displayed is beyond belief in a Christian school.

      • Not maybe! For definite. All teacher’s and principle are equally quilty. You should have stopped this and not allow this evil person to bear fruit in your school. And then you reward him for his evil work?

  5. He is a self proclaimed atheist standing up for Jesus……….and the school say Glory to God………….

  7. Our only hope in this country and the world is in Christ the Prince of peace this image is not helping us to attain what Christ preached the school who allowed this display and apply Christian principles has to be questioned

  11. It’s utterly shocking that such a school could have allowed this disgusting artwork
    And give him all accolade.
    I would be ashamed if myself as headmaster and art teacher.

  13. I think that Sinjon and everyone else who calls themselves a Christian should think before they speak. It is obvious to me that Sinjon has much to learn about life….. But I am sure he can, without hesitation, throw a rock.
    I hope everyone who read this and commented, also read the comment posted by the artist himself, explaining where this thought process came from. It makes perfect sense. We should be ashamed for the way we are treating this artist. It’s because of this narrow minded approach to people that the churches are empty.

    • Oh please woman. Depicting Jesus like that, is disrespectful and disgusting. What did he or the school think would happen? If you love it so much, being sooo open minded and all, then you should buy it and display it in your house.

  14. What a beautiful and eloquently written letter. Well done Sinjon, you are standing up for your beliefs, and will be blessed for this, and I’m sure you’ll encourage fellow Christians to also make a stand. Well done, it is truly time we all stand up for our being Christian, and not accept mockery and ridicule. Being a Christian and serving God is not about mockery and ridicule and evil, but about serving our living God and being the best human being we can be, doing as God requires us to do. Thank you Sinjon.

  15. Why is the Pot calling the Kettle black here?

    While there is no way I can condone a pupil providing a display that is apparently against the moral foundation of the school, is it really against their foundation? Is your moral indignation appropriate?

    Will the administrators of this site leave this post up? Lets see!

    I spent >20 years as Christian and have been out of it for over 10 years now so it is possible for me to look back to realise all the deception that I had to endure and undo when I became Word based only! allow me to breiefly share this with you as I have attempted to do with Errol and others in the past!

    IF all of you who claim that a title of Jesus Christ is your lord and saviour and that all that you have to do to be saved is call on the name of Jesus, then you should also realise that Satan loves you because THIS is the deception that he wrought among Father’s sheep! Just like the false moral indignation that has arisen over the display!

    If in doubt read Ezekiel 34 with understanding! We can unravel this claim with more time too! The differences between a Christian and myself are 7 discussion points using scripture alone! So I am up to the challenge!

    Messiah was/is the Living Word, the Living Torah according to John 1:14. He does the will of our Father, nothing more and nothing less. He did NOT die for our sins as anyone with half a brain can see there is still sin in the world!

    He came to restore Torah to the Lost Tribes of Israel – there are NO covenants for non-Israelites and NO spiritual gates into New Jerusalem for Gentiles, only for each Tribe of Israel!
    IF we do as He kept and taught as a Jew, THEN we can become spiritually pure in order to be able to stand in Father’s presence!
    This basic concept of the difference in of Torah and Law is what has condemned billions of Christians. It is well laid out in Galatians 3. Basically the temporary law was until John but Torah (Mathew 5:18) is forever!
    Christians have no idea of what the definition of sin is despite it being clearly laid out in 1John 3:4!
    4 *Everyone practicing sin also practices lawlessness, and sin is the breaking of the Torah*

    Here is what Messiah says in **Mathew 5**:
    18 *Truly I say to you, Until the heaven and the earth pass away, in no way shall one yod or one stroke pass away from the Torah until all comes to pass*

    Here is what Paul says in **Romans 5**:
    31 *Do we then nullify the Torah by faith? Far be it. On the contrary, we establish the Torah ! *
    ALL these verses are in the so called NT!

    Getting back to the subject at hand, Messiah says that when He returns He will destroy all Christians! If you havent read that before, its right there in the so called NT! THAT is how important it is to follow Messiah properly!

    Messiah, the man who replaced Moses and Barabbas, the zealot, ALL had the same first name that in Hebrew means ‘Salvation comes from Yah’. Transliterated this is something like Yahusha but translated it is ‘Joshua’ in English.
    ALL Hebrew names have deep meaning. ‘Jesus’ has none and is closer to ‘Hesus’ king of the druids. If you do not know that there are two messiahs intertwined in masonic versions of the Word like the KJV, then you need to do some study!

    Few know that when Constantine set up his new pagan religion as druid priest, he chose a 4,000 year old Welsh druid god called IESU. Today that has turned into ‘Jesus’!

    If you think that prophetic actions don’t count then you need to ask your money back from your theology college because you get the god you call on!

    Let me put it more plainly for those that would rather follow their church teachings than what is actually in the Word:
    A properly translated version of the Word has little in common with Christianity because Christianity simply does not teach or keep what Messiah did!
    ‘Jesus’ IS the false messiah ! The one that the true Messiah warned us against!

    Those that do not do as He did, are obviously opponents of Father so how can they recoil at the advent of a display to the very entity they follow by default?

    THAT is why I say, how can the Kettle call the Pot, black? Those who do so only do so in total deceived ignorance.

    Was it not our Messiah, the Living Torah, who said the first one without sin should throw the first stone?
    Time for a moral rethink across South Africa!

    If I come across as arrogant I apologise but time is too short to hug trees beforehand. Some need to be shaken out of their lethargy, have their chains broken and the veils over their eyes removed and quickly!

    • 🙂 not one Christian is able to take me on regarding the Kettle calling the Pot black. Quite an indictment in such a saga!

      • No one has time for an attention seeker…. therefore you had made the last statement hoping someone will just say something.

  16. Thank you young man for standing on the truth, with conviction, love for OUR SAVIOUR LORD AND KING JESUS.

    Be blessed!

  18. The response from Andries Greyling – CEO Curro Holdings letter dated 23 October 2019, is indicative of the times we live in and the “don’t seriously care about public opinions – (meaning Christians) attitude they’ve displayed thus far in respect of the Grantleigh matter gives one the the impression – its all about the money!
    Perhaps if we start to boycott Curro Schools and their stock value drops, then the CEO will totally change his comments!
    His letter had no apology just total arrogance!
    GOD is watching You sir!

  19. It would be interesting to hear what the art teacher has to say. Will the art still be displayed in the school also the comments of the headmaster.

  20. Thank you so very much for your letter, and for standing up to be counted for all Christians. It is heartache and so sad that this was encouraged and rewarded when there is such a wonderful opportunity for the Artist to uplift and inspire. Blessings and your school, parents, family, and friends can be so proud of you. I know I am. Well done. Blessings.

  21. The young man is actually a really talented artist and will have a promising career in graphic design. As for the offense that all the fanatic Christians have taken: get over it!!!….the artist is free to his own expression, your outrage only helps him grow bigger. “Freedom of expression is unfortunately not a viable justification” – what absolute rubbish! The rest of the world will express their opinions however they choose, you cannot stop that, you know already that a lot of people don’t care whether they offend your religious beliefs or not, so get over it!!

  22. Sinjon is quite right. I question the minister who works at the school. I read his response and fail to understand how a man of God can not be offended by the exhibition but instead appear to justify the student’s inappropriate subject choice and the way the school rewarded him. Did this Christian School forget that our Christ gave His life for us??

  23. well said, couldn’t agree more. This is blasphemy of the highest order. The justification has discouraged and disappointed a lot of people who held the school in high esteem.

  24. I was heart-broken when I saw the video, so much so that I could not even finish watching it. How it must have grieved the Holy Spirit to see this desecration. I cannot believe that the school allowed it, there is just no justification for it, none at all whatsoever. It should have been stopped before it even remotely became an artwork. And now there are rumours doing the rounds that people are queuing up to buy this blasphemous rubbish. The artist is probably reveling in what he created. May God have mercy on his soul.

  26. “To God be the glory great things He has done
    So loved He the world that He gave us His Son
    Who yielded His life as atonement for sin
    And opened the life-gate that all may go in”

  27. Hi I don’t know this young man, Sinjon, but I totally agree with him.
    well done to you young man and I can only hope and pray that this School will now do something about this terrible artist and art work – it is absolutely disgraceful!!!!
    what is just as disgraceful is that the school awarded him/her for this!!!
    Amanda

  28. So many things are being lauded for what is presented as “art” these days. But this is blasphemy and is condemned by all who fear God and love Jesus. May the Name of Jesus be praised and exalted and may God turn this to be for good and bring glory to the Great Name of Jesus the King of kings and the mighty Lord of lords.

  29. If the school didn’t think it was wrong exhibiting the artworks, why was it hidden behind curtains and small children were not aloud to see it? We all know that the sinner try to hide their sins. I find it appalling.

  30. May our ABBA Father bless you abundantly for speaking Truth here.
    We serve a living God, who was and is to come!
    We need to stand together as belivers for what is wrong and this art is profaning Our Lord and Saviour, Yahushua Ha Machaich.

  32. What a well written and mature article voicing the opinions of all Christians in South Africa and internationally. I suggest that those responsible read what the bible says about people who lead children astray and be very afraid.

  33. In his open letter to the school, Sinjon Moffet reveals clearly that he is pro-homosexual. What a pity! Although he is to be commended for making a stand against the satanic art display, he should not claim to be a Christian, as homosexuality goes against biblical teaching.

  34. Absolutely agree. Well done for standing up to this misrepresentation of the Jesus I love and adore. As an art educator, I am appalled at these artworks. Whatever the brief was, nothing justifies destroying Gods Word. Very disturbing indeed.

  36. Sinjon. I say to you with your stand for Christian belief and your obvious loyalty to our Lord and Savior Yeshuah Hamashiach, Jesus Christ, Anointed of Jahweh Adonai Elohim, God, creator of the heavens and the earth and the creator of everything that exists, God bless you. You give me the courage to say, ” With young people like you I KNOW South Africa’s future is secure.” I was appalled by the video which went viral and I also applaud Joy magazine as a Christian publication for taking the stand also against the blasphemous art at that school. Let me say one last thing. If the artwork was ridiculing Mohammed every Muslim in South Africa would have been on the streets demanding not only punishment for the work but would be demanding the removal and destroying of it. What now Christians. The very least that should be expected is an apology to all and sundry by the school and the removal of the offending art, if you can call it that. I even believe it should be destroyed.
    It shows how this country is deteriorating. The reason I say this is because as a young boy at school in the then-standard 7 art class we were asked to depict a portion of the daily living of the Amazulu people. I created a picture of a young maiden crushing mealies to make mealie meal. I was severely reprimanded and was almost expelled as I showed the maiden topless and in traditional dress. For those in South Africa who don’t know. If you travel today through an area called Tugela Ferry you will see in this very rural area young Zulu maidens going about their daily chores in a topless fashion. Today it is nothing to see it.

  37. Sinjon Moffett
    Ek skryf Maar in Afrikaans … is makliker
    Ek is n Buitestander en ver weg van S.A. – Maar ek is vol saam met jou teen all die Gemors.
    Probleem is net — hulle, wat daarvoor verantwoordelik is, vee hulle agterente daaan af .
    Jy , ons, is mos nie Meer waadig om waargeneem te word in die nuwe Suid Afrika — Wit felle is mos ´n siekte in S.A.

  38. As a former principal myself, I think the orincipal of Grantleigh Curro School together with his bosrd should be charged with misconduct because they have gone against their own draw card that they use to attract parents and that is a Christian based education. Their advertisement and current conduct is misleading and confusing. They have given into the whims of a rebellious teenager who still needs to mature in his thinking. This begs the question ad to who is the adult and who is the child. Whose to say that someday this very disillusioned youngster might have his Damascus road experience and then be left with the guilt of persecuting God. Whose going to take the responsibility of helping him make peace with his broken pieces? The orincipal is highly irresponsible .Should the learner have touched on any other religious sector which takes unkindly to offences like this, you probably would have had a school burnt to the ground. This learner, together with all others implicated in this offence, was smart enough to choose a peace loving religious sector to prevent a serious backlash. Being a Christian school you ought to know that Jesus is a loving, gracious and compassionate God but he is also a God of wrath. Vengeance belongs to me says the Lord.

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