Written by: Tendai Chitsike
Article source: JOY! Magazine

Seeing as there were so many lessons learnt from attending the public hearing for the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill in Gqeberha, here is the continuation of my observations from last month’s column… As mentioned, the Bill seeks to severely restrict the governing authority of school governing bodies and concentrate this power in the Minister of Basic Education, effectively compel homeschoolers to adopt the government-endorsed CAPS curriculum, and give the department the power to allow or deny homeschooling parents the freedom to homeschool their children.

Lack of a biblical worldview
From the outset, it became clear that when it came to analysing this Bill and understanding the times we are living in, merely being a Christian is not enough. I say this because we heard several speakers, including pastors, who publically professed Christ in addressing the Bill, yet their argument had no grounding in a biblical worldview. Rather, their support of the Bill was rooted in politically correct ideology. As a result, while I don’t doubt their faith, when it came to providing salt and light on this issue, the salt had lost its saltiness. You might ask: What ideology was being put forward? In a nutshell, proponents of the Bill argued for the need for government to step in to “equalise” education and give greater power to the state, essentially applying socialism to schools and homeschoolers.

In defence of this greater government control, many argued that those opposed to the Bill were racist, and that homeschoolers in particular were anti-assimilation white supremacists using home education as a cover to indoctrinate their children. Regrettably, rather than taking their cue from the biblical command given to parents to train their children, several professing Christians in fact argued for the opposite – that the state should in fact exercise greater control over what children are taught. I have mentioned the urgent need for training in a biblical worldview several times before. However, it was quite something to see a compelling reason why this is no longer an option, right in front of me.

Christians who are standing for biblical values
I must also add, however, that a number of other Christians present did bring much truth to bear on the parliamentary panel. Indeed, it was most encouraging to hear biblically sound arguments by parents, teachers, and young scholars, who also happened to represent the diverse ethnicities in our nation. Some of these speakers included members of the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP). In addition, we subsequently learnt of the valiant efforts that had already been made by ACDP MP Marie Sukers, who was also present on the parliamentary panel. As a result, my second reflection was this: Having biblically-thinking parliamentarians is a great blessing to everyone. The sooner this is realised by professing Christians the better, as this may help many to realise that a vote for this platform is by no means a “wasted vote”, but quite the opposite.

Have we become too comfortable?
Lastly, while pro-government voices were present in large numbers, I thought to myself: Why are there not more of us present? My educated guess is that as Christians we have probably become too comfortable. Then, when such situations arise, perhaps because it is too inconvenient on a Sunday afternoon, and the effects of the Bill are not currently felt, we don’t turn up, and an opposing worldview advances. I’m reminded of a scene in the movie Amazing Grace, where the longsuffering hero, William Wilberforce, managed to push through an anti-slavery Bill in parliament partly because his opponents were out at the races, enjoying one of their many self-obsessed indulgences. May we as Christians unlearn the lifestyle of our age, and return to our post as salt and light.

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Date published: 01/10/2023
Feature image: Image for illustrative purposes only. Artwork adapted from www.rawpixel.com
Tendai Chitsike – Pastor of Every Nation Church in Makhanda. Email: engrahamstown@gmail.com

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