'Then I have won the case, says the advocate for equality' … I answer: … 'I don't have a text, but I have the Bible, the whole Bible. "[2], The case for slavery was not advanced by "some slave holders," but by the best evangelical and Reformed theologians of the day. If you are against segregation and against racial separation, then you are against God Almighty because He made racial separation in order to preserve the race through whom He could send the Messiah and through whom He could send the Bible. 4 Du Toit and Du Toit, Die Afrikaanse Rassebeleid en die Skrif, 9-10. No Apologetics For Apartheid. "Die Skrif en Rasse-Apartheid." 12 Du Toit and Du Toit, Die Afrikaanse Rassebeleid en die Skrif, 19-20. The Reformed Church of South Africa was the largest denomination in the country by far. "Die Skrif en Rasse-Apartheid." "Die Rassebeleid van die Afrikaner: Besluite van die Volkskongres, Bloemfontein, September 1944." 36 Marais, "'n Kritiese beoordeling", 76. 31 Marais, "'n Kritiese beoordeling", 48. This is seen in the way that those who critique their reading are often depicted (including more critical ecumenical voices). It found expression, for instance, in the Mission Policy of the Dutch Reformed Church in 1935, where we read: The Afrikaner's traditional fear of equalisation ("gelykstelling") between black and white was born from his aversion to the idea of racial mixing. Keet, BB. Marais, BJ. Biblical Justification for the BIG can take place through the use of Contextual Bible Study will be explored. Hence he wants no equalising of races ("geen gelykstelling"), because this reflects the Babylonian agenda of imposing equalisation where there is in fact no equality.6. Pistorius "Ons Apartheidsbeleid en die Skrif" and A. van Schalkwyk on "Apartheid en die Kerlike-Godsdienstige Lewe van die Bantoe". See also further letters by LP Spies (Die Kerkbode, 29 September 1948, 747-748), EA Venter (Die Kerkbode, 6 October 1948, 807-808), and FA Kock (Die Kerkbode, 13 October 1948, 875-876). Cf. Rossouw, SH. The world is predicated on a number of unchanging creation "orders" (i.e. "Die Skrif en Rasse-Apartheid." Further complicating matters is the position of some Afrocentrists that Ham was indeed Black, as were many other characters in the Bible. Marais draws his arguments against the biblical justification of apartheid from what he refers to as the general principles of the Christian view of brotherhood ("Christelike broederskapsleer"), which was also the theme of his doctoral dissertation.32God is the father of all people and they are all equal before God. Brink wrote on "Die betekenis van Christelike voogdyskap" [The Meaning of Christian Guardianship], discussing in his article the basis and obligations of guardianship. Van der Watt, Die Nederduitste Gereformeerde Kerk 1905-1975, 81. Regverdige Rasse-apartheid. This idea is also applied to marriage. Apartheid Theology: A "Contextual" Theology Gone Wrong? Van der Watt, PB. Prof BB Keet was his promoter. "Die Skrif en Rasse-Apartheid." 1947. Die Christelike Broederskapsleer: Sy Agtergrond en Toepassing in die Vroeë Kerk. One of his sermons is even entitled "God maak die nasies en die duiwel maak die Empire" [God created the nations by the Devil created the Empire]. In five hundred and sixty-six pages, this fact is ignored. In these sermons one finds the recurring emphasis on the need for strong walls to keep the nations apart. He did, however, write a four part series for Die Kerkbode in which he explicated his views. Johannesburg: Macmillan, 1986. Apartheid theology Church division required a ‘moral’ justification. 26 See Acta Synodi Dutch Reformed Church, 1949: 459. Sign up for our newsletter to receive our most up-to-date news, articles, and information. The guardian is there only for a while, until the child reaches maturity. Race relations, especially between whites and Blacks, have long been a serious problem in the United States. Therefore the church should be very careful in the way in which it justifies its racial policy with reference to Scripture and church history. But we need to be careful.33, Marais further states: "The Christian must thus be careful not to reify and reverence the transient orders of family and volk, race and state, and view them as absolute. This notion of a fixed identity is linked to the perception of beleaguered identity in the sense that in order to survive in a hostile situation the self and the group must remain "pure" and not be contaminated by the other. I have mixed feelings when reading these texts from the 1940s. It is an ugly story with a tragic aftermath. Die Kerkbode, 4 August 1948. “The Chief Justice’s interpretation of the scripture that the Israel referred to in the Bible is the same (apartheid) Israel, is misguided and incorrect. The various texts referred to above display an implicit or explicit understanding of the relationship between self and other, between sameness and difference, between identity and otherness. He was forced to resign as minister and put out of his home without a salary. "21This prohibition against social mixing is then further extended to the arenas of labour and jurisprudence. Keywords: Bible, apartheid, Reformed theology, South Africa, 1940's. Venter, RH. Keet, BB "Die Heilige Skrif en Apartheid III." Keet is clearly sceptical of the statement of the report that the declared policy of apartheid would lead to the spiritual flourishing of blacks.43He is also highly critical of the way the report uses Scripture to justify political apartheid. This idea is then extrapolated by Groenewald from the individual to nations. This conference was preceded by the publication of the extensive and influential report called Kerk en Stad ["Church and City", 1947]. Cilié, JF. Gospel which cannot be justified on biblical or theological grounds and is therefore, an ideology which the Methodist Church rejects as a heresy".10 The N.G. If they were involved in education, they religiously invoked Bantu education, which subsequently led to the eruption in black schools in 1976. No possible rational or moral objection can be made to the idea of different races each having their own geographical area to develop separately at their own pace. It is an evil and Christians should oppose slavery. how it can be that Christianity was used both to support and reject apartheid. In addition, the article attends to some of the writings of theologians such as BJ Marais and BB Keet, who strongly opposed any attempt to justify apartheid in this manner. As the "great Divider", God separates light and darkness, the dry land from the waters, the living creatures according to their kind. The article therefore offers a close reading of influential texts by prominent theologians who provided a biblical justification of apartheid, such as JD du Toit (Totius) and EP Groenewald. Pretorius (Die Kerkbode 2 June 1948, 1279) and BJ Marais ( 14 July 1948, 1597), with both letters being critical of the attempt to defend apartheid on Scriptural grounds. Die Kerkbode, 4 August 1948, 267. However, a few prominent pastors and academics also expressed strong criticism of the attempts to use the Bible in this manner. Du Toit, JD & Du Toit, S. Die Afrikaanse Rassebeleid en die Skrif: Artikels van prof. dr JD du Toit en prof. dr S du Toit (tweede druk). Scripture as a site of struggle: literary and socio-historical resources for prophetic theology in post-colonial, post-Apartheid (neo-colonial?) The Bible teaches that God has created different races. Groenewald also shows that the "Volkskongresse" in Bloemfontein in 1944 and in Johannesburg in 1947 affirmed the policy and practice of racial apartheid. Die Kerkbode, 11 August 1948, 301-302. This led to a strong polemic on "Die Skrif en Rasse-apartheid", with letters by JF Britz (Die Kerkbode, 4 August 1948, 265); FA Kock (Die Kerkbode, 4 August 1948, 267); "Uit Die Vrystaat: Die Bybel en Rasse-Apartheid" (Die Kerkbode, 11 August 1948, 301-302); JF Cilié (Die Kerkbode, 11 August 1948, 316); PJ Loots (Die Kerkbode, 11 August 1948, 316); EA Venter (Die Kerkbode,11 August 1948, 317); SH Rossouw (Die Kerkbode, 25 August 1948, 441-443); RH Venter (Die Kerkbode, 8 September 1948, 572). Pistorius, PV. Attention is also given to some voices critical of this endeavour. Drawing on Acts 17:26, Groenewald sees not merely the separated nations but also the geographical area for each nation as part of the providence of God. Pretorius, PV. 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