The ANC saying it will rule till Jesus returns? that was pretty dumb. Arrogant. But not blasphemous. I don't think so anyway.
I watched a Journeyman Pictures documentary about Zuma a week or so ago. They interviewed, among others, some people from his home area. And one of them claimed that the Devil was behind all of JZ's probems.
A couple of days ago Ace Magashule, leader of the Free State ANC, claimed that JZ has been suffering in a similar way to Jesus: persecuted, insulted, betrayed (IOL article here).
The ID and the ACDP have taken exception to this, the Magashule comment in particular (here and here).
I'm a Christian, but I don't think any of the above comments were blasphemous. Do you?
I do think then can be manipulative. Definately. A large number of South Africans are Christians, so Biblical methaphor is meaningful to them. And using Biblical metaphor gives the speaker (and organisation!) an air of righteousness. He is using the Bible in his speech, it must be Godly. That sort of thing. People may not think it out exactly like that, but that is what they can come away with. Our great leaders, ordained by God, untouchable.
So yes, I think it can be manipulative. But not blasphemous.
When people made a fuss about it, Magashule responded that he was a Christian and that he wasn't comparing Zuma to Jesus, just the circumstance Zuma is in. Which I think is completely reasonable.
If anything, I think the man who blamed Zuma's troubles on the Devil was a bit more worrying. Especially because his next comments were "the strength of the Zulu nation is being tested through him" and "he was born to lead."
Goodness. I wonder if lots of people think that?
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1 comment:
I'm interested to hear a devout Christian saying those comments shouldn't be construed as blasphemous - when I read what old Uncle Ace had said, I thought, "Oy vey, that's NOT going to go down well - I hear cries of 'Blasphemy!' in the distance."
I do think his comments and any others which shape Zuma as some Biblical figure are deeply arrogant, but not surprising. Zuma is being portrayed as some sort of Messiah, the second coming if you like (or first if us Jewish folks like). I'm bewildered by this. I guess because I don't understand what's so great about Jacob Zuma in the first place, I can't understand why people are so fiercely protective of him. What's Zuma's appeal?
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