America on its way to an Orwellian end?

The way that America is going at this moment makes me think of the great demise of the Roman Empire. When it though it was invincible, Rome came crashing down. The same seems to be happening in America.

The big difference between Rome and America is that Rome was pillaged from without and America is being pillaged from within. And, the pillaging is done by the political class, the leaders of the nation. It points to an Orwellian demise.

John W. Whitehead of The Rutherford Institute, has some interesting things to say about the state of the U.S.A.

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By backing down FNB set a dangerous precedent

This video can only offend the ANC!

The ANC once again has shown that it is incapable of taking criticism and of thinking about the future of South Africa! In just more than a week the ANC, and especially its youth wing (ANCYL) and its Women’s League (ANCWL), bullied First National Bank (FNB) into an apology to the ANC.

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Is this America’s worst mistake ever?

America made their worst mistake in their existence thus far by re-electing Barack Hussein Obama.

I tweeted earlier today:

“America has voted to re-install, what will become the most offensive, perverted and death-lusting president ever: Barack Commodus Obama”

Just a few days ago I asked the question, “How will the U.S.A. define itself come election day?” I think now we know!

Although this next piece has been attributed to some Czech, and it was supposedly said of just about every world leader, and even though it is the stuff of legend and probably never happened, it still makes an eerie point:

“The danger to the U.S.A. is  not Barack Hussein Obama but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the Presidency. It will be far easier to limit and undo the follies of an Obama presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to a depraved electorate willing to have such a man for their president. The problem is much deeper and far more serious than Mr. Obama, who is a mere symptom of what ails the United States.  Blaming the prince of the fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince. The Republic can survive a Barack Obama, who is, after all, merely a fool. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who made him their President.”

Just wondering…

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“Why Africa is Poor” – some quotes

I have started reading Greg Mills’ book, “Why Africa is Poor: and what Africans can do about it.” It is a very insightful book and I would like to give you some quotes from the book.

“The way in which the world has preferred to deal with Africa’s poverty and development challenges has been with increased volumes of aid. As will be seen [in this book], no country has developed solely through aid. Most of the donors themselves did not develop in this way. To the contrary: aid can have a rash of unintended and negative consequences which make development less, not more, likely. ... Not only was aid not working; aid was doing harm across the continent and further afield.” (p7,8)

“Yet no amount of money was going to ‘fix’ African states if their leaders continued to make wrong development choices. Very few Africans (or other recipients) will admit to making big mistakes. This might be because of Africa’s turbulent and painful colonial history, when the sort of development plans attempted by colonial powers were really little different in practical (as opposed to political) terms to those tried today. As Easterly observed in his development tour de force, The White Man’s Burden, while there was a shift in language from ‘uncivilised’ to ‘underdeveloped’ and ‘savage peoples’ to the ‘Third World’ as part of a ‘genuine change of heart away from racism and towards respect for equality ... a paternalistic and coercive strain survived’. As a result, ‘Soon was born the development expert, the heir to the missionary and the colonial officer.’” (p9-10)

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ANC speaks through both sides of its mouth

Over the many years of the ANC’s existence—100 years in 2012—we have now learnt with great clarity that the ANC will change strategies and policies as the circumstances demand, whatever their end-goal is!

The case in point is that several months ago, Julius Malema and his Pied Piper mice wanted to charge into Botswana to “help establish” a regime change in that country. With great fanfare the ANC chastised him and ANCYL for bringing the ANC into disrepute.

Of course, the ANC has a long-standing disrepute that all clear thinking people can clearly see and understand, since the ANC regularly rams controversial laws through parliament when they perceive resistance to their proposed laws. This was clearly the case with abortion on demand, legalised pornography, legalised same-sex whatever-it-is-but-it-is-not-marriage and now lately the secrecy bill. With each of these bills, the ANC simply rammed them through parliament, while not listening at all to what people were saying in consultation with the government. In fact, with each of these votes in parliament, ANC Members of Parliament (MPs) had no right to a vote of conscience. They were told what to vote! Democracy has no meaning to this monster!

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Julius Malema, ANCYL declare war on South Africa

To Malema, South Africa can be divided into two groups: the haves, and the have nots. In his mind, with his business deals and all, he sees himself as belonging to the have nots. What is the solution for inclusion in the haves? Simply take from the haves, and he will become one of them too, while making the haves the future have nots. Malema believes in taking, and if he can’t just take right now, he will force the current ANC leadership to change their policies in order for him to take whatever he wants. Of course, to any sane human being, that boils down to stealing, no matter what policies or laws say. It remains stealing! If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and looks like a duck, it IS a duck!

Malema has once again called for land invasions, taking from the whites what “rightfully” belongs to blacks. He does not want the current system, “willing buyer, willing seller” to remain in place. He doesn’t want to have to pay for land that already “belongs” to them. The funny thing is, the majority of tax paid into the national coffers come from whites, and those taxes pay for these land-exchange deals, hence, the land is bought from whites with their own money! He wants to simply walk onto a piece of land and take it. In other words, he wants Zimbabwe: the Sequel. The funny thing is, I cannot think of any country off the top of my head where this land grabbing policy existed, where that country has made a success in anything else! It creates an environment where every Tom, Dick, and Julius think that they can take what they want without working or paying for it. Therefore, thievery, killings and in the end civil wars abound! It WILL return South Africa to the barbaric days of Tshaka, and Dingaan! Is this really what Malema wants? If this is what he wants, he is more of a clown than I thought!

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ANC ‘mis’-leader calls for burning down of newspapers

The ANC simply does not know how to behave, whether on the winning or losing side of elections. Not so long ago Gwede Mantashu, ANC Secretary-General said:

“We must realise that in these elections the main opposition are the media. Leave the DA, leave Cope ... we will work very hard against that strong opposition.”

Then, riding on a victory wave in the Eastern Cape after the elections, the Nelson Mandela Bay (Port Elizabeth) ANC chairman, Nceba Faku, called for the burning down of the The Herald, a newspaper in Port Elizabeth, with these words:

“Down with The Herald, down! Go and burn The Herald.”

The ANC has long been the enemy of free speech and a free media. They just do not know how to shut it down without bringing the wrath of the world down on them.

Concerning this whole saga, Verashni Pillay has written an insightful, if not humorous commentary called, Faku the hero. Her introductory line is:

“It must be difficult being an African National Congress (ANC) hero. One has such large shoes to fill.”

Read the article here.

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Some political parties will have to rethink either their strategy or their existence

Image courtesy Amazingly Pretty and Somewhat Literary

Once again, South Africans have gone to the polls and have made their decision as to which political party they prefer to run their respective municipalities in this country.

At the end of any election cycle, it isn’t always easy to analyse the data, since you do not actually know what the voters were thinking while they voted. As a result, you simply sit with raw data. So, in order to make sense of the raw data, you have to extrapolate from past election cycles into the present and then try to predict what the future holds.

At this point, I am sure many political parties must be thinking about the future. Some parties have had a downward slide for several years now.

Since 1994, we have had 4 general elections (GE) and 3 local government elections (LGE). LGEs are simply municipal elections.

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Christ and politics: He rules over all

Just received a very short and concise newsletter from Africa Christian Action on Christians and politics. The whole letter is here below.

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ACDP believes Markinor statistics about its growth

Politics is a funny thing. Sometimes hilarious, and at other times very sad! Politics is about numbers.

Politicians, by high numbers are made glad,
The same, by low numbers are made gloomy and sad.

The latest Markinor opinion poll has been released and some parties are happier than others about this opinion poll.

ACDP President, Kenneth Meshoe

One of those parties that has shown gladness at the results is the ACDP. The president of the ACDP, Kenneth Meshoe said in a party news release:

"The Markinor results are very pleasing and show the ACDP to be growing which is not evident for other opposition parties.

"This growth confirms that the ACDP is the party of the future; we believe the DA has reached its glass ceiling and note recent comments by various political analysts who stated that the ID would have ceased to exist had it not joined up with the DA."

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Christians in politics: No gospel, no mandate!

I was involved in politics with the ACDP for about 3 years (Dec 2005-Dec 2008) here in South Africa. I stood twice on their ticket for office in local government here in Pretoria. I was elected within the party up to vice-chairman of the provincial council in Gauteng. I have seen quite a bit about how a political party is run.

Christians are to influence every area of society and mustn't squirm away from getting involved in all areas of life. Whether, it is technology, science, sport, politics, media or arts, we are supposed to be the salt and light of the world wherever we are.

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7 Reasons for Christian involvement in politics

Christians are forever between a rock and a hard place when it comes to politics. Should they be involved or should they limit it to voting alone? It isn't easy and many Christians muddy the water by playing the preaching of the gospel off against practical involvement in society. Of course the primary mandate of Christians is to preach the gospel of Christ to the nations, yet this mandate does not excuse us from being involved in society and politics. Being involved politically does not only mean standing for office. There are so many levels for involvement, from Christian action groups all the way to being president.

So, what reasons do we have for being involved in politics?

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Is this the level of South African politics?

Sorry for the one harsh word somewhere close to the end.  This is funny and portrays our perception of South African politics really well!

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Julius Malema to be South African president after Zuma?

I know, I know! The thought of Julius Malema becoming the next South African president after Zuma is quite revolting, but it is a reality that we may have to face.

Zuma, over the weekend, praised Malema as a good leader worthy of "inheriting the ANC." Julius Malema is probably the most divisive politician since "one settler, one bullet!" The man has an uncanny knack of alienating anyone willing to think for himself. He has this way with the masses to turn them into rabid wolves ready to devour at his command.

The problem with Malema is that he thinks that everything can be solved via a takeover by the ANC government. Note, I did not say "government but "ANC government."

The question is, would you be willing to live in a country with Malema as its president? I am not so sure I am.

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Christian Voting Must be Biblically Based

It is always interesting to talk to people to hear their criteria for choosing who to vote for in an election. With the 2009 elections coming up on 22 April, it is time again to hear the ideas of people. People have different reasons for why they vote for certain political parties.

Most people look at financial issues, hence, their political outlook is mostly for personal gain. How can the government make my life better? This of course shows a dependence on the government. This is also not just an issue for the poor! The rich have the same thoughts. They would like a government that will ensure that their riches don't get squandered on unnecessary taxes, or will at least see to it that the money of the rich will keep on growing.

As Christians, we march to the beat of a different drum… a heavenly drum! And that drum is not beaten by us, the Christians, but by the Lord of the universe, Jesus Christ Himself. It is very much a Lordship issue, even in deciding who we will vote for in a political election.

God is not uninterested in politics! This is not that one sphere of life where God leaves man to his own devices. This is not a no-go zone for God! "The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein. (Ps 24:1)" To think that God can be excluded from any sphere of life, no matter how corrupt it has become, shows a naivety that does not belong with clear thinking people.

Politics, essentially has nothing to do with power. It primarily has to do with justice and care for a nation. It is exactly the quest for power by politicians that nations end up like Zimbabwe, DRC, Middle-East and China. Politics is about the good of the country, not about the individuals leading the country. As Lord Acton once said: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." This is too much of a reality in our modern world not to take notice of it.

So, how does this choice of who to vote for affect Christians? When we look at who gets the vote in South Africa, it makes one wonder how many Christians actually march to the heavenly drum! Up until our last elections, it has been the ANC and DA as number one and two parties respectively.

Those results are quite perplexing, considering that about 70% of the population claims to be Christian. Why is this perplexing? Well, if one looks at the South African Voter's Guide, it becomes clear that these two parties stand antithetically opposed to Biblical Christian values.

In all of life, Christians are admonished by the Scriptures to obey God. Why is it that they think it would be acceptable to disobey when they vote in elections?

Christians simply do not not have the luxury of making up their "own minds" on issues that have been clearly spelt out in the Scriptures. That is on any issue in life. Yet, it is true that the Scriptures do not tell us who to vote for. However, that does not give us an escape route to vote for parties that do not stand on the Lord's side!

In making up our minds who to vote for, there should be a clear procession of thought on the issues. As Christians, our decision must be guided by clear Biblical mandate first. That means, where the Bible speaks clearly, we have to follow. If the Bible is clear on the issue of murder, we cannot vote for a party that supports abortion, ala ANC and DA. The Bible is clear on murder. You get the point! Therefore, Biblical moral issues must be adhered to first in our decision before any other issues that are based on conscience or expediency.

So, issues such as abortion, pornography, homosexuality, prostitution and the like must take precedence in your decision who to vote for. The Bible is clear on these issues. There are clear commands and Biblical doctrine on each of these issues and other moral issues. As a result, issues of conscience, on which the Bible has no clear teaching, must play second fiddle to moral issues. Even more so, issues of expediency such as simple economic issues.

If Christians do not use their votes towards establishing Biblically righteous government, they are indeed using their votes towards evil. And, perpetuating evil in this way is clear disobedience against the clear statutes of God. "Without virtue, a society can be ruled only by fear, a truth that tyrants understand all too well."¹ Already, the ANC is planning to amend the South African Constitution if they win a two-thirds majority.

Voting by a Christian must result in a better country with justice for all. A better country can only be seen as a righteous country. It does not have to be a country where all its citizens are Christians, but it will be a country where the people understand what is right and what is wrong, and where the law and its application brings true justice for all.

There are many Christians that vote for both the ANC and DA. They vote for the ANC as the so-called liberators from apartheid, and others vote for the DA as a so-called strong opposition to the ANC. With the upcoming elections, there will also be the breakaway party, COPE. When you look at the SA Voter's Guide, you will realise that COPE's policies are exactly the same as that of the ANC. In fact, of the 8 issues in the guide, the ANC and COPE get 0/8 and the DA get 2½. The ½ of the DA here is only because of stated policy, disregarding their poor voting record in parliament.

Remember, voting is a Christian duty. In a democracy, your vote can actually effect change. Your vote can move this country closer towards justice and righteous government. Don't throw that vote away by denying a party perhaps just that one vote it needs to have someone put into parliament. Further, don't waste your vote on the memories of so-called past liberation or on the promise of so-called strong opposition, especially when both of these sides stand for very much the same when it comes to moral issues.

Let your vote count towards righteous government, and vote for a Christian party such as the ACDP or CDA.

Christian, do not support and perpetuate immorality by giving your vote to parties that do the same! Do not vote through fear, but rather let your vote reinforce Christian Biblical values!

Notes

1. Colson, Charles and Pearcey, Nancy, How Now Shall We Live?, Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois, 1999, p373.

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Is Fiji's political turmoil also a miracle?

There is a DVD making the rounds about how God did a miracle in Fiji when He raised Christians (or a Christian party) to rule the nation. How many years ago that was supposed to have happened, I do not know.

This DVD has created quite a stir among a small Christian group in the hope that the same would happen here in South Africa. Of course, this is all in the hope that South Africa will get a political solution with Godly government. I am sure most Christians hope for something like this to happen in South Africa. Is it realistic? Not at all! It is very presumptive to think that God would bring about such a miraculous change in South Africa in order to bring about a Christian political dispensation.

Of course, the New Testament never promises Christians any kind of majority political rule this side of heaven! God's kingdom is NOT of this world!

Coming back to Fiji, the island nation experienced a military coup back in 2006, which has brought the country into disrepute. Just this week, all free news reporting has been halted, and several foreign journalists have been expelled from the country.

Since there was a major change in government run by Christians some time ago, and that was seen as a miracle, are we to believe that the coup was also a miracle?

You see, when you put your hope in political means, your hopes will eventually be dashed.

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. (Ps 20:7)

For those who want to think the worst of this blog post, NO, I am not saying that we as Christians should not be involved in politics. Neither am I saying that we should not vote.

What I am saying is that if your hopes and energy are spent on the political process, you are wasting your time. It is NOT the political process that will change people's hearts. Political canvassing can merely get a vote in the form of a cross on a ballot paper.

Political activity leads NO ONE to the cross of Christ.

So, go vote on 22 April and get involved in Christian politics. Just remember, politics don't change hearts, only the gospel of Jesus Christ can!

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Can there be unity among South Africa’s Christian political parties?

First off, before I carry on with this post, I have to make it clear that we are talking about political parties, not the church.

It is impossible for a political party to claim any kind of mandate to stand in elections on behalf of the church. It is impossible and it simply will not work. Which denomination will that party represent?

Any given party can merely represent voters. In this case, a Christian party can only represent individual voters, whether they are Christian or not, and not the church as a whole.

I read that the CDA and the ACDP were in unity talks. Perhaps not in the sense of becoming one, since the CDA consists of several other parties standing together in the upcoming South African elections.

Well, it seems that somehow someone in the CDA let it slip that there were talks, and somehow let out a release on their blog that the ACDP is not interested in such unity and will go it alone in the upcoming elections on 22 April 2009. (?)

The question is, however, is the ACDP not interested in unity? A day after the release, on their blog the CDA placed the following correction:

“Please note

Due to a misunderstanding between me and the compilers, it was understood that the embargo on the media release on the talks between the ACDP and the CDA was intended for the media. The talks are still underway.”

In fact, after talks were held on 12 Feb 2009 (yesterday), consensus was not reached between the parties. I wonder what could lead to this point where consensus could not be reached?

In their media release, Louis Green, expressed the situation as follows:

“’Sadly the ACDP has rejected the proposals and opted to rather continue on their own,’ said Louis Green, chairman of the CDA National Leadership Council. "Our focus however remains on those who are committed to unity and not the individuals who cannot see a bigger vision than themselves.’

‘It is sad but unfortunately human nature sometimes, that we can find a hundred reasons for not doing the right thing at the right time,’ he said. ‘They could of been part of a watershed movement in our nation and history will recognise them as the party that stepped aside from opportunity and destiny.’”

I know that Louis Green left the ACDP some years ago. What I do not know is if they parted ways amicably. Did that influence the unity talks?

There are many Christians that still vote for the DA or the ANC, and perhaps now will vote for COPE. It would be interesting to know why so many Christians in this country vote for non-Christian parties. Of course, we can speculate about the reasons, but one thing we do not have to speculate about is the fact that they are not voting for Christian parties.

Is there anything that could persuade them to start voting for Christian parties? Sure, there must be! And, I think, one of the major things that can contribute to that is unity among the Christian political parties.

But, we all know how politics work. Leaders of political parties are usually “A” personality types, and such leaders do not easily give up their power bases. They like to be in control, so when the respective leaders are very strong types, what are the chances of unity?

The fact is that the CDA is already an amalgamation of different parties. How much did each of these men have to give up to stand as a unified group? How much would Kenneth Meshoe have to give up to stand in unity with the CDA?

What direction will Christian politics take if there is no unity. The answers can be quite diverse, but one of the things that will continue is that Christian parties will still sit with a couple percentage points of the vote. Surely, a unified stance between Christian political parties will send a message of purpose and direction. The voter will always wonder what makes the ACDP so different from the CDA, that they would have to choose between the two. Someone will have to explain the difference to me, so that I could understand why I should vote for the one and not the other.

Or, is this non-unified stance simply a case of one personality not willing to walk with another? It would be nice to know who the divisive one is. That will help to make up the minds of the voters, won’t it?

I think that Christian parties should have a new motto:

“Unity or Bust!”

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2009: Politics in the year ahead

New kid on the block

Politics is a weird business. It is always difficult to predict what is going to happen next, especially when elections are at hand. In South African politics, due to the format of our party system, it becomes fairly easy to push new, and sometimes evil, legislation through. We have seen this many times with the ANC at the helm.

However, in late 2008, a new player has joined the fray in the form of COPE (Congress Of the PEople). This certainly will bring in new dynamics onto the playing field. Will it deliver a significant difference to politics in South Africa? That is yet to be seen. One thing I can almost guarantee is that the ANC will no longer have their 69% majority in parliament. That means that they will no longer have the clear-cut ability to amend the constitution. Since the acceptance of the constitution there have been 14 amendments! Do we want one party so powerful that they could change the constitution in such a way that it could be completely detrimental to the health of the nation?

Will the other parties in South Africa simply remain "also rans" after the elections of 2009? COPE already claims to have over 400 000 signed up members. Will COPE become the new opposition party? Already, many from the ANC, even in high positions, have walked over to COPE. It also seems that some from the DA also joined COPE. Will the next elections bring about a battle between the ANC and COPE, while the crumbs are left for the other parties to fight over.

White politics

The DA simply doesn't seem to be able to make headway in South African politics. The fact that it is a white legacy party counts against them. They have tried hard to break that mould, but I do not think it will change, since most of the members of the DA seem to be white legacy voters. It is a traditionally white party and it is still seen that way. They have been the opposition party since 1994, but COPE is seriously challenging that position in the coming elections. I am not sure if the DA can ever change its image of a white legacy party. The solution for this certainly is not an easy one. Racism is still very much a part of South African life, and from my experience of DA voters, is that the DA is still seen as the embodiment of that racism, whether in reality the party is such or not! Of course, the ANC has proven themselves to follow racist policies by their actions in parliament and elsewhere.

Christian politics

Will the ACDP grow its voters base in 2009 at the poll? There have been lots of movement within the ACDP and it seems that its membership base is growing, but can they translate that into more votes? That remains to be seen. Unless they tap into the votes from the church at large, I am afraid they will not make a difference. The church is its voters base. That is where they must spend their time. If its goal is to simply get votes, then going from door to door is good. However, and this I should stress, as Christians we are not to simply get votes, we are to bring about changed hearts through the gospel. Getting votes is not part of our mandate.

I know I will be stepping onto the toes of many, but a vote does not accomplish the mandate of the church found in Mt 28.19-20. The church is not called to rule the world, but to serve it through the gospel of Jesus Christ. The kingdom we are called to is not the kingdom of man, but the kingdom of God. The government of that kingdom is on the shoulders of Jesus Christ. We cannot think that if the government of God's kingdom is upon the shoulders of Christ, that the government of this world is upon our shoulders. That is simply pure presumption!

Should we as Christians then not be involved in politics? That is not what I am saying. Christians should be involved in politics, but not for the sake of politics. Christians should be involved in any sphere of life for only one purpose, to bring glory to God, and that will be accomplished by the proclamation of the gospel as we were mandated in Mt 28.19-20. If we as Christians think we must win the vote to rule the country with God's laws then we are missing the point. Sure, we do need laws that are influenced by God's laws, but we do not need a Christian government to do that! Anybody can take God's laws and use them as the basis of their own governmental laws.

What we as Christians need is an environment that is conducive to the preaching of the gospel. If a Christian party has as its ideals to create such an environment, then we are heading somewhere. Christians should be involved in every facet of politics, but must not forget that hearts are not changed by politics, but by the gospel. As Christians we must preach the gospel and fight against injustice. In politics, Christians must not aim to rule the ungodly because we have some kind of misinformed idea that we have such a mandate of government on our shoulders. We are to be in politics to right wrongs and to fight for justice for all, not just for Christians.

Perhaps a major problem that many churches might have with Christian parties in South Africa such as the ACDP and the CDP, is of a doctrinal nature. What are you as a church to do when a party asks for your support, yet that Christian party consists mainly of a certain type of Christian that adheres to doctrines that you consider false? What if the leaders of that party adhere to such false doctrine? Should you support that party for political expediency's sake, or decide against it? How will that party's false doctrine mislead them in the running of the country? Whereas false doctrine or heresy is of an eternal nature, politics is concerned with this temporal realm. In my opinion one should stand for the truth of the gospel whenever heresy is involved. So, the individual church has to stand for truth while shunning heresy. We cannot give credit to false doctrine, even when politics is involved!

Democracy: FAIL

Democracy, which is seen by many as the almighty liberator of the oppressed masses, is simply the tyranny of the many over the few! Pure democracy cannot and will not bring relief to all people. Democracy says that the majority, by whatever slim margin, may rule the minority, even against their wishes.

Democracy also allows for people, no matter how ignorant, to decide over and above other people, no matter how informed! Democracy is very much a simple power game with the winner usually the one with the most money. With too little money, parties cannot get their work done. This puts them at an immediate disadvantage to those parties with the millions in money.

On poll day, people must vote. However, how many of those people can really make an informed choice? Many people make their crosses next to the only names they know. They have never been given an opportunity to be informed. How is this a plus point for democracy? How can such a vote have the same meaning as the vote by someone that has studied all issues and compared all parties and their policies?

What is the solution to the failure of democracy? I don't know, but I will let you know when I know. All I know is that while individuals cannot govern themselves, we will continue to need a nanny state to make decisions for us, and while that is the case, democracy cannot work. There would be too many people in need of someone to help make their decisions. Who would decide for them who should be in government? The current government?

Conclusion

At the start of 2009, I pray that you will be able to make properly informed choices, and that your choices will be based, not on the shifting sands of man's finite ideas that change almost everyday, but that you will be a Biblically informed person!

Have a great 2009!

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South Africa: Why your vote counts!

Your Biblical Duty to Vote

As responsible citizens, Christians must strive to honour God in all areas of life (Matthew 5:14-20). We are to oppose evil (Isaiah 59) and work for righteousness. Christians therefore have a Biblical duty to vote.

"Select capable men from all the people - men who fear God; trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain - and appoint them as officials..." Exodus 18:21

"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people" Proverbs 14:34

Does your one vote really count?

Contrary to what people may believe, election histories prove that just one vote is often the difference between victory and defeat for a party, candidate or issue. Consider these historical examples:
• In 1645, one vote gave Oliver Cromwell control of England.
• In 1649, one vote caused Charles I of England to be executed.
• In 1776, one vote gave America the English language instead of German.
• In 1845, one vote brought Texas into the Union.
• In 1868, one vote saved US President Andrew Johnson from impeachment.
• In 1875, one vote changed France from a monarchy to a republic.
• In 1876, one vote gave Rutherford B. Hayes the Presidency of the U.S.
• In 1923, one vote gave Adolf Hitler leadership of the Nazi Party.

When you do not vote, by default you cast your vote against the person or proposal you would prefer. When you do not vote, that vote is one less the opposition has to overcome, thus your "no vote" is a vote for anti-Christian policies.

70% of South Africans confess that they believe in God and see themselves as Christians. In 2004, the ANC however got only ±30% and the other parties ±8% of the votes of all people who could have voted. 50-60% eligible voters did not vote. This means that South Africa is governed by the minority! It also means that the Christians who did not vote and those who voted for the ANC have allowed the ANC to get into power!

Dr. Pieter Mulder, president of the Freedom Front believes, "It is in the interest of South Africa that the big political majority of the ANC should be reduced. Following the firing of President Mbeki, this is possible for the first time since 1994." He went on to say:
"The first step is to get the voter support for the ANC down to below 66% at the next elections in 2009.

"A second step is to, through sensible cooperation between opposition political parties, prevent that the ANC govern in all nine provinces.

"To get the support for the ANC in the next election under 66% as a first step, it is very important that opposition voters turn out in large numbers to register to vote. In the previous election, the ANC had 70% of the votes. As a result of the current divisions within the ANC, the party’s support can easily drop to 66% as a result of the stay-away-votes. Opposition voters who do not go and vote out of protest or recklessness, however only once again increase the ANC’s support."

"Who will rise up for Me against the wicked? Who will make a stand for Me against the workers of iniquity?" Psalm 94:16

South Africa’s Proportional Representation System
South Africa has a proportional representation system, which means that the more votes a party gets, the more seats they will get in parliament.

Dr Mulder went on to explain:
"With simple maths it can be explained why opposition voters who do not vote in our proportional electoral system increase the ANC’s support. For the sake of the example, we accept that only ten voters had cast their votes. The percentage of parliamentary members which each party receives is then calculated out of ten votes. If the ANC had obtained six votes and the opposition four, the ANC will get 60% of the parliamentary members in Cape Town or in a provincial legislature and the opposition gets 40%.

"If one opposition voter stays away, the ANC has still obtained six votes while the opposition now only has three votes. The calculation is then done out of nine and no longer ten. The ANC has six out of nine votes or 66%. Without the ANC obtaining more votes, the ANC suddenly has 6% more parliamentary members in Cape Town or in a provincial legislature. The stay-away-voter therefore caused the ANC to improve its performance!

"The opposite also holds true. If the aggrieved Mbeki supporters stay away in the next election, as is being expected, while opposition voters turn out to vote, the ANC’s support will fall dramatically below 66%. With the uncertainties about a future Zuma-government, it is important get the support for the ANC below 66% in order to prevent the ANC from being able to change the Constitution on their own."

Preferably the aim should be to replace them with a coalition of parties committed to pro-life, pro-family, free enterprise policies.

SAVOTERSGUIDE.COM

The South African Biblical Issues Voters’ Guide aims to inform Christians about how the different political parties have voted on legislation that affects these important issues.

Africa Christian Action has been producing Voters’ Guides since 1992. Africa Christian Action is currently updating the Voters’ Guide.

The 2006 Voters’ Guide is downloadable from www.savotersguide.com in English, Afrikaans and Xhosa.

Register to Vote!
8-9 November 2008 - Voting stations open 08:00 to 17:00 - SMS your ID to 32810 to check whether you are registered.

Click below to check if you registered:
https://www.elections.org.za/amregister/amregister.aspx Please enter your ID number and then click 'Submit' to see if you are registered to vote.

Where do I register to vote? This page is designed to assist a voter to find a map of the correct voting station at which he or she should register and vote: http://www.elections.org.za/SearchVD.asp

For more information please contact the IEC toll-free on 0800 11 8000. You may vote in an election only if your name appears on the Voters’ Roll.

Requirements for registration
To be entered on the roll you must:
• apply for registration in person
• be a South African citizen
• possess and show a valid barcoded identity document (ID) or valid temporary identity certificate (TIC)

Important
You may apply to register only for the voting district in which you are ordinarily resident. Where you are "ordinarily resident" is defined as the home or place where you live or to which you regularly return after any temporary period of absence.

Where and when do I register?
The Voters' Roll, which contains over 20 million names, has to be maintained on a continuous basis. The Voters’ Roll can be inspected and voters may update their registration details either at the office of their Municipal Electoral Officer (MEO) during office hours or at their voting station on registration days before the close of the voters’ roll for a particular election. The voters’ roll closes for an election on the day that the date of the election is proclaimed in the government gazette.

"I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before Me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it…" Ezekiel 22:30

Compiled by Taryn Hodgson
Africa Christian Action
PO Box 23632
Claremont
7335
Cape Town
Tel: 021-689 4481
E-mail: info@christianaction.org.za
Web: www.christianaction.org.za

Read More......

ACDP can never merge with DA or new ANC split

I just read an article by Mail & Guardian Online, in which ordinary South Africans shared their views on the possibility of a new political party.

One of the respondents, Derek Lerm, says that he will vote for the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP).

He also said that "other parties like the ACDP and the DA may want to merge into this [new] party to make it more powerful."

Lerm obviously does not know what the ACDP stands for. The political and moral philosophy of the DA and this new party are diametrically opposed. While the ACDP clearly stands for strong Biblical Christian morals, neither the DA or the new party stand for such morals.

It would be better if Christians in this nation voted for what they claimed to believe. Then they would not vote for the DA or the ANC or any other ANC cloned parties. That would remove the ANC from power.

Read More......