Why shouldn't Zuma address religious groups?

Sixty people were so disgusted with what they claimed was electioneering and a refusal or failure to invite other party leaders that they walked out during ANC president Jacob Zuma’s address of the Rhema Church on Sunday. The church thereupon denied that they had in fact endorsed Zuma.

Pathetic.

The likely future president of South Africa has the decency to take time out on a Sunday to tell you what his thinking is on the way forward and people walk out on him. That is the height of rudeness as far as I am concerned and reflects poorly on the members who left the church and not Zuma. It also flies in the face of what all the major religions teach their congregations about decency and good manners.

Did anyone demand that the members of that church agree with Zuma or join the ANC? I doubt it. If Rhema have not invited other parties and people feel that this is an issue then call upon them to do so or get a blanket refusal on all politicians but once the man is standing there don’t behave like barbarians. It is a compliment to a community that the ANC believes that their leader should take the time and trouble to make the effort to come and address them. Surely therefore a bit of common decency is the order of the day?

Why shouldn’t the leaders of Cope, ID, UDM, FF, IFP and the DA address religious gatherings? Religion, I assume, will play a big part in our country for many years to come and where better to deal with this issue but at churches, mosques, synagogues and other places of worship? Where else would you like to see political leaders address the issues relating to religion and in particular your own than in your own religious centres? Where better to put religious questions to your candidates? Of course these speeches will deal with secular issues as well but that goes with the territory.

There is no doubt in my mind that the state and church must be kept totally separate in order to avoid an encroachment of religious zeal on matters very much of this planet. Accordingly I would not only expect politicians to address religion in religious forums but also on religious programmes on television; this as opposed to general channels and secular venues where religious discussions are, in my humble opinion, inappropriate.

Though many South Africans do follow religions there are millions, believe it or not, who don’t. Throw in the different faiths, each of which is made up of many variations of the same as well as those who don’t follow a formal religion and you will appreciate why it is important that religious debates and address should be kept primarily within religious forums. It certainly contributes towards a more unified population and less friction.

Besides if your lot are anything like our lot then you’d think they’d welcome a bit of excitement and something to help stop everyone nodding off during the service. One look at our mob on a Friday night and you’d swear you’ve got the cure for insomnia. Get the government’s (Mrs Traps) absolute favourite politician Patricia de Lille up there letting us have it with both barrels and I’m sure we’d be awake right through the service (probably Friday night and most of the next week as well).

I’d be very interested to hear why political leaders cannot address religious gatherings based upon religious or other reasons. I have visited many religious places in my time and no matter where you are the topics are the same among the congregations.

Nowhere I’ve attended has politics, sex and many other unreligious topics been excluded.