Religion & Society Blog

The abuse of faith and the gullibility of the simple

July 21, 2015
Feeding on Snakes, drinking petrol, eating grass and the like WE appreciate the freedom of expression, freedom of association and freedom of worship. Worship, like morality, cannot and should not be legislated unless we want to promote a one-religion state. In the same breath, recent developments in Christendom have left ...

The Word Our Victory: Let’s laugh a bit more

July 6, 2015
Ecclesiastes 3.12-13. ‘I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labour—it is the gift of God.’ THIS past week I met a relative I ...

Prophets and miracles: When the truth causes offence

July 3, 2015
“When the truth causes offence it is rather better that offence be caused than the truth to be denied.” THE above statement, by anonymous, in my opinion, should be dear and near to anyone whose work involves informing and educating the public. It may be politics, religion, economic or social ...

Heightening crisis exposes Zimbabwe’s ‘prophets’

April 27, 2015
LAST week Zimbabwe marked its 35th independence anniversary amidst horrific happenings across the Limpopo where its sons and daughters are being mowed down like grass by fellow Africans. Though people forged an air of normalcy at the national celebrations, we all moved about with the dreadful images of our persecuted ...

God or Magaya’s anointing oil?

March 26, 2015
When the Pharisees sent their disciples along with the Herodians to ask Jesus whether it was acceptable to pay taxes to Caesar, Jesus told them to show him the coin for the tax and he asked them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” and they said “Caesar’s.” Then he said ...

The Word, Our Victory: Seasons

March 11, 2015
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, 11, 14 NIV THERE is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. There is a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a ...

Unmasking Magaya’s lies on us Vapostori

February 24, 2015
In his booklet titled Marine Spirits, Mweya yemumvura: Teachings by Prophet W. Magaya, excerpts of which are broadcasted on his Yadah TV channel and featured in three consecutive issues of the Sunday Mail, the popular preacher claimed that Vapositori, as they are popularly known, are derived from spirits that reside ...

Corporal punishment banning: a religious and cultural perspective

February 9, 2015
NEWS that the High Court has outlawed corporal punishment left many people shell-shocked, with murmurs of disapproval reverberating in social discourse. The shock judgment on the 16th of January hit conservatives squarely between the eyes and many are still battling to come to terms with the unanticipated reality. To think ...

Take these 2015 ‘prophesies’ with a pinch of salt

January 16, 2015
ONCE again we heard the now common rhetoric and New Year eve’s ritual where all sorts of prophecies are given in prophetic denominations as we enter each New Year. The focus of my writings is not to seek preoccupation with personalities but to propound the truth as enunciated by the ...

Witchcraft Accusation: A Tale of Two African Women

January 14, 2015
It is a tale of two cases of accusation- a tale of two ‘witchcrafts’ involving two women in two countries. It is a tale of how gendered witchcraft phenomenon is particularly where the means for redress is inaccessible or nonexistent. It is a story of how accusation is a sexist device, ...