I want to begin this article on the importance of critical thinking in Africa with a syllogism. It goes like this: “All human beings can think critically. All Africans are human beings. Therefore, all Africans can think critically.” But can they? The answer to this question must surely be, yes,...
The more I climb the ecclesiastical ladder the more I am disturbed by the discovery that many Christian leaders tend to abandon the gospel while still claiming to be faithful to it. They tip their hats to the gospel but do not preach it. It is almost as though the...
What does Billy Graham’s death last week in North Carolina have to do with a church in South Africa? And why does the mention of Billy Graham have such a polarising affect—some hailing him as a hero, and others saying he denied Christ? These were questions I’ve wrestled with after...
I recently read the autobiography of Andre Agassi, the American tennis player whose profession career spanned twenty years (1986–2006) and whose unorthodox apparel and attitude is widely credited with helping to revive the popularity of the sport by which he made his living. Agassi’s career was one of ups and...
Over Christmas I received a recent biography called Andrew Murray: Christ’s Anointed Minister to South Africa by Vance Christie (Christian Focus, 2015). It was love at first sight—a well-told story about a well-known hero of the gospel right here in our country, mightily used of God to see revival, thousands...
In my previous article, I argued that spanking our children is a legitimate means of parental discipline, yet parents must be careful that they spank biblically. Parents must be self-controlled when they spank, recognising that they too are under authority. Further, it was argued that spanking is rarely to be...
On 19 October 2017, the High Court in Johannesburg judged that the defence of “reasonable chastisement” no longer applies to the corporal punishment of children by parents. In other words, spanking of children by parents is no longer protected under South African law. In the words of presiding Judge Reylene...
This past week I had my first (and, I hope, my last) MRI. It wasn’t quite as bad as I had anticipated, but close enough that I am committed to taking better care of my health! The radiologist was very kind and very thorough in her explanation of what was...
Being religious isn’t usually thought of as a good thing. In fact, for many people the word “religion” is a negative term. You will even hear Christians who say, “I am not religious. I have a relationship.” And, some will go so far as to say, “Jesus hates religion.” Which,...
It seems that we live in a world of memes. According to Merriam-Webster, a meme, strictly speaking, is “any idea, behaviour, style, or usage that spreads from one person to another within a culture.” Most people have come to associate the word, however, with a captioned photo that is intended...
