Atheists slam prayerful public officials

THE Ethical Non-Religious Community in Zimbabwe has castigated Government officials who conduct Christian prayers at national gatherings, saying it is against the Constitution’s provision which recognises diversity.

The group says Zimbabwe is a secular State whose national platforms ought to be addressed as such, yet most national events only commence after a Christian prayer.

Mr Prosper Mutandadzi, one of the members of the group, said public officials who prayed at national gatherings were infringing on people’s rights.

“It is wrong to conduct Christian prayers at a national gathering considering that Zimbabwe is not a Christian nation. Government officials have the tendency of doing that and they will in actual case be infringing on people’s rights because not everyone is a Christian believer and our differences should be respected,” he said.

Section 60 of the Constitution guarantees the freedom of thought and conscience and profession of religious views or lack of them.

It states that every person has the right to choose freely his/her position toward religion, has the right to profess a desired religious view or not to, to engage in religious ceremonies individually or collectively with other citizens.

Mr Mutandadzi said it was better to have traditional rites informed by African Traditional Religion rather than Christianity which did not originate from Zimbabwe.

“It is better for people to conduct traditional prayers because Christianity is not a Zimbabwean religion in the first place. When ministers are taking an oath of office and when one is swearing in court they have to hold the Bible.

That is just wrong because it doesn’t mean that if I do not believe in the Bible then I lie,” he said

Ms Miriam Mujome — who describes herself as a freethinker — explained how public offices should not have Christian outlook, saying stickers or verses placed on walls should be removed.

“Public offices like the passport (Registrar-General’s) offices have a Christian set-up and it is wrong because not everyone is a Christian and it is offending. And the Zimbabwean Constitution is being breached,” Ms Majome said.

“In other countries people get arrested for placing stickers and placing verses everywhere and Zimbabwe might want to adopt that,” said Ms Majome, a lawyer.