Christians and Muslims: reflect
“SCHOOL letter sparks religious row” ( POST, July 6) reflects the artificiality that often emerges when people discuss religion largely for the purpose of putting up a front to prevent unpleasant repercussions.
Christians and Muslims would do well to take a more careful look at their respective proselytising programmes and the kind of religious principles these reflect. Their programmes exist primarily because they have no respect for other cultures.
The moral standards they thus mirror leave many of us wondering what genuine religious teachings they possess.
Millions of Hindus and others convert to these religions because they have no substantive education or proselytising programmes of their own.
While it may be true that Bob Fuller and Maarten Geerlings, both of King’s School in Johannesburg, speak of respect and prayer, there is a need for more substantive investigations into the origins of these two religions.
There are five religions that were born in the Middle East. Each has its own god, leaving us with the obvious conclusion that they have no concept of god of any substantive worth. So the prayers they offer at every turn for the “saving knowledge of Jesus” are as questionable as the Muslim position as voiced by activist Yusuf Abramjee and Islamic scholar Farzanah Adam.
Muslims should appreciate that the call to prayer sounds jarring to non-Muslims and questions are asked about the need for such calls and their amplification in non-Muslim countries.
Fuller should realise that Christians have no right to pray for the salvation of Hindus without stating what salvation means and who the god is that grants it. Hinduism teaches respect for all the cultures of the world.
THILLAY NAIDOO
Durban North