Tag Archives: TARIF

Helping the Poor: Wealth Creation or Wealth Redistribution

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— Tim Cantrell

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

What a stark contrast between the two G20s: November 2025’s G20 here in Johannesburg prioritised climate change and redistribution of wealth to reduce inequality, which has never worked.  All this is driven by the socialistic, flawed philosophy of globalism.  

2026’s G20 will focus on “economic prosperity by limiting regulatory burdens, unlocking affordable and secure energy supply chains, and pioneering new technologies and innovations” – prioritising wealth creation instead of redistribution.  Which approach will prove more helpful to the poor?  

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The Politics of Blame

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— Lennox Kalifungwa

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

There is a sense in which complaint is the resignation and abdication of responsibility. This unqualified assertion will likely prompt the retort that affliction and pestilence are commonplace, and that people should be free to express their discomfort without fear of moral shaming.

Yet this expected retort ought to earn the response that trouble neither nullifies nor exempts a person from responsibility; in fact, it provides an opportunity for duty to be constructively exercised and applied.

To begin an article with such philosophical dialogue may not be ideal in some books, and yet it is necessary to confront the unfortunate spectacle that has been enshrined in the dogma of this modern world.

We live in a world that not only promotes, normalises, and celebrates irresponsibility but has effectively politicised and institutionalised it.

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Why Don’t Nigerian Black Lives Matter?

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— Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

The organisation known as Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a violent, dangerous, Marxist movement. It is fiction, a sham, and a lie to believe that BLM really cares about black lives. Consider just two examples to support this claim: BLM’s outspoken support of abortion in the US and their deafening silence concerning the murder of black Christians around the world. 

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Gender-Based Violence: A National Disaster?

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— David de Bruyn

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

In the run-up to the G20 conference, various lobbyists in South Africa were calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare Gender-Based Violence a “national disaster”. Eventually, this was conceded, and the Department of Social Development posted the announcement on its website

What is meant by this declaration? What difference will it make? And what does it say about the beliefs of a large number of South Africans?

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The New Archbishop & the African Church – Some Warnings  

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— Lukonde Mwila

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Since Anglicanism is now more African than English, what happens in Canterbury has ripple effects from Cairo to the Cape.  The gravitational “centre of Anglicanism has shifted to the Global South, particularly sub-Saharan Africa”, with over 63 million baptised Anglicans in Africa compared to some 23 million in all of Europe!

Church history contains Anglican heroes of our faith – like J.C. Ryle, J.I. Packer, C.S. Lewis, and William Wilberforce.  However, it is a Church today marked with a growing stain of compromise since its foundation.  Anglicanism was essentially born out of Queen Elizabeth’s desperate attempt to unite a nation that was fragmented by Protestantism and Catholicism. 

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Might Your Phone be the Problem?

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— Richard Peskett

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

There is an old spiritual song called, Give me Jesus. Here is the first verse:


In the morning, when I rise,

In the morning, when I rise,

In the morning, when I rise,

Give me Jesus.

When most Christians wake up in the morning, their mantra is not, “Give me Jesus,” but rather, “Give me my mobile phone.”

Did you know that the average mobile ownership in Africa, according to a recent survey of 34 African countries, is 84%? Telcom operators are targeting Africa with affordable phones to increase their use. Furthermore, it has recently been reported that South Africans spend more time on their screens than any other nation in the world. How much time is this? The report states that the average South African spends 58.2% of their day in front of screens, “with 22.5% of their day dedicated to scrolling social media.” Can this really be true? A recent guest in our home averaged over 10 hours a day on their phone.

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South Africa’s Unemployment Crisis

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— Charles Russell

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

According to the recently released quarterly labour force survey, South African unemployment stands at a staggering 33%. Using the expanded definition (i.e., including those who have abandoned their search for employment due to discouragement), the rate is 43%. Nearly 1 in every 2 people looking for a job cannot find one (for the 33% and the 43%).

Not only is this the worst rate in Africa, where the average unemployment is around 9%, but it is also the highest in the world, equal to eSwatini at 34.4% at Dec-24). South Africa is in a crisis.

Before the Christian is tempted to panic, as many of us are, God is still in control – even in this unemployment pandemic.

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Can a Christian Vote for the DA?

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–– Evan Cantrell

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

On 13 October 2025, the Democratic Alliance, also known as the DA, participated in the “Joburg Pride” march, celebrating what the DA’s Rainbow Alliance called “the beauty, resilience, and strength of Africa’s LGBTQIA+ community”. 

The largest party in South Africa is the ANC, whose policies and actions have brought South Africa to its knees. The party most known for resisting the ANC in ways that have achieved practical results for the good of South Africa is the DA. The DA stands for the free market and against the ANC’s hyper-racial and socialist policies. 

However, the DA does not oppose abortion, allowing the murder of innocents to continue unabated. It proudly supports homosexual relationships in every form, contributing to the breakdown of the families which form the bedrock of society. Scripture clearly describes these positions (also endorsed by the ANC) as bringing God’s judgment on a nation. The DA government in Cape Town also distinguished itself in the Covid-19 era by stringently enforcing “lockdown” measures. 

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Why Boys Matter

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–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

There are more boys alive today than at any time in human history. Africa, in particular, possesses an army of boys, as it is projected that by 2050, 40% of the world’s children will live in Africa. By 2055, Africa’s child population will reach one billion. By 2050, boys ages 1-18 will account for 1.5 billion of the population, more than the entire world’s population just 200 years ago in 1825. 

Add to this the 21st century’s One-Child policy—which wiped out millions of female births—and it’s clear that boys should be our priority, though not for what they can accomplish at this moment.

Despite most boys being too tender-aged for great exploits, there are outliers. Mozart wrote his first symphony at age eight. Alexander the Great started conquering the world at age eighteen. Both at age nineteen, respectively, the Marquis de Lafayette helped turn the tide of the Revolutionary War and Blaise Pascal invented a calculator.  

But the average boy simply needs steady character training today so that he will be of good use tomorrow. Let’s explore some reasons why boys matter. 

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Thoughts on the Africa Statement on Prosperity Gospel and Word of Faith Theology

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–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

I would like to commend the Africa Statement on Prosperity Gospel and Word of Faith Theology (ASPG), a formal document launched in 2025 for the purpose of drawing clear lines between those who hold to prosperity and word of faith theology and those who do not. 

The brainchild for this statement apparently comes from Kenyan evangelical churches, as twenty-nine of the original thirty-eight signers serve as ministers in Kenya, with a handful of others residing in Zambia, South Africa, Malawi, Cameroon, and Uganda. 

The authors correctly observe that the greatest danger facing the church in today’s sub-Saharan Africa is not Islam, Hinduism, or atheism but the prosperity gospel—a false doctrine which dovetails nicely with many of the core tenets of African traditional religion. 

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Should God Bless Africa?

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–– David de Bruyn

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

The national anthem of South Africa begins with the words Nkosi’ Sikelele Africa – God bless Africa. Not often do people stop to ask, ‘Should God bless Africa?’ ‘Why would God bless Africa?’

The Bible describes the source of blessing for a country, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Prov. 14:34) When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. (Prov. 29:2) The king establishes the land by justice, but he who receives bribes overthrows it. (Prov. 29:4) Righteous rulers and righteous citizens mean the nation is righteous.

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Free Speech and the Murder of Charlie Kirk

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–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Last night, on 10 September 2025, I joined millions worldwide to read in horror about the assassination of American Christian and political activist Charlie Kirk. It pains us to the core to observe the loss of life of such a young, gifted man, just thirty-one years old, with a wife and two young kids who will now grow up only hearing stories about their Dad.

But the hurt only grows when one thinks about how he died—assassinated on live TV by a bullet through his neck from a rifle a hundred yards away. Who can know God’s ways? His works and thoughts are higher than ours (Ps. 92:5). It’s natural to ask why the Almighty would ordain that such an asset to the kingdom would be brought to Heaven so soon.

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What’s True About the Blood Moon: A Christian View of Nature

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–– Tim Cantrell

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Last Sunday, 7 September, was a rare treat for a few billion people, including us here in Johannesburg, as we witnessed a beautiful blood moon resulting from a total lunar eclipse, painting the night sky with hues of fiery red.  The cause was the moon reflecting the earth’s dusty atmosphere, scattering shorter wavelengths (the usual blue and green light of the moon), while the longer red and orange light reached the moon, making it glow a coppery-red. As NASA stated, it was like seeing “all of the earth’s sunsets and sunrises projected on the moon”.  “The heavens declare the glory of God!” (Ps. 19:1).  “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8).

Worship or Worry?

But wait?!  Should we be worshipping the Creator, or worrying about such a celestial sign and apocalyptic omen?  Hindu temples across India were shut down during the blood moon for fear of the negative energies and ritual impurity imposed by this phenomenon.  African traditional leaders explained how this could signal strong winds and sickness, or indicate the death of a king.  Even Christians panic over a red moon, since Scripture mentions this as one of the signs of God’s judgment upon the world near the end.

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A Husband’s Role in His Wife’s Physical Beauty

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–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Beauty products make big money around the world. The beauty industry generates over $650 billion in revenue worldwide. In 2023, South Africa alone spent $6 billion on beauty products. South Korea leads the world in skin care products, spending $7 billion in 2023. Just the hair industry in South Africa is worth nearly R10 million, as weaves, wigs, and waves make big business in beauty salons and on social media. The cosmetics industry is taking off in countries like Ghana and Kenya, with Nigeria anticipated to be the rising star. 

Lest the reader questions how much men value beauty, in late 2024 King Mswati III (age 56) married the daughter of former South African president Jacob Zuma. She was twenty-one, becoming his sixteenth wife. 

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The Christian and Cryptocurrency

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–– Charles Russell

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Bitcoin has recently hit new all-time highs, breaching $120,000 per coin last month. R10,000 invested 5 years ago would have been worth R103,000 today. In comparison, an investment in the JSE all-share index and the S&P500 index would have only yielded R18,000 and R19,000, respectively.

As a Christian, what should we be doing with this information? Could a significant investment in Bitcoin have solved many of the problems Africa faces today? Could it have solved your own financial problems?

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Women’s Rugby?

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–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Scroll through the BBC’s Africa home page and you’ll find a cesspool of articles promoting violent women’s sports. A cage fighter from Nigeria poses for the camera, her fists up, growling: “I am the queen of the cage.” A video promotes women’s arm wrestling by displaying two ladies with arms the size of #2 pencils—one shrew-sized participant straining for victory while wearing a burka. 

Another article promotes a woman named Peace for becoming the first Ugandan national to sign for a women’s super league rugby squad. Is this wholesome? Should Christians encourage their daughters to play lock and flanker on a rugby team? The implications of our answer go far beyond this one sport but to the very nature of men and women. 

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Cross Purposes About the Cross

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–– Richard Peskett

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Do you ever, like me, struggle to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with black Africans? I speak often to men and women about Christ—on the streets and in the stores—and even though we are speaking the same language, and they smile, and they agree with me, and they take a tract when offered to them, yet  I usually come away convinced that we were speaking at cross-purposes. I failed again to effectively share the gospel. 

“Speaking at cross purposes” means talking with someone about different things without realising it.

Most Africans are “incurably religious people.” They mention “God” more often than the Europeans with whom I grew up. Africans praise “God” for the rain, and for good health. “God is good,” I might say, and people reply, “All of the time.” But how many of these same people actually know God — the One who reveals Himself in His creation, in the Scriptures, and most clearly in the person of Jesus Christ?

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The “Big Man Syndrome” in Today’s African Churches

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–– Brino Kumwenda

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

The big-man syndrome has dominated the philosophy of leadership in many African churches today. But it doesn’t have to be this way. 

A concerned member of Grace Community Church once asked his pastor, John MacArthur:  “What’s going to happen to Grace Community when you are gone?”

MacArthur answered, “There are people asking me, ‘What’s the replacement plan around here?’ Well, whatever happens to me, this church has many great, gifted, dedicated, highly motivated, and passionate preachers coming behind me that there will be plenty of them to take my place…”

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Should Christians Own Guns? 

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–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Gun-ownership in the United States is the highest in the world, with a rate of 120 guns per 100 people. Yes, that’s more than one gun per person. Gun-ownership rates in Africa, however, are tiny (at least among non-criminals), with almost non-existent rates in countries like Malawi, Benin, Ethiopia, and Niger. 

In South Africa and South Sudan, there are less than ten gun-owners per one-hundred people, even though (as of 2024), South Africa has the fifth-highest crime rate in the world. 

South Africa is a very dangerous place to live. According to recent crime statistics from the South African Police Service, 453 homes are burgled every day in the country. This despite each home being clothed in a robe of steel burglar bars and shiny razor wire. 

This raises the question: are Christians allowed to defend themselves? If Jesus said to turn the other cheek, may His followers use dogs, walls, and fists to protect their lives and property? If so, are weapons like guns and knives valid? Consider the following four principles.

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Execution of Justice: Should Believers Desire the Death Penalty?

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–– Evan Cantrell

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

In 2020, Tafadzwa Shama and Tapiwa Makore (Sr) killed and dismembered Makore’s nephew, 7-year-old Tapiwa Makore (Jr). The killing was part of a pagan ritual intended to ensure the prosperity of their cabbage growing business.

In 2023, the men were sentenced to death for their horrific crime. However, in December 2024, Zimbabwe repealed the death penalty, almost 20 years after its last execution in 2005. As a result, Shama and Makore had their sentences commuted to life imprisonment. 

When faced with brutal crimes like the murder of little Tapiwa Makore, our hearts cry out for justice through the ultimate punishment. However, activists argue that the death penalty only breeds more violence, and is ineffective and unproductive. They hold up Zimbabwe to the rest of Africa as an example of what should be done in abolishing the death penalty. 

What does God’s Word say? Is it right for believers to desire that the death penalty be carried out, or does this stand in conflict with the command to “love our enemy”? 

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John MacArthur’s Legacy in Africa and Beyond

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–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

On Monday, July 14, shortly after 6 p.m., John MacArthur breathed his last breath on earth and was received into the presence of Jesus Christ, whom he loved and had preached faithfully for over six decades. 

I enjoyed the privilege of studying under Dr. MacArthur at the Master’s Seminary and was honoured when he endorsed my first book. His influence reached around the world and will impact the church for centuries to come should the Lord tarry.

Having served for two decades as a missionary in Africa, I would like to highlight four ways John MacArthur influenced this continent for Christ. 

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Family Overreach in Marriage

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–– Joe Shoko

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Ubuntuism is a good thing. What makes it unique is the emphasis on communal living. Not too long ago, African communities were distinctly community-oriented. It was as if Acts 2:42-47 was being re-enacted, but without Christ as the focal point. Whenever someone was sick, they didn’t run out of aunties, uncles, brothers and sisters to lend a helping hand. 

In such times, high yard walls were still very much a vague, futuristic half–baked concept and the only thing that separated you and your ‘neighbour’ was the closed doors and windows at night. This was the ideal scenario, until it was time for prospective couples to wed. 

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Reading the ANC’s ‘Bible’: A Christian Response to the Freedom Charter

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–– Tim Cantrell

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Last month was the 70th anniversary of South Africa’s Freedom Charter, once called the ANC’s “Bible” by former president, Jacob Zuma. Hailed as the true ‘voice of the people’ for liberation since 1955, it is often elevated to the status of religious dogma, and exalted above our national Constitution. As image-bearers of the Almighty, God has placed this cry for freedom and human dignity in all of our hearts, as we’ve often argued here on TARIF. Muzzling the consent of the governed and trampling on human rights is abominable in God’s eyes and must be opposed.

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Marriage Thoughts on Polygamy, Virginity, and HIV Tests

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–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Having lived in a little Tsonga village for nearly two decades, I’ve learned a thing or two about African culture. The place where I reside is semi-rural, and is thus a better representation of African culture than the westernised cities. Pit toilets are more common than flush toilets, the native language is more prevalent than English, granny-led homes are more numerous than houses with a mom and dad, and unemployment is sky-high.

One of my convictions is that feminism has devastated the African home perhaps more than any ideology—even more than the Prosperity Gospel. 

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Four Principles for Overcoming Prejudice and Racism

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–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

These days, it seems the word “bigotry” could be applied to almost any behaviour. Criticise a Zulu’s English and you’ll be accused of racism. Complement that same Zulu’s English and you’ll be charged with implying that other Zulus can’t speak English well. 

To be sure, Scripture is opposed to every form of prejudice, racism, and bigotry. But it is important to properly define these sinful behaviours. Favouritism is the unfair treatment of certain people. It refers to preferential actions toward one group over another for no good reason. 

But does this mean we treat everyone the same? And isn’t it true that the world seems to call everything racism these days? How do I avoid jealousy of other groups unlike mine, and how do I navigate the idea of prejudice in a way that honours God? 

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The Mess of Minimum Wage (Part 2)

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–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

The unemployment rate in South Africa stood at about 7% in the mid-1970s. It rose to 13% in the mid-90s, 25% in the late 2000s, and stands at about 33% as of the first quarter of 2025. In a recent survey of 24 developed countries, South Africa had by far the highest unemployment rate. Other worldwide surveys confirm that unemployment in South Africa is among the worst in the world.  

While there are many solutions to unemployment, one obvious answer is removing Minimum Wage Laws (MWLs)—one of the greatest causes of a jobless society. An MWL is when the government makes it illegal to hire someone at a lesser rate than it has decreed. 

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The Mess of Minimum Wage (Part 1)

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–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Most nations around the world utilize minimum wage laws, which make it illegal for employers to pay less than the government-specified price for labor. Politicians and labor unions are notorious in their calls for higher minimum wage. These regulations, however, vary significantly. 

The per-hour minimum wage in USD is about $19 in Luxembourg, $13 in Germany, $7.25 in the US, $2 in India, and $1.50 in South Africa. Some African countries are so poor (like Sudan, Burundi, and the Gambia) that monthly salaries work out to under $1 per day, or just a few cents per hour.  

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The Scandal of the African Church

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–– Seth Meyers

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

The scandal of the African church is that there is not much of an African church. Most of the 54 countries in Africa claim to be Christian by more than 50% of their inhabitants. That works out to be nearly half of the 1.5 billion Africans on the continent. 

Number of Churches

Using South Africa as a test case, can we estimate the number of Christians in the country? If we estimated there were 50 Sola 5 churches with 200 members each in South Africa, that would be 10,000 members. That is more churches and more members in each church, but just as a thought experiment, let it stand. Now add in an estimated 50 assemblies from the Afrikaans Baptiste Kerke with 200 members each, and there is another 10,000.

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The Contours of Godly Speech: A Biblical Evaluation of “Kill the Boer”

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–– Mark Christopher

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

The contentious issue of struggle songs in South Africa has sparked considerable debate, consternation, and division for several years now. Last week, President Trump showed a 5-minute video of Economic Freedom Fighter leader, Julius Malema, singing what is called the “Kill the Boer” song at several rallies. 

As a result, the issue has dominated the headlines for 8 days straight. The South African delegation, led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, awkwardly squirmed as Trump had the video played and the world listened to “Kill the Boer, kill the farmer … shoot to kill, shoot to kill … Brrr pop, Brrr pop.”

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Biblical Medicine for Moms & Miscarriages

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–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Miscarriages worldwide are quite common, occurring in nearly 20% of pregnancies. Most of the countries with the highest miscarriage rates are in Africa, such as Ethiopia, Niger, Mozambique, and Zambia. The majority of us know women who have experienced at least one miscarriage. 

A miscarriage, sometimes called a spontaneous abortion, refers to the premature death of the baby in the womb. As opposed to abortion, which actively murders the child in the womb, a miscarriage is the end of a pregnancy before 20 weeks’ gestation. The death of a baby after 20 weeks is called a stillbirth, whereby the family often holds a funeral. 

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