Tag Archives: TARIF

Some African Traditions Must Die

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–– Lennox Kalifungwa

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

What would you do if embracing Christianity demanded the death of a cherished cultural tradition? Though posed as hypothetical, this is a pressing question that every Christian, sooner or later, must confront.

In the wake of British and European colonial withdrawal, many African nations turned enthusiastically to postcolonialism—a postmodern creed animated less by a hunger for self-determination than by a visceral loathing of Western thought and custom. What followed was an era obsessed with the preservation of all things deemed authentically African. In the fevered rush to cast off colonial vestiges, Africans began re-engineering every corner of their cultural landscape—from attire and rituals to language, politics, and ceremonial pomp.

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How Government Hurts Business and What to Do About It

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–– Charles Russell

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

The ANC has been in power for 31 years and makes several empty promises every 5 years. In fact, President Ramaphosa addressed the World Economic Forum in 2019 specifically on the topic of ease of doing business, promising change. 6 years later, there are no noticeable improvements. The party is simply not committed to growth and business-friendliness.

Recently, South Africa was ranked the most difficult place to do business according to the Daily Investor, the last of the 49 countries included. 

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Abortifacients and the Church’s Alarming Silence on “Christian Abortion”

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–– Paul Schlehlein

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

Who could be responsible for the majority of worldwide killings? The answer may surprise you.

Today’s greatest global holocaust comes not from Muslim fanatics against Christians, or gun-toting killers against their victims, or even abortion doctors against babies. The most common murders may come from mothers, sometimes Christians, against their own children through abortifacient birth control. 

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Should Christians Celebrate Ancestor’s Day?

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–– Tim Cantrell

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

Traditional leaders and political voices in South Africa keep calling for 8 May to become a public holiday, “Ancestor’s Day”, so as to decolonise the Christian calendar with pagan celebrations.  How should the Christian respond to such proposals?  Why do many professing Christians in Africa still worship the ancestors in times of trouble or to ward off evil?  How do believers handle family pressure to join in blood sacrifices to appease and honour the forefathers?  God’s Word offers solid answers to these burning questions.

Christian, could you explain the difference between the blood required by pagan religions compared to Christianity?  The Book of Hebrews often tells us how the blood of Christ was “better”, better than the blood of Abel, better than the blood of bulls and goats, better than the old covenant.  But how is the blood of Christ also better than African Traditional Religion (ATR) sacrifices? 

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Ten Types of Hypocrisy Parents Should Look for in Their Kids

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–– Paul Schlehlein

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

Some worldwide statistics say two out of every three teens leave the church after high school. In countries where Christianity is growing, parents are tempted to dismiss these numbers as not applicable to them. For example, among the twenty countries where Christianity is growing the most, seven are in Africa: Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Mozambique, and Tanzania. 

Christians usually enjoy immense freedom of religion in places where Christianity is growing. While this is a blessing, freedom of religion can also be a detriment. Hypocrisy among Christians is much less common in countries where believers will be persecuted for following Christ.

For example, how many fake Christians do you think live in the Muslim areas of Uganda, where a Christian couple was recently poisoned by a Muslim woman? Or how about Burkina Faso, where Christians face attacks by militant Islamists? Then there is the Congo DRC, where a batch of seventy and then another forty-seven Christians were just recently murdered by devout Muslims. 

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‘Whites Only’ in this Town—A Christian Response

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–– Seth Meyers

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

A small town about 250 kilometers from Bloemfontein does not allow black people to live in it. Recently, an articulate black woman named Katlego discussed this phenomenon. Other men are trying to promote the idea of Afrikaner preservation as well. 

Do ethnic groups have a right to self-preservation? Can a people group self-segregate? Do they have a responsibility to integrate with all the people around them? Is it kind, loving, or Christian to block people out? Or is it good to make a special place where your values and heritage can be passed on? 

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Is Abortion Ever Justified?

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–– Paul Schlehlein

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

In light of President Trump’s recent cuts of abortion aid across Africa, questions continue to rise about the morality of infanticide.

Abortion is unconditionally legal in only a few countries in Africa, including Benin, Tunisia, and South Africa. Most other African nations allow for abortion under certain circumstances, such as rape and fetal impairment. 

This prompts questions. Is abortion ever justified? Is it ever valid or morally permissible under certain circumstances? If so, which exceptions are reasonable? 

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The Fair Works of False Prophets

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–– Brino Kumwenda

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

Shepherd Bushiri, also known as “Major 1,” is a prominent self-proclaimed prophet from Malawi. He is the founder of the Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG), a non-denominational charismatic church headquartered in Lilongwe, Malawi. The church has grown into a megachurch with branches across Africa and beyond, attracting hundreds of thousands of members. 

Some false prophets today have enough guile and craft to manoeuvre their way in ministry without scandal. Bushiri has found himself lacking in this area and has left a trail of damning controversy in his wake. However, he makes use of an age-old tactic to cover up his flagrant sin, and this brings hordes of his followers to defend his image. 

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Zimbabwe Shuts Down – Yet Again!

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–– Joe Shoko

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

Recently, Zimbabwe was plunged into yet another shutdown. What is meant by shutdown is when a country comes to a standstill. The usually noisy streets were empty and quiet, the central business district (CBD) resembled a ghost town, and in a sense, being in the middle of it on that day was scary.

For decades, Zimbabwe has been on a downward spiral morally, economically, and politically. The country is no stranger to grabbing international attention through its myriad problems. Imagine a country where state-run hospitals have neither running water nor basic medication such as painkillers. As if that were not enough, extortion, bribery and “back door deals” are the order of the day. It’s normal to see street vendors fleeing from police in the CBD and the outskirts on a daily basis. 

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South Africa’s National Sin & Stain of Abortion

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–– Tim Cantrell

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

Recently I was struck with two solemn reminders of the scourge of abortion upon South Africa and our world today:

(a) A recent Sunday evening sermon at our church was on Genesis 9 and God instituting the death penalty for all murders so that the sanctity of human life would be upheld as made in His very image.

(b) In our adult Sunday School ethics course, one of the doctors in our church recounted in detail the current stats on abortion. Worldwide, a horrific 73 million infants are murdered annually; in South Africa, it’s abominable that 260,000 babies are slain in their own mother’s womb, one out of every three pregnancies!  

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Black Tax: How Christians Should Care for Ageing Parents (Part 5)

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–– Paul Schlehlein

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

The Black Tax has become such a pervasive issue in South Africa over the past several decades that books like Handle Black Tax Like a Pro have become a thing. 

High earning blacks feel such a heavy duty to provide for lesser privileged family members that they often feel lost at sea as to how much and to whom they are bound to give. In this series we’ve observed pertinent biblical passages that address this issue. 

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Literacy, Reading, and Missions

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–– Seth Meyers

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

Who can be a Christian without reading? Some could hear the Word and respond in faith, but without a broad base of careful readers, no church will endure in a culture. If a group were converted simply by listening, could they grow and reproduce on a national scale without first becoming very Bible-centered? 

Paul told Timothy that pastors must give care to reading the Word both in public and private (1 Tim. 4:13 and 15). Individual believers must search the Scriptures to weigh a teacher’s words against the original standard (Acts 17:11). Because man does not live by bread alone, but by the words of God (Matt. 4:4), he must grow as a Christian until he is habitually literate. 

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African Media: The Flight From Truth

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–– David de Bruyn

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

The past few weeks have moved South Africa into the international spotlight as U.S. President Donald Trump accused South Africa of expropriating property and mistreating various groups. He then offered a form of refugee status to Afrikaner farmers affected by the South African government’s actions.

This produced howls of opposition and derision from liberal media and commentators in South Africa, variously accusing the American administration of lying, deceit and, unsurprisingly, racism. People were quick to ‘fact-check’ the U.S. President and respond with everything from crying foul to thumbing their nose at the cancellation of U.S. money sent to South Africa. Conservatives applauded the U.S. for finally revealing the racism in South African politics and law.

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Black Tax: How Christians Should Care for Ageing Parents (Part 4)

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–– Paul Schlehlein

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

The black tax refers to the money black Africans feel obligated to pay in order to support their parents and siblings. Zimbabwean Masimba Musodza says the black tax is “when one person is seen as having made it and is obligated to support all the less well-off relatives, no matter how distantly related.” 

So ingrained is the black tax in African culture that to request absolution from such expectations is like asking a cat to bark. Pardon from the black tax is impossible and should a man ignore it, he best prepare himself to be bête noire. 

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Money Games in the Church

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–– Joe Shoko

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

When self-styled ‘prophets’ don’t spend time reading and preaching from the holy Word of God, they will begin to look for ways to continue keeping their followers hooked.  These cleverly devised schemes would compete with any of the soap operas on television.

Emmanuel Makandiwa of United Family International Church, who has an insatiable craving for media attention was back at it again, this time with a more bizarre challenge. In recent years this blasphemous man has uttered statements like, “I am more gifted than God” and “If you go to heaven and do not find me there you have gone to hell”, yet his followers and his adherents continue to applaud in amusement and support.

Makandiwa is one of the most influential men in Zimbabwe. The services that he holds every Sunday are filled to capacity and that does not show any signs of slowing down. The auditorium can accommodate 10,000 people. This means that 10,000 souls are flocking to hear blasphemy week in and week out. 

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Black Tax: How Christians Should Care for Ageing Parents (Part 3)

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–– Paul Schlehlein

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

According to Visual Capitalist, South Africa has one of the lowest effective retirement ages in the world, defined as the average age of exit from the labour force for workers aged 40 years or more. The lowest age in the world is fifty-nine from the country of Luxembourg. South Africa is just a year older at age sixty. 

Luxembourg makes sense, since it has by far the world’s highest per capita GDP at $129,000 per year. But South Africa’s per capita GDP is about one hundred spots lower at $6,000 per year. How can such an early retirement coexist with such a low GDP per capita?

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Black Tax: How Christians Should Care for their Ageing Parents (Part 2)

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–– Paul Schlehlein

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

In a now-deleted Tiktok rant, Elsa Majimbo roared to one of her parents: “I was born, I was raised, I grew up, now you’re asking me for money – you lazy [expletive]. I’m not feeding your habits.”

This is how some African adults feel today. They rage at the thought of supporting their parents, especially if it’s a delinquent Dad or Mom. 

What should be the realistic expectations for adult children in caring for their parents? This is a common conundrum in Africa, where fathers and mothers often insist that their children finance them until death. But it’s not only about money. How should children interact with their parents’ transgressions?

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The State of Society is the Résumé of the Church

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–– Lennox Kalifungwa

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

The Chaos is the Mission Field

In the wake of unravelling chaos—ethnic hatred, the murder of the unborn (and farmers), theft, overdependence on foreign aid, envy and entitlement, high costs of living, corruption, and failed leadership—one force alone can turn the tide: the church’s repentance.

The New Testament does not describe the church as fragile but as powerful. It is the salt of the earth (Matt. 5:13), the light of the world (Matt. 5:14), the bride of Christ (Eph. 5:25–27), the ambassadors of Christ (2 Cor. 5:20), the sons of God (Eph. 1:5), and the heirs of the kingdom (Eph. 3:6). These are not mere embellishments but declarations rooted in Christ’s triumphant work. The church is not meant to scrape and plead for influence—it is assured in faithfulness to Christ, not as a reward for ambition but as the inevitable fruit of our calling.

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How Should South Africa Respond to American Sanctions?

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–– Paul Schlehlein

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

In 1662, Jan van Riebeeck and the first Dutch settlers arrived at South Africa’s Table Mountain. By the 1830s the descendants of their Dutch forebears, called Afrikaners, had tired of British rule and friction with the Xhosa. With pastoral life becoming harder to achieve and the broad hinterland increasingly tempting, Louis Trichardt and the trekboers began the Great Trek inland in 1837. 

Since then, the Afrikaner has waged many battles, played both vanquished and victor, imposed her fair share of prejudiced legislation, borne the loss of power, shifted from oppressor to oppressed, and resettled to Britain, New Zealand, Australia, and every corner of the globe. Yet, South Africa has remained her treasured habitation.

Just under 200 years separated the van Riebeeck landing and the first exodus. Now, another two centuries demarcate today from the first wagon wheels rolling north. The question arises: Is 2025 the year of another massive Afrikaner departure from their beloved South Africa?

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Is Witchcraft Real? 

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–– Seth Meyers

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

In December 2024 near Kwa Zulu Natal, a man admitted to a terrible crime. The life of Zandile Kumalo was taken, horrifically documented, and then spread on social media. A reporter far away in Limpopo raised the question of witchcraft in connection with this vile string of events. Enos Magwabeni interviewed a witch doctor (name unpublished, hereafter WD), called a traditional healer by those trying to dignify the sad and dark ways of heathenism, and their exchange discussing the December murder of Zandile by Sibusiso was published in the Limpopo Mirror 17 January 2025 (article not archived online). 

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Six Ways to Shame Your Mother

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–– Paul Schlehlein

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

A Puritan once said that some parents, like Eli, bring up their children, to bring down their house. In other words, some parents, like Eli, just don’t know how to parent and they pay the price. 

Proverbs 10:1 says: “A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.”

This got me thinking. Where are the best and worst places in the world to be a mom? Global Citizen says it’s Somalia because over 5% of the mothers die of maternal-related complications and 15% of the children don’t make it to their fifth birthday. 

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Are ‘Points of Contact’ Biblical?

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–– Paul Schlehlein

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

Pastor Paseka ‘Mboro’ of South Africa continues to fill the headlines. For years he’s drawn criticism for driving luxury vehicles in a poor neighborhood, claiming bizarre healing ability or, most recently, facing assault and kidnapping charges. But his run-ins with the law are far less concerning than his aberrant theology. 

In a clip from Reggie Yates entitled “Extreme South Africa: The Missionary Preacher”, Mboro insists his parishioners bring underwear to church so that he may bless their “vuvuzelas” and “biscuits”, euphemisms for the male and female reproductive organs. 

Mboro uses common prosperity tactics, in this case “points of contact”, in which the congregants’ undergarments serve as the conduit through which his supposed miraculous power will flow. Is this biblical?

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Are Same-Sex Desires Sinful?

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–– Paul Schlehlein

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

Storms are brewing in the African church over homosexuality. The United Methodists in Africa now welcome LGBTQ+ members, though Methodists in countries like Ivory Coast and Zimbabwe have protested. The 2025 Cape Town Pride Parade expects another big turnout, even while the Anglican Church of Southern Africa has voted against blessing same-sex couples.

“UNNATURAL” IN ROMANS 1

Romans 1:26 uses the word “unnatural” to describe romantic, same-sex attraction because this desire contradicts the original condition. “Unnatural” means contrary to the factory settings God installed at birth, such as a person’s sex.  

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From Kings to Courts: Does the Bible Support Any Government System?

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–– David de Bruyn

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

The recent riots in Kenya is another example of the weakness of governments in Africa. The failure of governments in Africa regularly make the news. Whether it is corruption, neglect, incompetence, or outright scandal, Africans long for better governments. But what makes for good government, according to Scripture?

Government is meant to serve the good of its people. As Romans 13:4 puts it, “The civil authority is God’s servant for your good.” But what does this actually look like? What should government protect and promote, and what principles should guide its structure? 

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Did You Cross Over into the New Year?

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–– Joe Shoko

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

The beginning of each year is always an interesting time for the observer or onlooker. After the excitement of the festivities passes and the increase of unwanted kilograms dawns upon us, then comes the time for ‘declaring & decreeing’, ‘overnight cross-overs’ and ‘40 days of prayer and fasting’. This has become a ritual in Africa. Many of the adherents of Pentecostal/Charismatic theology prioritise attending the cross-over services which their churches hold on the last day of each year, into the dawn of the New Year. 

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The Two Worlds in Africa

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–– Seth Meyers

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

Of the 80 members in the South African Tsonga churches, 15 members have full time jobs. Several of those 15 are informal jobs such as cleaning houses or selling snacks to school children, meaning that the pay is less than R2,000 ($110) per month or R66 ($3.70) per day. One man told me that he is 100% satisfied with the job he has had for a year because it pays R4,500 ($250) per month. Other members work from time to time doing hair, building, or cleaning when part time work presents itself. 

But that should be compared with a friend in Johannesburg South Africa who told me that it would be hard for a family to live with less than R30,000 ($1,666) per month. How could it be hard to live with 10 times more than other Christians are making? 

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Nigeria, a Muslim Catechism and a Boise State Linebacker

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–– Paul Schlehlein

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

Nigeria is the deadliest place in the world to follow Jesus. Militant Muslims hunt Christians there the way a lion stalks a wounded gazelle. 

According to the Open Doors Watch List, North Korea is the most dangerous place in the world for Christians, but Nigeria is the most deadly. In 2023, nearly 5,000 Christians were killed worldwide (that’s thirteen murdered a day) and 90% of these martyrdoms happened in Nigeria. More Christians are killed in Nigeria than all other nations combined, most often by Islamist jihadist groups like Boko Haram. 

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Sown, Grown, Blown, Mown, Gone 

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–– Paul Schlehlein

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

Every hour, over 300 people in Nigeria die. That’s five people every minute. This is more deaths per hour than any country in Africa and fourth highest in the world. China is first, at 1,300 deaths per hour, followed by India (over 1,000) and the U.S. (340). 

The hundreds of Nigerians that pass into eternity every hour remind us of the brevity of life, as do life expectancy rates around the world, especially in Africa. Though numbers are on the rise compared to just a few decades ago, when life expectancy in Africa was 36 years old in 1950 (compared to 64 years old today), modern life expectancy is minuscule compared to the earth’s earliest days when Adam lived for 930 years and Methuselah died at 969. Enoch went to heaven as a young pup at age 365, but only because the Lord took him away before tasting death.

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The Best of Between Two Cultures: 2024

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Based on traffic, here are the most popular articles from 2024. 

  1. When Are Two People Really Married?
  2. Review: Engenas Lekganyane and the Early ZCC
  3. What Bill Gates, Spurgeon, and Muslims Teach Us About Bible Memory
  4. Am I Gay?
  5. How Long Was the Ark of the Covenant at Abinidab’s House?
  6. A Dozen Practical Ways to Evangelize
  7. Seven Ways a Husband Should Protect His Wife
  8. The Christian and the Bride Price (1): What is Lobola?
  9. Kenya’s Eco-Tax Revolt: A Christian Response
  10. Ancestor Worship in the Church

Bringing Biblical Balance To A Climate Of Extremes

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–– Mark Christopher

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

One of the constants in the news is climate change. I began studying and following the issue 20 years ago when it was called “Global Warming.” When the earth wasn’t heating up fast enough, the name was suddenly changed to the more general and easily exploitable “Climate Change.” 

The South African government recently applauded the 29th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP29) for committing 300 billion US dollars annually by 2035 to developing economies. This agreement also allows development banks to provide 1.3 trillion dollars annually in loans for climate financing. With this much money available, it is easy to see why the SA government applauds COP29. 

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