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Social Justice Christians: 'A Dangerous Option in Zimbabwe'

by Nontando Hadebe 03-15-2010 | 7:00pm
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I loved the title in SojoMail last week which said "I am a social justice Christian." It reminded me of a programme that was filmed in Zimbabwe by a BBC reporter. The program was on the growing gap between the rich and poor in Zimbabwe. One of persons being interviewed was a very rich man who showed the interviewer his large house and fleet of luxury cars. The interviewer asked him how he could be so extravagant in the context of so much poverty in Zim. The answer was "God gave me this wealth and that is why I am enjoying it. I am a blessed child of God."

I have no doubt that the man worked hard to amass his wealth, and I have nothing against him. What struck me was that his faith in God and amassing of wealth was in line with a brand of Christianity that preaches wealth and health as the right of Christians. The self-definition of such a Christian is "I am healthy, wealthy, and blessed," and I wondered what would happen if the definition was changed to "I am a social justice Christian." A dangerous option in Zimbabwean context but certainly a challenge for us all -- so thanks SojoMail!

Nontando HadebeNontando Hadebe, a former Sojourners intern, is originally from Zimbabwe and is now pursuing graduate studies in theology in South Africa.

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by: dlowen

03-17-2010 @ 5:51pm

The negative side of the prosperity argument, that if you do not have all the wealth that your neighbor does, then you are evidently not pleasing to God and didn't deserve it, is even more horrendous than the more positive side. How about these stats? The richest 1% of adults owned 40% of the world's total assets in the year 2000. The richest 10% of adults accounted for 85% of total assets. The bottom half of the world adult population owned 1% of global wealth. Thank God that He loves the poor, as there are getting to be more and more of them.

by: lanita

03-16-2010 @ 1:32pm

It is true that Jesus taught us that we are all created equal and I agree to that. I am a Christian and I don't believe in the "prosperity gospel". I can't believe that because early Christians were not rich and if they were Jesus would tell them to leave that and come to him. They took care of each other and those in need. I believe that those who have much...much will be required. Jesus taught us to be generous. It is the church's job to take care of people. It is not the job of the government. And as Christians, we are in the business of rehabilitating people...not throwing money at people and never expecting change. If the government really care about people they would be rehabilitating people...not enabling them. Jesus would be flipping the tables over if he saw the entitlement of the rich and the poor that is going on in America.

by: aarondtaylor

03-16-2010 @ 3:15pm

Oh yes, the good ole "health and wealth" gospel; packaged, branded, and exported from the U.S.A. I've found that the "health and wealth" gospel has a large audience in African nations largely because it fits into their pre-existing world view. If something bad happens, it's because you've offended an ancestor or someone has placed a curse on you. If you are prosperous, then the ancestors are smiling on you. What the health and wealth preachers have done is they've essentially baptized an animistic worldview and replaced "ancestors" with "Christ." Thankfully, there are African leaders that are rising up and challenging this view.

by: gurung

04-05-2010 @ 10:19am

http://www.sangambayard-c-m.com

by: dlowen

03-17-2010 @ 5:51pm

The negative side of the prosperity argument, that if you do not have all the wealth that your neighbor does, then you are evidently not pleasing to God and didn't deserve it, is even more horrendous than the more positive side. How about these stats? The richest 1% of adults owned 40% of the world's total assets in the year 2000. The richest 10% of adults accounted for 85% of total assets. The bottom half of the world adult population owned 1% of global wealth. Thank God that He loves the poor, as there are getting to be more and more of them.

by: lanita

03-16-2010 @ 1:32pm

It is true that Jesus taught us that we are all created equal and I agree to that. I am a Christian and I don't believe in the "prosperity gospel". I can't believe that because early Christians were not rich and if they were Jesus would tell them to leave that and come to him. They took care of each other and those in need. I believe that those who have much...much will be required. Jesus taught us to be generous. It is the church's job to take care of people. It is not the job of the government. And as Christians, we are in the business of rehabilitating people...not throwing money at people and never expecting change. If the government really care about people they would be rehabilitating people...not enabling them. Jesus would be flipping the tables over if he saw the entitlement of the rich and the poor that is going on in America.

by: gurung

04-05-2010 @ 10:19am

http://www.sangambayard-c-m.com

by: aarondtaylor

03-16-2010 @ 3:15pm

Oh yes, the good ole "health and wealth" gospel; packaged, branded, and exported from the U.S.A. I've found that the "health and wealth" gospel has a large audience in African nations largely because it fits into their pre-existing world view. If something bad happens, it's because you've offended an ancestor or someone has placed a curse on you. If you are prosperous, then the ancestors are smiling on you. What the health and wealth preachers have done is they've essentially baptized an animistic worldview and replaced "ancestors" with "Christ." Thankfully, there are African leaders that are rising up and challenging this view.

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by: lanita

03-16-2010 @ 1:32pm

It is true that Jesus taught us that we are all created equal and I agree to that. I am a Christian and I don't believe in the "prosperity gospel". I can't believe that because early Christians were not rich and if they were Jesus would tell them to leave that and come to him. They took care of each other and those in need. I believe that those who have much...much will be required. Jesus taught us to be generous. It is the church's job to take care of people. It is not the job of the government. And as Christians, we are in the business of rehabilitating people...not throwing money at people and never expecting change. If the government really care about people they would be rehabilitating people...not enabling them. Jesus would be flipping the tables over if he saw the entitlement of the rich and the poor that is going on in America.

by: lanita

03-16-2010 @ 1:32pm

It is true that Jesus taught us that we are all created equal and I agree to that. I am a Christian and I don't believe in the "prosperity gospel". I can't believe that because early Christians were not rich and if they were Jesus would tell them to leave that and come to him. They took care of each other and those in need. I believe that those who have much...much will be required. Jesus taught us to be generous. It is the church's job to take care of people. It is not the job of the government. And as Christians, we are in the business of rehabilitating people...not throwing money at people and never expecting change. If the government really care about people they would be rehabilitating people...not enabling them. Jesus would be flipping the tables over if he saw the entitlement of the rich and the poor that is going on in America.

by: aarondtaylor

03-16-2010 @ 3:15pm

Oh yes, the good ole "health and wealth" gospel; packaged, branded, and exported from the U.S.A. I've found that the "health and wealth" gospel has a large audience in African nations largely because it fits into their pre-existing world view. If something bad happens, it's because you've offended an ancestor or someone has placed a curse on you. If you are prosperous, then the ancestors are smiling on you. What the health and wealth preachers have done is they've essentially baptized an animistic worldview and replaced "ancestors" with "Christ." Thankfully, there are African leaders that are rising up and challenging this view.

by: aarondtaylor

03-16-2010 @ 3:15pm

Oh yes, the good ole "health and wealth" gospel; packaged, branded, and exported from the U.S.A. I've found that the "health and wealth" gospel has a large audience in African nations largely because it fits into their pre-existing world view. If something bad happens, it's because you've offended an ancestor or someone has placed a curse on you. If you are prosperous, then the ancestors are smiling on you. What the health and wealth preachers have done is they've essentially baptized an animistic worldview and replaced "ancestors" with "Christ." Thankfully, there are African leaders that are rising up and challenging this view.

by: dlowen

03-17-2010 @ 5:51pm

The negative side of the prosperity argument, that if you do not have all the wealth that your neighbor does, then you are evidently not pleasing to God and didn't deserve it, is even more horrendous than the more positive side. How about these stats? The richest 1% of adults owned 40% of the world's total assets in the year 2000. The richest 10% of adults accounted for 85% of total assets. The bottom half of the world adult population owned 1% of global wealth. Thank God that He loves the poor, as there are getting to be more and more of them.

by: dlowen

03-17-2010 @ 5:51pm

The negative side of the prosperity argument, that if you do not have all the wealth that your neighbor does, then you are evidently not pleasing to God and didn't deserve it, is even more horrendous than the more positive side. How about these stats? The richest 1% of adults owned 40% of the world's total assets in the year 2000. The richest 10% of adults accounted for 85% of total assets. The bottom half of the world adult population owned 1% of global wealth. Thank God that He loves the poor, as there are getting to be more and more of them.

by: gurung

04-05-2010 @ 10:19am

http://www.sangambayard-c-m.com

by: gurung

04-05-2010 @ 10:19am

http://www.sangambayard-c-m.com