Steve Anderson is now banned from entering South Africa unless he repents publicly from his current views. He will claim that the Devil has control of this country and that he has the God’ unequivocal blessing. This will be cited as another case of the Forces of Evil versus the Forces of Good. But what motivates people to seek conformity in others? Why can’t we just get along with everyone, regardless of how we might differ. Motivated by the story of Cain and Abel, with Abel representing white Europeans and Cain, dark-skinned heathens, the prevailing Christian view by the end of the Middle Ages was that non-Europeans were inferior creatures. Based on these interpretations, the Mormons banned black men from the priesthood and the Dutch Reform Church claimed biblical authority for the practice of apartheid. As Dr Verwoerd, the then Prime Minister of South Africa said "We did what God wanted us to do." But over the years, there has been a lot of eating of humble pie. Religious leaders of some of the world’s most prominent faiths have had to stand on the public platform and repent for their erroneous beliefs of the past. Fanaticism is slowly being squeezed from the crevices of society, opening up new avenues for acceptance, tolerance and the celebration of all.
