Description
• Do Jews, Christians and Muslims really know whom they worship?
• If they do, will they still worship their god?
• Following Jesus or Mohammad – really?
• Does one need religion to lead a moral life?
Often believers, mostly unconsciously, selectively cling only to those sections of the scriptures that suit them, while conveniently ignoring awkward and hideous parts of the ‘sacred’ texts. That is fundamentally irrational and dishonest.
Can the ‘morality’ of the ancient scriptures really be applied in our age? Slavery, crucifixions, gender inequality, forced marriages? How do believers decide what is relevant for them in those scriptures and what is not?
Ecce deus! Behold, the god in whom people believe – and then decide whether you still want to worship this ‘deity’ and base your morality on him.
Johan Retief was born in Montagu (1951), where he also matriculated (1969). He holds a doctorate in systematic theology at Stellenbosch University under prof Willie Jonker (1984). He lectured dogmatics and ethics in Malawi and Biblical studies at UWC and ministered in Swellendam and Bellville (between 1982 and 1989). After leaving the ministry, he became a journalist. Highlights include lecturing at the Department of Journalism in Stellenbosch (2000 and 2001), as well as his time as national press ombudsman (2009 – 2019). He inter alia published Die Slegte nuus van die Evangelie – My reis na verlossing (The Bad news of the gospel – My journey to salvation, Naledi, 2022), and Media Ethics – An introduction to Responsible Journalism (Oxford University Press, 2002).
