OPEN LETTER TO ZAMBIA UNION CONFERENCE OF SEVETH-DAY ADVENTISTS.
To: Zambia Union Conference SDA’s Leadership
Reference: Rusangu University Cultural Night
I write to you in the name of Jesus Christ. I address you in the spirit of brotherhood.
The right thing to do was for me to address the Zambia Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists leadership by writing directly to them. I understand that. However, I reside in diaspora; therefore I could not bring my concerns to church leadership in Zambia. Secondly, the idea of addressing the leadership through the press is to bring the subject matter into the light; to invoke a conscience awakening to a broad-spectrum of members and university students who possibly are unaware of the effects of integrating Christianity and cultural norms. Thirdly, I decided to write to the press so as to reach a wider continuum of members, and therefore initiate a public discussion of the subject. I will formally write to the Rusangu University leadership over the same.
A few days ago, we viewed a video of cultural performances at Rusangu University which leaves much to be desired. From a church member’s perspective, I personally cannot fathom the idea of young women wiggling their waists in a sexual way inside a hall of a Christian university. I do not need to remind every Zambian, excerpt those born in diaspora, that the idea of teaching a young woman who has come of age (puberty), or one who is about to get married (Matebeto, etc.) is to prepare her to satisfy her husband sexually. Furthermore, the idea of having sexually appealing dances in our villages is to show case what ‘our’ (tribal) women are able to do in bed. Dancing in a sexually arousing way has nothing to do with Christianity, worse still, in a hall at a Christian university campus. I respect our culture, but it has its rightful place. Many other practices are done in the name of culture, for example, marrying two wives, divorce and remarriage, witchcraft, men and women circumcision, piercing earlobes and nose, spousal abuse, pre-marital sex, etc. Is Rusangu University going to allow the practice of these other cultural norms on its campus and not see anything wrong with them? What if you had students who practice homosexuality, are you going to allow them to practice it freely on campus, bearing in mind that homosexuality is a way of life, therefore a ‘culture,’ in the Western hemisphere? Why then should we pick and choose which cultural practice is good for Christianity and particularly for Seventh-day Adventists? I will leave it to the Zambia Union Conference leadership to address the issue of mixing culture and Christianity with Rusangu University leadership.
I do not suggest that the Ministry of Religion and National Guidance take up issue with the SDA church leadership in Zambia. But if they are going to be identifying who is a ‘fake’ prophet, or who is not, then they must also look to larger denominations and see to it that they uphold ‘real’ Christian values, morals and standards, regardless of the organization. In the United States of America, for example, Christian colleges are grappling with the idea of enrolling LGBT (Lesbian, Transgender, Bi-sexual and Transgender) students on their campuses. The government will revoke the status of ‘Christian college’ and require that the campus pay taxes similar to non-Christian universities and colleges depending on whether they accept homosexual students or not. I do not know whether Christian Universities are exempted from paying taxes in Zambia. Should the Zambian government start monitoring Christian Universities to see that they uphold the Christian standard and lose their tax exempt status if they do not?
I recommend that the leadership at Rusangu University immediately ban the cultural night at their campuses. We cannot mix cultural norms with Christianity. The practice will raise many other complicated issues that they will not be able to handle.
In brotherly love,
CONCERNED MEMBER
I am not religious but i find the sexual dancing in church to be bad
This is not for public consumption and the concerned member is not a genuine SDA member but from an offshoot called Davidians. No SDA member would write this. And Lusakatimes please consult the official SDA representatives before publishing lies.
The way Edgar was dancing Dununa reverse behind Mumbi, We called for prayers!
@Mpaso 1.1 He/she said the video is available. So the University didn’t have a cultural night?
Here is my take – When I see a man ( it happened during my days out to night clubs) putting his lower abdomen to me then I know what they want.
I simply stay away and smile, my body is not a vehicle that takes two people, One man is enough for me.
What I suspect is that this happens ONLY in Seventh Day Adventist
Catholics like me are too disciplined to engage themselves in doing these sexual dances
I am throwing up as I type now
Thanks
BB2014,2016
THE WRITER OF THIS LETTER IS VERY REASONABLE AND CARES ABOUT THE MORAL STANDARDS OF ZAMBIANS. CHURCHES HAVE GONE OFF-TRACK IN THEIR PREACHING. THEIR PREACHINGS ALWAYS SUGGEST ADULTERY AND FORNICATION. THERE’S COMPLETE LACK OF MORAL STANDARDS IN CHURCHES NOWADAYS. THANKS FOR YOUR LETTER.
Mushota no comment? I leave this for your guidance! Lol!
Some PhDs are useless, to say the least, this site has people who acquire them by being a blogger.
Even the letter is suggestive: why an open letter? Opening for who?
It’s the one who sees seduction in the dances who possesses an evil mind
The writer seems not to be specific. I don’t understand what issue he is addressing. I am at loss or maybe he wants to discuss the SDA church and compare his perceptions with other views over the SDA. In other words, he wants to hear someone say that the SDA be banned and He comes to the fore and say he knows what the SDA are dong. My opinion.
Sadly, these dances are condoned even in primary schools and yet we come out strong to condemn child marriages. I find such dances very dirty and capable of corrupting minds of children, surely this has to stop, madam minister of culture, education sir and the lot.
True – there is too much “fwenkula” in some churches. That can confuse worshippers and lead them to temptation….stop it
Robmwale this is how i read it also, isnt there an inference that HH is connected to SDA church so i saw it at a veiled attempt to further discred the opposition leader.
Our economy is dead, pipo are hungry and all pipo want to talk about is politics.
Whether HH is i jail, the petition is alive, the 14 days elapsed, didnt elapse, whethrr ECL was incorrectly sworn in.
The big issue is OUR ECONOMY and how do we repay our borrowings.
Banning the cultural night might leave the students no option but to jump out of windows at midnight to go off to local clubs/dives to meet with their loves.
No. I think best suggestion is to give each teacher a long yard stick to impose a distance between dancers at college events. I mean this works very well for Christian secondary schools! The students have to keep the distance or are interrupted during dance with the dreaded measuring stick to impose the distance. Old fashioned but proven to work. As for SDA….who goes to church on Saturday?
Brother, you are just dirty in your thinking. I saw the video and there was nothing sinful about that. You are not better than the pharisees who saw sin in every act that Jesus did. Take time to read about culture and religion and the place of culture in the body of Christ. I hope you are not only sponsored to put the name of the honorable Vice chancellor (Dr. Pardon Mwansa) into ridicule. From your intro, i highly doubt if you are even in the diaspora, why making all those apologies. Get a life brother! The time and effort you wasted in writing this article could have been used for better things…i.e. you could have used that time to pray for Rusangu management and ask God to forgive them if they did anything wrong by hosting that event
Dancing is can be described as ‘vertical indication of horizontal intention’. I will leave the rest to your imagination.
Banthu bali na njala. Imwe mukamba vovina apa. Umozi niza mukwapula apa
Very interesting picture above. A young girl watches from a distance while a male and female teacher obliviously engage in a suggestive dance.
Ndiyangana chabe ine
We cannot mix cultural norms with Christianity: Christianity itself is a product of a culture and refined through cultures down the ages.
Brought up in conservatve Zambia l am surprised, but Zambians are still the best people I’ve met in Africa.
The writer of the article, has no gist neither q coherence argument with the subject. The campus premises and a Church two different issues. Secondly, how can you separate Christinity and Religion? It seems you don’t know what you are talking about. Everything has got it’s own time,the University has it’s own scheduled program with specific time, time for sports, entertainment, public worshiping, productivity activities and so forth. Therefore, cultural dancing has nothing to deal Christian morals and norms. The picture shown above doesn’t display sexual attraction but the correlation between the talents and culturally diversity practice. The ortic and moral evil are committed in the intentional and subconscious of a person and objective thus the moral judgement of condemning must be…
The writer of this article has no proper information about the event….pliz next time Lusaka time before you publish such information carry out proper surveys on every article. Such a move is not professional and would be illegal. How do you publish an article on an individuals point of view this is a two sided case which require a view from both parties. That event was not held in the church and it was not a seductive dance performance. Cultural night was meant to appreciate our cultures what is wrong with culture. Am an Adventist and I watched the video I know the place very well and I can tell you that the written article is not true. Pliz Lusaka Times do not involve the churches in cases you do not know. Practice professionalism in your work. Don’t make people doubt your stories.