By Gray Soko
In December 1991 Zambia was declared a Christian Nation by the second republican president, the late FTJ and this is enshrined in the preamble of the constitution which also upholds the right of every person to enjoy freedom of conscience or religion. It has been stated that 97.6% of the population of Zambia are Christians i.e. are members of a Christian denomination or identify themselves as Christians but may not necessarily be believers or church goers.
The motivation for declaring Zambia a Christian nation has been said to be the desire to direct the governance of the country on biblical principles. How exactly this is being done is subject to debate but it is clear that the government has on several occasions expressed its displeasure at what it sees as intrusion of religion in the affairs of government. This leaves one to wonder who is expected to espouse the biblical principles on which to anchor governance issues. Further, some of the clergy have shied from commenting on governance issues under the pretext of “supporting the government of the day”.
The declaration of Zambia as a Christian Nation was not merely a demographic fact but meant to direct the affairs of the country in a particular way, however, as matters stand now there is a danger of this simply becoming a neutral posture in matters of religion. There is little, if any, reference to the teachings of the scripture in the political, justice , social or economic life of the country. Certainly this is not evident in the election campaign so far save for the call for voters to be wary of “infidels” who would introduce or condone immorality such as homosexuality. Interestingly Zambia chose to abstain in the United Nation’s Human Rights Council vote on gay rights in June 2011. Twenty three countries supported the resolution condemning violence and discrimination against gays, lesbians and transgender people, nineteen voted against ( nine of which were African countries ). Burkina Faso, China and Zambia abstained. Could this interpreted as a sign of “neutrality” on matters of religion or morality ?
Believers and the church have the duty to ensure that the right persons are put in government, men and women who will make correct decisions that will not destroy or stagnate the country so that the people live peaceful and productive lives. There is no need to be super spiritual or procrastinate. If convinced of the right candidate, it will not benefit until the vote is cast according to your conscience, do not be swayed by consensus , patronage or the temporal flow of material gifts.
Lets vote for leaders that will bring honour and blessing to the country in every area and at every level of society. It is within our power to see that this comes to pass. We should be weary of those looking for applause or personal approval rather than for the passion they have to move the country to higher levels. The leaders I pray we will elect will be those with self imposed discipline whose behavior and actions in government will not have negative consequences for our country.
We are as it is decades behind some of our neighbours and this gap should not continue to widen. Enough has been said about Zambia’s potential but unutilized potential is nothing more than wealth in the ground, dormant ability, unused energy on our rivers, unreleased power or hidden strength to transform this country.
As 20 September 2011 draws close, Christians should stand up and be counted. Their scripture inspired vote will give meaning to the declaration.
Zambia is christian nation by mouth of politician and some pastors who does not understand the concept. practically we are far being Christian nation. it a good ideology but there are not people to drive it because current we have selfish one we dont know if there are believers or not by way which does RB and HH goes
There is more to the declaration that Jesus is Lord than meets the physical eye. I was once against this so called declaration and thought it misplaced and ill advised. However, my studies of the Holy Jewish scriptures from Genesis to Revelation including the ones not generally considered canonical have led me to believe that God places special honour on the ‘leader of the people.’ His personal morality is irrelevant as far as his OFFICE is concerned and while our leader has been avowedly and publicly under Christ, Zambia has prospered from 1962 to 1970 and from 1991 to 2011. KK PUBLICLY ditched the Jesus of his father and embraced a syncretistic universalism, where Jesus is as Lord as Krishna. Zambia suffered for that. The declaration is a confession and…
…’whoever confesses Me before men, him will I also confess before the Father’ Jesus Christ.
There is definately a Christian vote whose members are mobilising Christians of all shades decampaigning PF’s Sata because of his stand on Gayism. This group was behind late Andy Mazoka’sloss in 2001 due to his perceived dubious spiritual background. This group has decided that RB is therefore a lesser evil than Sata and are heavily campaigning for him in all churches countrywide.
The Christianity that Jesus Christ introduced to the world through His death, burial and resurrection is one that is established in the hearts of individuals, not constitutions. Nations can certainly follow Biblical principles in their governance. I submit that Zambia has not and is not following Biblical principles as long as the injustice and corruption continue at their present levels. God has a covenant through Jesus Christ with many Zambians, but not with the nation as a whole. There is no Biblical precedent for nations making covenants with God other than Israel and we are not Israel.
I agree
Since zambia has been declared a christian nation ,it has been a target by the devil.This has been seen in a number of evil being schemed and a lot of other vices thoughout the country.It was during this period of the declaration were we lost vibrant sons of the nation through “mysterious” deaths whose perpertrators are not clearly known even upto now, as a nation.The prevalence of HIV grew even higher mostly through immorality such a fornication and adultary.False prophets are everywhere.Even on this blog some chaps use abuse language and its clear that others are not even believers like MUSHOTA
I have heard pastors indorse RB, a muslim for president of a christian nation. Rupiah is a Muslim and they are quiet. God redeem us.
If that is true then we truly have lost it, nothing good comes from Islam, look at the Arab world, Look at Nigeria, Next the man will be advocating sharia law in Zambia. IF it is true then we need to wake up and seriously rethink our destiny.
There is always a beginning. We may be far from attaining the christian values as a nation but in the long ran something good will come out of it. Christianity is about love and let us start from there.
‘Christian Nation’ gimmick was just a way for some individuals to monopolise power by claiming that God was using them. God loves everybody and has no sides. Politicians should provide people with services and should not be spiritual guides. That is the work of pastors and parents. Zambian people dropped the ball when they started mixing politics and religion. Many politicians are liars by nature and to trust them because they claim God speaks to them is foolish to say the least. We need STRONG INSTITUTIONS and not bible carrying politicians. Continue to campaign on what you are going to do and do not claim that God is on your side!
Jonathan, we need more people like you in Z. You see my bro, Christians claim God loves all, but at the same time their bible says he has chosen people! Isn’t that stupid? This shows you that God is a creation of humans who mix what they aspire for and what they are now, to create a superbeing to whom they want to pass all things they cant explain.
Zambia found itself in a precarious catch 22 situation with regards to the UN vote on homos. If it voted in support of the resolution, while condemning violence, it did not want to be seen as supporting the homosexuality and the opposite is true if it voted against.
Christianity has help a lot in quietening sometimes potentially volatile situations in the country though govt abuses it a lot. It has been a uniting, rational and voice of the voiceless for social justice in our country.
We know that since Chiluba left office there were schemes to remove the Christian Declaration, but it was difficult for Mwanawasa and now Rupiah to remove it from the pre-amble of the constitution fearing a backlash from the wider Christian community such as the Catholic church and its influential leaders
Get your facts right….The catholic does not endorse the declaration of Zambia as a Christian Nation.
Declaring Zambia a Christian nation may have been a feel good thing for Christians but it was the wrongest political move we have ever taken. FTJ was so tunnel visioned he thought religion meant Christianity. People are so diverse you cant impose one single religion on them. You are being dictatorial if you do. As humans we are searching for the truth; one religion cant arrive on the scene and claim it is the truth unless it is talking to myopic people. Political leadership should be broad-minded enough to encompass all the people it presides over. We have had enough experience as humanity to realise that mixing religion and politics is dangerous.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. SECOND PARAGRAPH OF THE AMERICAN DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
I am trying to understand this delusion of `religion`. Wasn`t it declared by FTJ and then decide to plunder the country? We have immense issues to deal with and if we are going to rely on the `divine` to solve our problems then `pigs will fly`. please, no more anointment by the `omnipresent`!
Iwe Kapoli pray that God gives you good leaders and that he personally gives you the wisdom to elect good leaders who will solve your problems, as long as we have (had) the likes of FTJ, RB, SATA and the rest then you will continue to wallow in your poverty wasn’t LPM a born again Christian and Baptized in a at Lusaka Baptist Church. Didi you not begin to see the changes as he felt for the people and had a vision for the country , pray that God saves you from this gluttonous bunch that we have at the moment will care about you RB and SATA are the same!!
LPM was a Jehovah’s Witness not a Baptist. the witnesses believe in pollitical leadership
Christian or no Christian clause, the fact still remains, Christians (believers in the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour) have a duty to pray for the Nation and its leadership and for all those in authority. Christians have the means and power through prayer and fasting to influence a lot of decisions on National issues and also bring about peace, unity and prosperity.
Gray Soko why don’t you post your thought provoking articles during the week when its busy…posting your articles when its quiet is a waste!!
could someone tell me which church RB and HH goes
Nowadays religon is doing more harm than good. Although it was invented to bring world order, ‘population control, mind control; etc.. its business as usual for money hungry fake prophets and priests, and more & more heartaches and empty pockets for the believers!
3/4 of Emmasdales population is moslem, are they all foreigners?
Is there a sinners vote would be a question?I say so because the vast majority of zambians don’t go to church or are xtians in name only.All have sinned and fallen short of…it says.Let a priest become president and i bet they’ll succumb to some temptations of power.I have seen preachers here in USA abuse their power and use the church as a stepping stone to lavish lifestyles using gullible believers.Others have used it for sexual favours.In the end,it is safer to just say we have a plain vote.Neither xian nor a sinners vote.
beloved lets not fight about the declaration, the bible says that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities, powers and rulers in high places things we can not see with our physical eyes and it also says that the weapons of our warefare are not canal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds, i respect the person who declared zambia as a christian nation bacause there is power in whatever you declare as it says in job that you shall decree a thing and it shall be established, i know there a lot of immoral acts in the country you might say, but you and i as christians must confess the sins on behalf of mother zambia that God heals our land as it says in 2 choronicles 7:14. God loves mother zambia lets continue praying for this beautiful nation.
Organised religion preys on humanity’s fear of death to control them. The majority of the people who call themselves ‘Men of God’ are just using God for their own selfish motives……
Lesser of two evils?? Muslim Rb or catholic Sata? Thats the problem with these so called church leaders who only make endorsments because yaba nyokola njala
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. – SECOND PARAGRAPH OF THE AMERICAN DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
Yeah right, the person who wrote that was a slave owner! he probably didn’t consider people with dark skin as ‘equals’
I strongly believe that the USA rose and became very successful through their christian values, from the 1800’s to the 1980’s they produced some of the greatest evangelists the world has ever seen. On a personal level I want to have the freedom to worship my God, I do not want to be called an infidel or persecuted for my beliefs as the case is in Nigeria were Muslims want to impose sharia law on christian communities, YES there is a strong and big christian vote.
No you believe wrongly my bro. The US became very profitbale during the slave trade. It has nothing to do with God. They exploited free labour to its maximum. On that very personal level you talk about I would like to have the freedom not to believe your God. But when you make Zambia a Christian nation you are dictating that I should be Christian.
#12 Iwe Kapoli pray that God gives you good leaders and that he personally gives you the wisdom to elect good leaders who will solve your problems, as long as we have (had) the likes of FTJ, RB, SATA and the rest then you will continue to wallow in your poverty wasn’t LPM a born again Christian and Baptized in a at Lusaka Baptist Church. Didi you not begin to see the changes as he felt for the people and had a vision for the country , pray that God saves you from this gluttonous bunch that we have at the moment will care about you RB and SATA are the same!!
Yes there is a christian vote out their and it big . 30% cathloic and 70 % protestant. HH is SDA , Sata Catholic and RB unknown . If you listened to Christain voice chat back then you which candidate has the highest following in the christian church going popoulation
#23 No you believe wrongly my bro. The US became very profitable during the slave trade. It has nothing to do with God. Capitalist slave masters exploited free labour to its maximum. On that very personal level you talk about, I would like to have the freedom not to believe in your God, to believe in my God or not to believe in anything supernatural. But when you make Zambia a Christian nation you are dictating that I should be Christian. That is not only unfair but barbaric. Savages have no room for a different opinion and at times a savage mindset can people perceived to be peaceful. Like what is happening in Zambia
#23 No you believe wrongly my bro. The US became very profitable during the slave trade. It has nothing to do with God. Capitalist slave masters exploited free labour to its maximum. On that very personal level you talk about, I would like to have the freedom not to believe in your God, to believe in my God or not to believe in anything supernatural. But when you make Zambia a Christian nation you are dictating that I should be Christian. That is not only unfair but barbaric. Savages have no room for a different opinion and at times a savage mindset can occupy people perceived to be peaceful. Like what is happening in Zambia