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I. THEME: MAN IN A CHANGING SOCIETY

SUB-THEME: Working in a changing society

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Man in a changing Society

Working in a changing Society

Present Situation
 No one just lives in a society.
 Work is a very important aspect of our life.
 Life at school is very much concerned with work.
 The work of many people has made it possible for school to exist.
 We pay fees because of work.
 Work makes workers to be employed.
 Your work is possible because of your past and other people’s work in the past.
 Your work helps to decide what you and others will be able to do in the future.
 Work enables us live decently and enjoy the benefits and conveniences of modern society.
 The work of many people together is needed.
 We need each other’s work.
 Our work is interdependent.

Problems arising from salaried employment and industrialization

 Boredom is when one does the same type of job for a long time.
 Indifference it is having I do not care attitude towards work.
 Unemployment it is the condition of having no job.
 Corruption is dishonest exploitation of power for personal gain.

Working in Rural Areas

 Most work is centered on agriculture.
 Growing food and raising livestock are the most important priorities of the nation.
 Most farmers are self-employed.
 Agricultural work is more rewarding than in urban areas.
 Hard work gives one a sense of accomplishment.

Working in urban areas

 Agriculture is at the mercy of weather.
 Unfavourable weather can result in poor harvest and little profit.
 Working for someone else is not always boring and unsatisfying.
 Work can be challenging and enjoyable.
 Workers are assured a monthly salary.
 Work done well is of benefit to national growth.
 Work is more rewarding than in rural areas.

Work among the Hindus in Zambia

 There is no difference in the work done in India and in Zambia.
 Hindus are also involved in farming, trade, crafts, business, education, housekeeping and
government jobs.
 But they are prominent in business.
 They are hard-working.
 They are important contributors to the nation’s growth and prosperity.
 One of the characteristics of Hindus is helping the poor.

Teaching of Islam about work

 The master should not charge a worker with work beyond his power.
 If the employer does then he should help him in it.
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 Pay the labourer his wages before his sweat gets dry.
 Work is honourable.
 The employer should not act unjustly and unkindly towards his employee.
 The master should feed the servant out of what he eats himself and clothe him out of what he
clothes himself with.
 He should pardon his servant seventy times every day.
 A servant who serves his master sincerely shall have double reward.
 The employer should settle the wages with the servant.

The teaching of Karl Marx on work

 Is a German Jew born in 1818 and died in 1883.
 He was a baptized Christian.
 Marx became a philosopher, journalist and writer.
 He lived during the Industrial Revolution.
 His ideas were too dangerous.

He experienced:
 the suffering and misery of the labourers.
 their low wages and long hour of work.
 their inhuman working conditions.
 their lack of security and child labour.
He wanted to:
 eliminate the causes of suffering and misery of the workers.
 improve the conditions of the workers.
 use ability to the fullest
 develop talents
 make full use of the earth
A true Marxist-Leninist is one who believes that:
 all progress can be achieved by conflicts.
 we can be redeemed from selfishness by abolishing private ownership.
 society and nature develop themselves
 individuals have little value apart from their contribution to the collective group.
 evil is caused by wrong and harmful circumstances around us in class struggle.
 revolution is needed to bring about a classless society.
Traditional Zambian attitudes towards work
 Work was part and parcel of everyday life.
 Work was divided according to sex, age and rank.
 Most work was communal.
 Work was related to the basic needs of life.
 A person decided when to work or when not to work.
 Everybody was a worker.
 Generally women worked harder than men.

CHURCH HISTORY
Monasteries contributed much to society through work
 Monasteries grew up with people who dedicated their lives to God.
 They lived a life of prayer and work.
 Their example and service to others had a great effect on the society.
 Work became something good, honourable and not just a burden.
Contributions of monasteries towards work:
 They taught people proper methods of farming,
 They offered education to the people,
 They cared for the old and the sick.
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 They were hospitable towards travelers.

Monasteries lost the balance between work and prayer.
 They grew wealthy due to their hard work and gifts they received from wealthy Christians.
 Church services became more important,
 They spent a lot of time in prayer and worship.
 The custom to have mass everyday began.
 Lay sisters and brothers were enlisted to do manual work.
Prayer for a balanced life
 You have, O God, called me to a life of both prayer and work.
 May I answer your call by never being afraid to dirty in manual labour
 and may I never spend one single day without praising you in prayer.
 Lord, help me to answer your call to live a well balanced life. Amen.
Craft Guilds helped the worker
 The forerunner of the present day trade unions was the Craft Guild.
 It originated in Europe during the middle age.
Contributions of the Crafts Guilds towards work:
 The guilds guaranteed that each worker was properly trained.
 They kept up good standard of work.
 They appointed chaplains.
 They made donations to the church.
 The guilds were guided by Christian principles.
 They gave scholarships to the poor children.
 Craftsmen gave glory to God through their high quality and standard of work.
Lord Shaftesbury made conditions better for the worker
 With the coming of the industrial age unemployment was extremely high.
 Working conditions were severely unjust.
 Wages were low.
 Sanitary conditions were poor.
 Ventilation in the shops was unsatisfactory.
 Long Working hours.
 Child labour existed.
 No health or housing benefits.
He campaigned for:
 schools for the children of poor workers
 ten hours work act.
 better housing.
The church trained and is training people in different skills
 Sewing, typing, autos and radio repairs, agricultural methods,
 carpentry, brick laying, crafts, cooking etc.
 The object is to give people some skills
 and enable them to set up their own small business.
The church’s teaching about work
Work is noble
 Christians believe that work was given as a punishment for sin.
 But we should think of it as something noble or enriching.
 Christ was a manual labourer for most of his life.
 He learnt carpentry from Joseph.
 He was not ashamed of being a common worker.
 Work is base and key to life.
 The best way to serve God is to do the work that he has been assigned to you.
The church has developed the following purpose and meaning of work:
 Work is a duty and right of every human being.
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 Work is noble and brings dignity to every human being.

 Work should never be used to oppress people.
 Work should be done diligently.
 Good working conditions be provided.
 Honesty should accompany any work.

BIBLE Old Testament

Genesis 1:26-31s
 God said we will make human beings,
 they will be like us and resemble us.
 They will have power over all animals
 He created human beings
 He made them to be like himself
 He created male and female
 He blessed them
 He said have many children.
 Your descendants will live all over the earth.
 They will bring it under their control
 I am putting you in charge of all animals
 I have provided grain and fruit for you.
 I have also provided grass and plants for animals
 God looked at what he made and was happy.
Meaning
 God gave us the earth and all it contains to rule over.
 He puts it under our control so that we benefit from it.
 We spent long hours manufacturing bombs and weapons to destroy each other.
 Thieves and criminals also plan to do evil.

Exodus 1:8-14; 5:7-19

 King of Egypt said these Israelites are too many and too strong…
 If they increase further and war breaks out,
 they will join our enemies, fight us
 and become masters of our country.
 The Israelites were made to work heavily to break their spirits.
 They built Pithom and Rameses.
 The harder they were treated, the greater they increased.
 They were given cruel work: brick-making and field labour.
 The Israelites were ordered to collect the straw needed for making bricks
 and to make the same number of bricks as when straw was brought to them.
 King: They are lazy and always asking to offer sacrifice to their god.
 The Israelites foremen were flogged for not completing the required number of bricks.
 The foremen complained to the king.
 The king said they were lazy and only wanted to offer sacrifice to their god
 and that they would be given no straw
 but had to produce the required number of bricks.
Meaning
 Work is used to exploit and oppress the Israelites.
 The king used work to weaken the Israelites.

Exodus 20:8-11
 Keep the Sabbath holy.
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 You have six days to work;

 on the seventh,
 do not work,
 nor your son, your daughter,
 your slaves, your cattle, nor aliens.
 God made heaven,
 the earth, the sea in six days;
 on the seventh,
 he rested.
 God blessed the Sabbath
 and declared it holy.
Meaning
 The Sabbath is one of the basic laws.
 It means ‘stopping work’.
 It helps us to be aware of God’s love.
 It also helps us to have a proper outlook on work.
 To see that persons are greater than work.
 That work strengthens rather than weakens relationships between people.

Deuteronomy 24:5-6, 10-15, 19-22

 A newly married man
 to be given time off from military service
 or any other public duty
 to enjoy his wife.
 Do not take a man’s millstones as security.
 Do not take something as security from a debtor;
 wait until he brings it out to you.
 Do not take a poor man’s cloak as security overnight.
 Pay a poor man his wages before sunset each day.
 At harvest time,
 leave some grain, olives or grapes
 behind for the aliens, orphans and widows.
Meaning
 Some people use work for oppression.
 Laws are formulated to protect workers, especially the poor and under privileged.

Jeremiah 22:13-17
 Shame on the man who builds his house by injustice.
 And enlarges it by dishonesty.
 Makes his people work for nothing
 Does not pay their wages
 who says I will build myself a big house
 Put windows, panel it with cedar and paint it red.
 Do houses with cedar make him better king or finer than those for others?
 Your father enjoyed life.
 He was always just and fair.
 He prospered in everything he did.
 He gave the poor a fair trial and all was good with him.
 You can only see your selfish interests.
 You kill the innocent and oppress people.
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Meaning
 Some people in authority make people work hard without paying them.
 Such cruel treatment of the workers is not condoned.

Ezra 3:7-9
 People gave money to pay the stonemasons
 The money was also meant to pay the carpenters.
 Stonemasons and carpenters were also given food, drink and olive-oil
 To be sent to the cities of Tyre and Sidon
 in exchange for cedar-trees from Lebanon,
 Which were to be brought by sea to Joppa.
 All this was done with the permission of Cyrus.
 When they came back to the site of the Temple,
 They began to work.
 Zerubbabel, Joshua, and their fellow Israelites, priests and Levites started the work.
 The work of rebuilding the Temple of Jerusalem.
 Joshua, his sons, relatives and Kadmid and his sons were responsible.
Meaning
 We should work all together
 Cooperation is needed for building the nation.

BIBLE New Testament

Matthew 25:14-30
 Before leaving for a trip, a landowner puts three servants
 in charge of his property according to their abilities …
 The first received 5,000 coins, the second 2,000, the third 1,000…
 The first servant invested his coins and earned another 5,000…
 The second servant did likewise and earned another 2,000…
 The third servant hid his 1,000…
 The landowner came back and settled accounts…
 The first and second servant handed over their money doubled…
 The landowner said, “well done good and faithful servants;
 be in charge of large amounts; share my happiness…”
 The third servant said, “You are a hard man;
 you reap when you did not plant;
 you gather crops where you did not scatter seed, so I hid your money; here it is.”…
 The landowner said, “You are bad and lazy.
 You should have banked the money to receive interest…
 Give his money to the first servant…
 He who has something, more will be given him…
 He who has nothing, even the little he has will be taken away…
 Throw the third servant in the darkness; he will cry and gnash his teeth.
Meaning
 We need to work to develop our talent.
 If we fail, we will lose it.

Matthew 25:31-46
 When the son of man comes like a king and sits on his throne,
 all the nations will be gathered before him…
 He will divide them into two groups: goats and sheep,
 the righteous on the right and the others on the left.
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 King: Come you righteous, come and possess the kingdom…

 I was hungry you fed me…
 Thirsty, you gave me drink…
 A stranger, you received me…
 Naked, you clothed me…
 Sick, you took care of me…
 In prison, you visited me
 Those on the right: When did we do these things to you?
 King: Whenever you did this for one of the least
 of my brothers, you did it for me.
 To those on the left: You are cursed; away to eternal fire,
 prepared for the devil and his angels…
 You did not do these things to me.
 Those on the left: When did we not do these things to you?
 King: Whenever you refused to help one of these least important ones, you refused to help me.
 These will go to eternal punishment but the righteous will go to eternal life.
Meaning
 We should be working to bring the kingdom of God to the people.
 We shall be judged by how we have served others.
 Service is meeting the needs of people, thus bringing them closer to happiness.

Mark 6:30-34
 The apostles told Jesus all they had done and taught.
 There were many people
 Jesus and his disciples did not have time to eat.
 Jesus said let us go to some place
 Where we can rest for a while
 They started out in a boat
 Many people saw them leave
 They ran ahead by land
 And arrived ahead of Jesus and his disciples
 Jesus saw this large crowd
 His heart was filled with pity for them
 He began to teach them.
Meaning
 We need rest after work but if people need us, we should work.

EXAMINATION-TYPE QUESTIONS

(i) The institution of the Sabbath and the presence of the prophets help to protect the Israelites
from being exploited. Give the content of two passages from Exodus and Jeremiah
that support this statement.
(ii) Illustrate how a serious respect for the Sabbath and the teaching of Jeremiah might
help develop Christian’s attitudes towards work today.
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THEME: ORDER AND FREEDOM IN SOCIETY

SUB-THEME: Justice in Society

Present Situation
 It is easier to explain what injustice is.
 There are times when we are punished unjustly for things we did not do because of being young or
of not being in authority.
Injustice within Social Systems
 Society at times justifies certain practices, which in actual fact are unjust.
The following are some of the injustices that are present in the world today.
 Bribery: the offer of money or gift to bring about something illegal or dishonest benefit to the
giver.
 Blackmail: a threat to expose information about someone in order to obtain money or a favour.
 Abortion: destroy the life of a baby before its birth.
 Nepotism: favouritism to relatives by allocating jobs, promotions, loans, scholarships.
 Tribalism: favouritism to those belonging to ones own tribe.
 Absenteeism: being away from work without good reasons.
The search for Justice demands an INFORMED VISION
 If we want to become sincere in our search for justice we must put aside personal feelings and
opinions and work at arriving at an informed vision.
The word informed means to have all the information, details and truth about the subject or problem.
The word vision means the ability to see into the future.
The steps to follow if we are to arrive at an informed vision:
 Try to understand how thing really are.
 Consider how they could be.
 Do something to make things better.

Champions of justice
There have always been people who have seen unjust situations in society and changed them.
DOM HELDER CAMARA
 Camara an archbishop of Brazil fought for justice for the poor of his country.
 A small percentage of its people owned a big percentage of its wealth.
 Camara spoke strongly against the government that seemed to keep the poor poor and seemed to
make the rich richer.
 He believed in non-violence.
 His views were about to liberate the poor from their misery.
 He believed more strongly in the power of truth, justice and love.
 He said that violence was not the real answer to violence.
 He said the only true answer to violence is to have the courage to face the injustices.
CHIEF ALBERT TUTHULI
 He joined the African National Congress Party of South Africa in 1940’s.
 He was in his forties at that time.
 He was elected president of the Natal Branch of the ANC in 1952.
 He worked in the defiance campaign against unjust racialist laws.
 He encouraged people to enter doors marked for the racial groups to sit in offices and on benches
for Europeans only.
 He was also a believer of non-violence.
 He became president General of the ANC in 1961.
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 He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his courage

 and his commitment to non-violence in seeking justice for his people.
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
 He was born in USA when racial equality was unknown.
 Both his parents were religious.
 At an early age he suffered many humiliations.
 He went to college and wanted to do sociology but because of influence did Theology.
 After completing his studies he was ordained minister.
 For Martin social justice and Christianity were inseparable.
 Spiritual freedom and political freedom were two sides of the same coin.
 He fought for equality and dignity for the Black Americans.
 He organised marches to protest unjust law.
 He was insulted, spat, beaten and even stabbed but never used violence.
 There is great strength in a person who fights back an insult or a beaten with a smile.
 He received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to gain justice for an oppressed people.
 He died on 4th April 1968.
 The world is poorer for his leaving it, but richer for his having lived in it.
MAHATMA GANDHI: NON-VIOLENCE AND JUSTICE
 He was one of the modern world’s greatest and most successful reformer.
 He lived a simple life:
 ate no meat and drank goat’s milk
 He worked at a spinning wheel.
 He was deeply spiritual.
 He made time to meditate on the meaning of life and the place of religion in it
 He believed that the way to political freedom was through personal freedom.
 Inner freedom comes from humility, good, honest living deep contemplation, prayer and total self
knowledge
 He lived a life resisting injustice.
 He encouraged his people to demonstrate in the streets, refuse to work and make known their
grievances to the colonial government.
 This brought him and his followers suffering, beatings and imprisonment.
 He believed that God is truth and fear lies at the root of untruth and violence.

The teachings of Mohammed on Social Justice

 The prophet had much to say about just treatment of people.
 He said, ‘Who ever takes a loan and has no intention of repaying it, is a thief.’
 Honesty is seen as an important quality among Muslims.
 He was clear on justice towards workers.
 God demands justice and fair dealing, kindness to orphans and widows, and charity to the poor.
 Do not expel wives from their houses unless they commit a proven crime.
 He discouraged back-biting or slandering.
Forms of justice in Islamic society:
 Good works
 Respect for workers
 No back-biting or slandering

African Traditional ideas about Justice

 Community needs and harmony were linked with justice.
 Human need was the supreme criterion.
 Social harmony was a vital necessity.
 The chiefs and tribal elders had an important function in settling disputes and reconciliation.
The three important ideas about justice are:
 Justice is not concerned with revenge or punishment.
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 Justice is about reconciliation not punishment.

 Justice is compensation, paying back.
Traditional belief that might be considered unjust
 Harsh treatment of the insane and crippled.
 Mistrust of members of a different tribe than ones own.
 Being jealous of someone who prospers materially.
 Witch hunting where the suspects had not time to explain.

CHURCH HISTORY
Slavery in the Early Church
 Slave status no longer counted in Church.
 Christians were encouraged to free their slaves.

 Several freed slaves became priests and bishops and one a pope.
 The church accepted marriage between slaves as valid unlike the Roman laws.
Why slavery was not abolished in the fourth century?
 The church was becoming rich and powerful.
 When the empire became officially Christian bishops and clergy were given privileges.
 It would upset the whole way of life.
 Rich people preferred things to remain as they were.
 Rich people lived a comfortable life.
Slavery died in the west during the medieval period.
 At this time the position of the poorest peasants was little better than that of slaves.
 They were unable to move from the land they cultivated without permission.
 The peasants had rights which slaves did not.
 The disappearance of slavery had to do with Christianity.
The African Slave Trade
 Sailors from Portugal and Spain traveled to unknown areas in the 15th century.
 The Portuguese went to India and the Far East via the African coast.
 The Spanish went westward to the Americas.
 Both the Spanish and Portuguese took land in the America’s and settled there.
 The Portuguese found gold in Africa and also started the slave trade.
 They took the slaves to Brazil and America and made them work on their farms and plantations.
 The slaves from West Africa were also taken and sold to the Arabs of North Africa.
St. Peter Claver was a Spanish priest who was the greatest friend of the slaves.
 He spent whole his life trying to help them.
 He would take medicine and food for them when they first arrived.
 He did his best to get the slave owners to treat their slaves well.
 He visited the plantations and mines where they worked.
 He helped them.
 He taught them the Christian faith.
 He arranged care for the sick.
 He worked like this for forty years.
 He met with a lot of opposition from slave owners.
 His kindness made many slaves accept the Christian faith.

Zambian Christians who tried to remove Injustice

 Injustice in Zambia was colonial rule
 all the humiliation people had to go through
 the straggle began with the birth of Congress in 1948.
 In later turned out to be ANC.
 Harry Nkumbula was its first president.
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 He mobilised the people also joined.

 In the Northern Province he made the people aware of their rights.
 He encouraged them to oppose the plan of Federation.
 In spite of the protest of the majority of the people Federation was imposed in Aug. 1953.
 In Oct. 1958 a new political party came up.
 It was banned a year later.
 Its leaders were put into jail.
 After the United National Independence Party UNIP was formed.
 In Jan. 1960 Kenneth Kaunda was released.
 He was made leader of UNIP.
 The leaders of UNIP and ANC fell back on Christian principles.
 The church was not very zealous for independence.
 Harry Njumbula and Kenneth kaunda fought for freedom and justice.
 That it was the teaching of Christianity in regard to social justice.
 President Kaunda was well known for his faith in God and Jesus.
 It was faith that gave him strength and courage to continue the fight for independence.

BIBLE Old Testament

Exodus 22:21-27; 23:1-8

 Do not oppress foreigners.
 Do not ill-treat widows or orphans.
 If you do, I, the Lord, will hear them and kill you in war.
 Your wives will become widows and your children fatherless.
 If you lend money to the poor, do not ask interest.
 If you take someone’s cloak as a pledge, give it back before sunset.
 Because he needs it as a blanket. If you don’t,
 I will hear his cries; I am merciful.
 Do not spread rumours; give no false evidence.
 Do no wrong; do not pervert justice.
 Show no partiality to a poor man at his trial.
 Take an enemy’s stray cow or donkey back to him.
 Help an enemy’s fallen donkey back to its feet.
 Give justice to a poor man in court.
 I shall condemn a person who makes false accusations or puts an innocent man to death.
 Accept no bribe because this harms the innocent.
Meaning
 Those who have power and wealth can do whatever they want.
 Very few people question them.
 As a result the poor are taken advantage of.
 They have no rights.
 The rich can treat them as they wished.
 People believe that the rich have the power to treat the poor unjustly.
 These laws are an attempt to safeguard the poor.

2Samuel 12:1-13
 Nathan said to David, “There were two men,
 one rich and the other poor.
 The rich man had cattle and sheep.
 The poor man had one lamb,
 which he treated like a daughter.
 The rich man took the poor man’s lamb to feed a visitor.”
 David said, “The rich man ought to die
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 and pay back four times as much as he took.”

 Nathan said, ‘I made you king, saved you from Saul;
 gave you his kingdom and wives…
 Why did you have Uriah killed in battle and then take his wife?
 Because of this, your descendents will die violently.
 Your wives will be given to another man
 Who will have intercourse with them in daylight.
 You sinned in secret but this will happen in daylight.”
1Kings 21:1-21
 Naboth owned a vineyard near king Ahab’s palace in Jezreel.
 Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me or sell me your vineyard;
 I want it for a vegetable garden.”
 Naboth replied, “No, I inherited it.”
 Ahab was depressed and angry; he would not eat.
 His wife, Jezebel asked, “Why are you depressed and won’t eat?”
 Ahab told his wife that Naboth would not sell his vineyard.
 Jezebel replied, “Cheer up, eat; I will get you the vineyard.”
 She then forged a letter as coming from Ahab and sent it to important people.
 It read, “Proclaim a fast; give Naboth a place of honour at a gathering…
 Have him accused of cursing God and the king and then stone him to death.”
 All this was done.
 Jezebel said to Ahab, “Naboth is dead; go take his vineyard.”
 He did so.
 God sent Elijah to Ahab.
 He was to tell the king of his wrongdoing…
 You and every male in your family will die.
Meaning
 Injustice is committed through envy, jealousy and hatred.
 Taking some’s life is the greatest of all injustices.

Amos 5:21-24
 The Lord says, “I hate your religious festivals.
 I cannot stand them
 I will not accept your burnt offerings and your grain
 I will neither accept your animals you bring as offering.
 Stop your songs; I do not listen to your harps.
 Let justice flow like a stream and righteousness like a river.
Isaiah 1:10-17
 Jerusalem, you are like Sodom and Gomorrah.
 Listen to God’s teaching.
 God: “I do not want your sacrifices of sheep,
 Fat of animals nor your blood of bulls, sheep and goats.
 Who asked you to bring these things in my Temple?
 I do not want your offerings, your incense,
 I hate your New Moon festivals, your Sabbaths, and your religious gatherings
 They are corrupted by your sins.
 I will not listen to your prayers
 Your hands are covered with blood.
 Wash yourself from evil;
 Learn to do right;
 Be just towards the oppressed, widows and orphans.”
Meaning
 People follow the law to the letter forgetting about interior disposition, motives and love.
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 Sacrifices offered to God and acts of worship cannot be accepted if not accompanied by just
treatment of others.

Isaiah 58:1-10
 The Lord: “Tell Israel about their sins!
 They worship me and say they want to obey my laws which they want as just.”
 The people: “Why fast if the Lord does not notice?”
 The Lord: “As you fast you oppress workers…
 Your fast makes you quarrel and fight; can I listen to your prayers, then?…
 You bow your heads, wear sackcloth and lie on ashes;
 Am I pleased with that kind of fasting?…
 Remove oppression and injustice…
 Feed the hungry, welcome the homeless,
 clothe the naked and help your relatives…
 Then I will favour, save and protect you…
 When you pray and call me, I will answer…
 Then will darkness turn to light.”
Isaiah 11:1-5
 A royal line of David is like a tree that has been cut down.
 A new king will arise from David’s descendants
 like a new branch comes from a cut tree.
 The Lord will give him wisdom
 and knowledge and skill to rule his people.
 He will have wisdom, know the Lord’s will and honour him.
 He will obey God
 He will not judge wrongly
 He will judge the poor fairly
 and defend the helpless.
 At his command evil people will be punished.
 He will rule with justice and integrity.
Meaning
 Injustice will still prevail in the world.
 But there is always hope, because of wise teachings.
 There is need to be friends of the poor and helpless.

BIBLE New Testament

Mark 12:38-40
 Jesus: Watch out for the teachers of the Law
 Who like to wear long robes and receive respectful greetings…?
 Who choose reserved seats in the synagogues?
 and the best seats at feasts…
 They take advantage of widows and rob them of their homes;
 make a show of long prayers. Their punishment will be bad.

Matthew 23:1-4, 23
 Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples
 Jesus: The teachers of the law and the Pharisees interpret Moses’ law…
 Obey and follow what they tell you but do not imitate them
 Because they do not practice what they preach…
 They give people heavy loads but do not help carry them.
 You are hypocrites, teachers of the law and Pharisees;
 you follow unimportant laws yet are not just’ merciful or honest.
15

Meaning
Some religious leaders are hypocrites noted through their actions which are contrary to their preaching.

Luke 18:9-14
 Jesus told this parable to people who thought they were good but hated others.
 A Pharisee and a tax collector went to the Temple to pray…
 The Pharisee stood apart by himself and prayed
 Thank you God that I am not greedy,dishonest, or an adulterer like others.
 I am not like the tax collector…
 I fast two days a week
 I give you a tenth of my income…
 Tax collector faced down, but beat on his breast
 And said, God have pity on me, a sinner…
 Jesus: The tax collector was right with God.
 Everyone who makes himself great will be humbled;
 Everyone who humbles himself will be made great.
Meaning
 The exterior laws are more important to some religious leaders than being honest.
 They observed laws, prayed and fast, paid church taxes.
 Failed to treat people honestly.
 Took advantage of the poor widows.

Matthew 5:21-48
 Jesus: in the past people said do not murder.
 Do not get angry or insult anyone. Offer a gift to God
 after reconciliation with your offenders.
 Settle a dispute with someone out of court.
 It was said: no adultery;
 it is better to lose a right eye and hand than have them cause sin.
 Those who divorce and remarry commit adultery.
 It was said: Keep your vows. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
 I say no revenge. If you are slapped on the right cheek,
 present the left cheek. If someone sues for your shirt,
 let him also have your coat.
 If you are forced to carry someone’s pack for one kilometer,
 carry it two. Give and lend when asked to.
 I say love your enemies, pray for persecutors.
 God gives sun and rain to both good and evil.
 You must be perfect just as your father in heaven.
Meaning
 We are taught that loving one another can create true justice, not following laws.

James 2:1-19
 Do not treat people according to outward appearances…
 Do not treat a well-dressed rich man better than a poorly dressed poor man…
 If so, you are guilty of making distinctions and having evil motives…
 The poor are rich in faith; you dishonour them. The rich oppress you and speak evil of you…
 Obey Scripture: “Love your neighbour as you love yourself.”
 If you treat people according to outward appearances, you break the law and sin…
 It takes only one sin to break the entire law…
 Speak and act like those set free by the law (New Covenant);
 no mercy from God to those who have not shown mercy…
 Faith without good actions is useless…
16

 If someone needs clothes or food, do not just tell him nice words…
 There is no faith without actions…
 Demons also believe that there is one God.
Meaning
 Justice towards the poor is part and parcel of the church’s message.
 A challenge in us is to express our faith in action.

THEME: Life

SUB-THEME: Happiness

Present Situation
 All people across the globe want to be happy.

Levels of happiness
People are happy when they:
 find themselves in good condition.
 Get plenty of food and drink.
 Popular in school or society.
 Achieve their goals.
 Get approval
 They are able to achieve what they want.
 They are with people they love.
 They have trusted friends.
All levels of human development
In our search for happiness there must be a balance of all the following needs.
 Material: growth, good health, and clothing.
 Cultural: education, language, customs, and tradition.
 Moral: freedom, honesty, and responsibility.
 Spiritual: worship, faith, and commitment.

Marx and Religion

 In England Marx was struck by the terrible conditions of the poor workers.
 They were badly paid.
 The conditions at their work place were unhealthy.
 The people who owned the factories made big profits.
 The workers were badly paid.
 Most of them were Christians.
 Religion made people accept their bad conditions in the hope of rewards after death.
 Marx criticized the religion because it urged people to accept bad conditions
 and it prevented people from trying to improve the quality of life.
 So he called religion the opium of people – which drugged people.

Pleasure V Happiness
 Pleasure is the satisfaction of needs.
 We have many needs and they cannot be satisfied.
 Happiness is the sense of inner peace that comes from:
 Using ones intelligence to set adequate goals in life.
 Satisfying only those needs that help achieve one’s goals.
 Sacrificing those needs that go against one’s deepest values.
17

Hindu Happiness
 True peace comes only when one is liberated from the cycle of rebirth.
 This liberation is called Moksha or absolute freedom.
 At the end of earthly life an individual soul joins the infinite Brahman.
 Not everyone attains Moksha at death.
 Only those who have cast away desire, fear and anger.
 There are four major paths that lead to Moksha.
The four paths that lead to Moksha

 Path of Work: A person fulfills all duties without fail.

 Path of Knowledge: People who are drawn to study can choose this path. These people are guided
by the wisdom of the sacred books.
 Path of Devotion: These people dedicate themselves to a god. Hindus believe that there is only
one god. But God has many names because of his characteristics.
 The Yoga or Path of Union: This is the most difficult. It is an extreme form of discipline and self-
denial. The one who practices this path is called a Yogi. She or he needs a teacher to guide
Her/him. They first try to control their bodies. Later they try to control their minds.

State four causes of disharmony in Hinduism

Muslim Happiness
Importance of Mecca to a Muslim:
 The climax is to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca. It takes place in the twelfth month of the Muslim
year.
 Those who go on this pilgrimage are given the title ‘Hajji’.
 Mecca is the religious centre of Islam.
 It was the first sanctuary appointed by god.
 Abraham and his son Ishmael prayed there.
 Hagar found water there when she ran away from Abraham’s home.
 It is the only town where The Ka’aba is found, the holiest shrine of the Muslims.
Muslim happiness
 All ranks and status are ignored at Mecca.
 Everyone wears a long, white garment.
 Women wear a veil that covers them completely.
 There is a sign of brotherly (and sisterly) equality.
 Pilgrims go round the Ka’aba seven times.
 They kiss the black stone if possible.
 They run to two nearby hills imitating the frantic search of Ishmael’s mother for water.
 Most days are spent fasting from dawn to sunset.
 All prayers are said to express total submission to God.
 Part of the pilgrimage is the celebration of a feast called ‘Id of Sacrifice.’
 This is an expression of joy.
 A goat or a sheep is killed and offered in sacrifice.
 The Imam preaches explaining the duty and the meaning of the sacrifice.

African Traditional
African societies have believed and taught their children that happiness lies in:
 Having many wives and disciplined children.
 Having land that produces good harvests.
 Being in good relationship with ancestral spirits.
 Being good warriors and victorious in tribal wars.
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 Having children to remember one in old age and after death.

 Having respect for elders.
 Pleasing the Supreme Being.
 Being faithful to tradition.
 Having a good influence on society.
 Sharing and practicing hospitality.
 Having good friendship.
 Being able to protect oneself from harm done by spirits through witchcraft.
Harmony and Status
 People shared the same values
 Followed similar customs
 Followed rules that were well known and accepted
 People lived closely together to protect themselves from dangers of nature and attacks from
neighbouring tribes.
 Harmony among them was very important.
 It could be achieved only if all fought their selfish tendencies,
 followed the customs
 respected elders or those who had authority.
 The need of the group determined the work for a person.
 It was very important to win the approval of the group.
 Traditionally society can be described as longing for harmony.
 But we brought disharmony in society.
 To heal this disharmony human being formed clans.
They also began to teach the following ideals to the youth:
 The ideal of caring for unknown travelers.
 the ideal of caring for the needy.
 the ideal of caring for aging parents and children.
 the ideal of caring for the infirm, the lame, the orphan.
In the Jewish and Muslim Society
 There is the tragic fact of human division.
 Human beings refused to submit to God and His will.
 They sought happiness through their own efforts.
 They did not accept God’s path.
 Healing can come if they submit to God.
 Keep his commandments
 Care for widows, orphans, strangers, poor.
The Hindu tradition claims
 The root of all human disharmonies is human desire.
 Healing will come when one gives up desires.
 Unites with Brahman.
 All life is to be respected.
 Alms be given to the poor.

CHURCH HISTORY

Happiness through Christianity

 Early Christians wanted happiness.
 But they failed to find it.
 Majority of the people were poor.
 They lived in crowded, unsanitary slums in big cities.
 The country people grew food for themselves and for city-dwellers
 But they paid heavy taxes.
 People found meaning in life through Christianity.
19

What is Salvation?
 Jesus helping to fight selfishness, the root of poverty.
 Jesus offering happiness after death.
 Jesus feeding them and healing their diseases.
 Jesus reminding them of their dignity as children of the father.
 Jesus’ teaching happiness is serving others.
Cyprian: Bishop of Carthage
 I was so entangled by many errors of my former life.
 I could not believe it possible to escape from them.
 But this stain is washed away by the water of birth.
 Light is poured from above in my heart.
 I had drunk the spirit from heaven.
 The second birth had restored me.
 It made me a new man.
 Then doubts began to be resolved.
 Closed doors to open
 Dark places to grow light.
 What had seemed difficult was now easy.
 What impossible now capable of accomplishment.
Ignatius of Antioch
 He was bishop and ex-slave.
 He was martyred in Rome.
 He was treated cruelly by soldiers who took him to Rome.
 But he found time to write letters of greeting and encouragement.
 He was jubilant for the church of Magnesia.
 He prayed for union in their midst.
 A union based on faith and love.
 A union with Jesus and the father.
Suffering and Happiness
 Some Christians remained faithful to God.
 They lived in joyful fellowship with him.
The Ugandan Martyrs
 Their executioners mocked them about their faith.
 They believed they will rise from the dead.
 They continued to sing hymns, singing God’s praise.
 Their courage and calmness astonished those who burnt them.
St. Monica
 She was able to discuss eternal life before her death.
 Her only desire was to see her son Augustine a catholic before her death.
 She was very happy now he was a servant of God.
 She asked her son to remember her at the table of the Lord.
Traditional ways questioned
 The missionaries needed a lot of courage and renunciation.
 Because there was no cure for malaria and other disease, many of them died early.
 They preached self-sacrifice because they practiced it.
 They taught happiness that expressed Christian values.
 They did not understand the rituals nor the culture.
 Some missionaries acted like colonial government.
 Some missionaries was forbade alcohol among their converts.
 Others educated people to be moderate and responsible.
 The SDA’s made renunciation of alcohol a dogma.
 They did not allow their converts to take part in beer parties or any ritual that used beer.
20

BIBLE: Old Testament

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
 Nothing can happen without God allowing it
 He sets the time for birthdays and deaths.
 The time for planting and the time for pulling up.
 The time for killing and the time for healing.
 The time for tearing and the time for building.
 The time for sorrow and the time for joy.
 The time for mourning and the time for dancing.
 The time for making love and the time for not making love.
 The time for love and the time for hate
 The time for finding and the time for losing
 The time for saving and the time for throwing away.
 The time for tearing and the time for mending
 The time for silence and the time for talk


Meaning
 Life has problems.
 There can be unrest and failures
 God is at work in our lives.
 Working through good and bad actions.
 Working through nature and circumstances.
 God offer us the fullest possibility of reaching happiness.
 We are free to respond to God in love and gratitude

Psalm 37
Seeking Happiness in God
 Do not be worried on account of the wicked.
 Do not be jealous of those who do wrong.
 They will soon disappear like grass that dies up.
 They will die like plants that wither.
 Seek happiness in the Lord.
 He will give you your heart’s desire.
 Give yourself to the Lord.
 Trust in him and he will help you.
 He will make your righteousness shine.
 Be patient and wait for the Lord to act…
 Those who trust in the Lord will possess the land,
 but the wicked will be driven out.
 The Lord guides people in the way they should go…
 Turn away from evil and do good.
Meaning
The good brings happiness, peace and prosperity.
The wicked will be destroyed and their prosperity will be short lived.

Jeremiah 30:10-22
No full happiness without God
 My people do not be afraid.
21

 People of Israel do not be terrified.

 I will rescue you from that distant land.
 From the land where you are prisoners.
 You will come home and live in peace.
 You will be secure
 and no one will make you afraid.
 I will destroy all the nations,
 where I have scattered you.
 But I will not destroy you.
 I will not let you go unpunished.
 But when I punish you I will be fair.
 I the Lord have spoken.
Meaning
 Selfishness brings sufferings.
 God wants us to learn from our mistakes.
 There are some sufferings that can never be explained.
 They remind us that we are dependent on God.

Jeremiah 2:1-13
Return to God
 The Lord told me to proclaim this message to all in Jerusalem.
 I remember how faithful you were when you were young.
 How you loved me when we were first married.
 You followed me through the desert.
 Israel, you belonged to me alone.
 I sent suffering and disaster on every one who hurt you.
 Listen to God’s message, you descendants of Jacob.
 What made your ancestors turn against me.
 They worshipped useless idols
 They did not care about me, even though I rescued t6hem from Egypt.
 I brought them into fertile land.
 My own priests did not know me.
 My own people have exchanged me for God that can do nothing for them.
 They have turne4d away from me, the spring of fresh water.
 They have dug cisterns, cracked cisterns, that can hold no water.

BIBLE New Testament

Matthew 5:1-10 – The Beatitudes

Attitudes that bring Happiness
 Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor
 the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
 Happy are those who mourn God will comfort them.
 Happy are those you are humble
 they will receive what God has promised.
 Happy are those who desire what God requires God will satisfy them.
 Happy are those who are merciful to others
 God will be merciful to them.
 Happy are the pure in heart they will see God.
 Happy are those who work for peace
 God will call them his children.
 Happy are those who are persecuted for doing God’s work.
 The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
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Meaning
 To be spiritually poor means to admit that we do not have all the answers.
 That education and science develop us, but there is someone greater.
 To mourn means to admit that we are sinners.
 That we contribute to the suffering of others.
 We admit that we cause suffering
 We come before God and people to ask for forgiveness.
 To be humble means to look at others with respect.
 We need to seek God’s guidance in our daily life.
 We pray to God for wisdom and generosity.
 To be merciful means that we need to be friendly
 and heal broken relationships.
 We also need to encourage the good in others.
 To be pure in heart means to be consistent.
 To be honest with oneself and others.
 To control anger, greed and selfishness.
 To be working for peace means fighting against all forms of injustice.
 To be persecuted means to be faithful and generous even in times of sufferings.
 It means being a Christian at the cost of pain and unpopularity.

John 16:16-22
Gladness after Resurrection
 In a little while you will not see me anymore.
 And then a little later you will see me.
 The disciples asked among themselves what Jesus meant.
 Jesus: ‘You will cry and weep,
 but the world will be glad.
 You will be sad, but your sadness will turn into gladness.
 When a woman is about to give birth she is sad
 because her hour of suffering has come.
 When the baby is born she forgets her suffering.
 Now you are sad, but I will see you again.
 Your hearts will be filled with gladness.
 The kind of gladness that no one can take away from you.
Meaning
 Jesus gives hope of the kingdom that will grow after his death.
 Suffering and difficulties are a part of following Jesus.
 Jesus will give us peace and joy that no one can steal.

Philippians 4:4-7
Attitudes that lead to Happiness
 May you always be joyful in your union with the Lord.
 Show a gentle attitude towards everyone.
 The Lord is coming soon.
 Do not worry about anything, but ask God for what you need.
 Always ask him with a thankful heart.
 God’s peace which is beyond human understanding will keep your hearts and mind safe.
Meaning
 The central concern and goal in life is rejoicing in God.
 As we grow in Christ, our prayer becomes full of praise and thanks.
 In doing so we will be filled with God’s peace.
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Luke 19:1-10
New way of life
 Jesus went on into Jericho and was passing through.
 There was a chief tax collector named Zacchaeus.
 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but was a little man.
 So he ran ahead of the crowd and climbed a tree.
 Hurry down Zacchaeus, because I must stay in your house today.
 All the people who saw it started grumbling.
 This man has gone as a guest to the home of a sinner.
 Zacchaeus said to Jesus, ‘I will give half my belongings to the poor.
 And if I have cheated anyone,
 I will pay him, back four times,
 Jesus said: Salvation has come to this house today.
 The son of man came to seek and to save the lost.
Meaning
 Some people have the desire to change their way of living.
 Jesus accepted them because they repent.
 Salvation comes to their house.

1 Corinthians 13.
Love is the basis for happiness
 I may speak the languages of human beings and of angels,
 but if I have no love my speech is useless.
 I may have all knowledge and understand all secrets.
 I may have all the faith to move mountains.
 But if I have no love, I am nothing.
 I may give away everything I have.
 I may give my body to be burnt.
 But if I have no love, it does me no good.
 Love is patient and kind.
 Love is not ill mannered or selfish.
 Love does not keep records of wrong.
 Love never gives up.
 Its faith, hope and patience never fail.
Meaning
 The way to happiness is to live the way of love.
 The love he talks about is the type of love Jesus lived.
 He proved his love by being willing to die
 for the happiness of enemies and sinners.

THEME: MAN AND WOMAN

SUB-THEME: Courtship and Marriage

Present Situation
 It explores the journey persons take as they pick out another person
 With whom they choose to totally share in themselves in faithful love
 And with whom they bring forth and nourish new life.
 It studies the question of marriage
 and the prior steps that lead to the possibility of a successful marriage.
24

Boy, girl relationship

Adolescence: the struggle for identity

 Childhood is left out.
 One longs for the privilege of adulthood
 One longs to make own decisions, to form own values
 Direction from elders are resented
 Confidence is fragile
 defect in body or lack of clothes are source of worry
 A longing for appreciation and respect
 Appreciation from the other sex is a special gift
Adolescence: the growth of sexual responsibility
 Interest in the opposite sex grows.
 New sexual feelings arise.
 There is a desire to develop relationships with the other sex.
 A time for writing love letters and for day dreaming.
 Traditionally help was received at this time.
 Today it is still a time of being in school.
Adolescent: learning to mature and care.
 One longs to be in the company of someone of the opposite sex one likes.
 Some traditional and modern ideas discourage this type of relationship
 It can lead to sexual immorality.
 Others trust the genuineness of adolescents in their seriousness to behave maturely
 And integrate their sexual drives within a responsible
 And caring response to the dignity of the persons they are growing to love.
Adolescence: from ‘falling in love’ to a decision to care
 Infatuation is common
 it is the first step on the way of learning to love
 Real love demands knowledge of the other person.
 Love demands a decision to care enough for the loved one.
 It is a decision to never selfishly exploit the loved one.
 Love demands a decision to care for loved one.
 It helps loved one reach full human and spiritual development.
Adolescence: dating towards selective companionship.
 Dating is becoming common.
 It is a time for companionship leading to sharing.
 It’s a time to seek, select one person one wants to live with.
 For those not mature enough it’s a time of seeking sexual pleasure.
Adolescence: keeping the desire for sexual intercourse in perspective
 Sexual intercourse is momentary and fleeting
 Friendship is solid and lasting.
 Friendship is concerned with the total good of the other person, oneself and the relationship.
 Sexual intercourse is only one way of showing love.
 Sexual intercourse can be personal or impersonal, generous or selfish.
 sexual intercourse is a special message for the important person one is married to.

More Freedom
 Today there is more free association between boys and girls.
 The young insist on personal choice of a marriage partner.
 The younger generation feels that the extended family can be a source of stress and tension.
 They also recognise the values of sharing, commitment, community and love.
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Quality of a wife
 She is kind and loving
 She is obedient.
 listens to what the husband says.
 Can look after the home and possessions.
 She is able to discuss the problems in the house.
 Able to keep secrets.
 Not quarrelsome.
 Welcomes visitors.
 Hardworking and preferably employed.
Qualities of a Husband
 He has good relationship with everybody.
 People like to visit his home
 He likes to go out with his wife
 He is kind.
 He has self-control.
 He respects the wife and treats her well.
 Has the same religion so that the two are guided by the same values.
 He is faithful to his wife.
 Has the same interest as his wife.
 Shares many things together.
 Has true love.
 Cares for the family and its needs.
 His wife is a partner, not a servant.

Findings of social science regarding the qualities needed to have a good marriage
 Physical beauty is important but fragile.
 Good character is more important than physical beauty.
 Partners must have the ability to communicate with each other.
 Should have same values.
 Should have love for family life.
 Should be responsible, dependable, generous, understanding, attentive, sympathetic.
 Both partners need to be honest about their health.
 Misconduct or immoral behaviour does not change after a marriage ceremony.
 Marriages succeed when both partners are good people.

Marriage problems
 Not much sharing
 Never pray together
 Do not go to church
 Sexually rough with the partner
 Unfaithfulness.
 Polygamy.

Hindu Practices
 90% of the marriages are arranged by parents.
 Even educated Hindus prefer this kind of marriages because they are safe.
 Those who fall in love consult their parents.
 Marriage is considered as a very holy ceremony.
 It is not a contract between two families.
 It keeps morality high in Hindu society.
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Divorce
 It is largely unheard of or unthinkable.
 Being faithful to one another is the greatest commandment in the Hindu code of ethics.
 The bond of marriage can be broken only by death.
 If there are problems in marriage the duty of parents is to make children come to terms and start
again.
 Most problems arise from the husband’s bad behaviour.
 A true Hindu wife will resort to prayer, fasting and sacrifice as a first step.
 The second step is Ahimsa – non-violence.
 She treats her husband with greater love and devotion.

Muslim marriage
 It is commitment to one another and to God.
 Couples hope to find mutual self-fulfillment and self-realization, love, peace, compassion,
serenity, comfort and hope.
 Man finds comfort and rest in his spouse.
 Man is fortunate to choose his wife for piety in preference to all else.
The husband’s obligation
 He must treat his wife with kindness
 He must maintain her fully and do this cheerfully, without reproach, injury or condescension.
 Maintenance includes lodging, clothing, nourishing, and general care and well being.
 Respect her need for permanence, for security, and for being respected in her inner feelings.
The wife’s obligations
 She contributes to the success and happiness of the marriage.
 She is attentive to the comfort and well being of her partner.
 She is honest, faithful and trustworthy.
 She keeps herself attractive, responsive and co-operative.
The dowry
 The woman has a right to demand a dowry.
 If she wishes, she may accept him without a dowry.
 The right to a dowry assures the woman she is wanted and needed.
 It is a way of preventing the man from entering marriage for material motives.
Divorce
Three steps need to precede any divorce.
 The two partners must try to settle the dispute between themselves.
 If they fail, two arbitrators, one from the husband’s and the other from the wife’s family must try
to make peace.
 If this fails, a divorce may take place.
 But there is a waiting period of three to twelve months.
 The husband continues supporting the wife. Neither can marry during this period.

AFRICAN TRADITIONAL

Tradition marriage
 Marriage is a means of bearing children for the family, lineage or clan.
 To bear many children was important at a time when there was a high mortality rate.
 Marriage was an alliance.
 Marriage was within the clan.
 It brought together two different families.
 It strengthened the bonds in society.
 It was not primarily the concern of two individuals.
 It was the concern of two entire families.
 The bond took time to give the relatives time to know and respect one another.
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 So marriage was a growing stability.

 The bond was cemented after the birth of two children.
 Marriage was for social harmony.
 The vocation of marriage was a duty of everyone.
Lobola or Bridewealth
 Bridewealth was the custom of giving gifts, cattle, money from the bridegroom’s family to the
bride.
 It was the process that legalised the marriage.
 It gave legitimacy to the children.
 It gave compensation to the relatives of the bride.
 It was a gesture of appreciation to the bride’s family.
 It was not understood as bride price because it was small compared to the value of the wife
 The woman remained as a member of her lineage.
 She could return if not being treated correctly
 It helped to stabilise the marriage as a large number of people took interest in the marriage.
 The community did not encourage divorce.
 The encouraged faithful loyalty between husbands and wives.
 It was a way of honouring the lineage spirits.
 The ancestors were a witness to the exchange of bridewealth.
 They got their share through sacrifices.
Marriage Preparation
 The process was entirely the parent’s responsibility.
 If the parents had any objections
 they would give advice against it
 If it were satisfactory the parents would begin to advise their children.
 The boy’s parents would inform the relatives how much they have been charged
 and how the cost would be shared
 the girl’s parents would inform the relatives on their side.
 Thus the parents play a deceive role in advising their children in preparing them for a happy
married life.
The mother advised her daughter.
 To love no one but the one they approved.
 To have self-respect and self-control
 To never deny sex to the husband except in sickness.
 To be hard worker, looking after in-laws and strangers.
 To be obedient to the husband and elders.
The father/uncle advised the boy:
 Beauty of the girl was not important
 To look after his wife as his mother
 Never be harsh or call her bad names
 Never despise her
 Do not use her as a sex object
 Correct her humbly if she goes wrong
 Look after in-laws and help them in need
 Love the wife always
 Be a hard worker
 See that the wife and children have enough food.
Marriage Rites
They differ from areas to area, tribe to tribe. The following is one form of Batonga marriage rites.
 People of the girl’s side prepare themselves and choose who will give away the girl.
 This person spits water on the girl.
 One or two witnesses are also chosen to go with the girl.
 From the boy’s side, two men and a lady are chosen to go and collect the girl.
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Rites that are found in all traditional marriage rites:

 Public witness to the social event by speeches, dancing, feasting.
 The seclusion and instruction of the bride.
 The mock hostility between the two lineages involved.
 The capture and handing over of the bride.
 A symbol of merging of the lineage.
 Initiation of the bride into her domestic duties.
 The veiling and unveiling of the bride.
 The anointing of the spouses.
 The final discussion to fix the bridewealth.
 The ceremonial bath of the bride.
 Consummation of the marriage either before witness or with witness nearby.
 Gift exchange.
Contrasts
Modern living brings contrast when compared with traditional family life.
 Marry while still young.
 Freedom of choice.
 Marriages motivated by a desire for material wealth.
 Early involvement in beer drinking.
 Excessive movement.

CHURCH HISTORY

CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE CEREMONY

There things are often found in a modern wedding ceremony.
 Having bridesmaids
 Promising to love and respect each other until death
 Wearing a white dress
 Having a matron of honour
 Praying for God’s blessings
 Holding a wedding reception
 Signing the register
A Christian Marriage;
 Is a continuing effort to strength love and respect between the two marriage partners.
 Partners are challenged to live and love like Christ.
 It means choosing to behave sexually.
 Carefully remembering the decisions made
 The effort one makes now to become the kind of person one wants to be.
Living in marriage means:
 Trust, patience, care, sacrifice, fidelity and humility
 Co-operative endeavors.
 Accepting that life brings frustrations, discourtesies, thoughtlessness, hurts
 Doing boring things and giving up worthwhile things.
 Growing together in love in God’s presence and His help.

BIBLE Old Testament

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Genesis 2:18-25
Willed by God
 It is not good for man to live alone.
 I will make a suitable companion to help him.
 So God took some soil from the ground and formed all the animals and birds.
 He brought them to man to see what he would name them.
 So man named the birds and the animals.
 But not one of them was a suitable companion to help him.
 Then God made man fall into a deep sleep.
 While he was sleeping he took out one rib.
 He formed a woman out of the rib and brought her to him.
 Then man said, ‘at last, here is one of my own kind.
 Bone taken from my bone, and flesh from my flesh.
 Woman is her name because she was taken out of man.
 That is why a man leaves his father and mother
 and is united with his wife and they become one.
Meaning
 One of our deepest needs is to escape loneliness and isolation.
 No amount of material possession can take the place of companionship.
 Only a member of the opposite sex can offer such a companionship.
 This relationship must be permanent, faithful and loyal until death.
 A man must leave his father and mother and make a lifelong commitment to his wife.

Deuteronomy 24:1
Divorce at first
 Suppose a man marries a woman
 and later decides that he does not want her,
 because he finds something about her that he does not like.
 So he writes out divorce papers.
 Gives them to her
 and sends her away from her house.
Meaning
 Learning to love is a slow process.

Malachi 2:13-16
No divorce
 You ask why God no longer accepts your offerings.
 It is because he knows that you have broken your promise to the wife you married.
 She was your partner,
 and you have broken your promise.
 The promise you made to her before God that you would be faithful.
 Didn’t God make you one body and spirit with her?
 It was that you should have children who are truly God’s people.
 So make sure that none of you break your promise.
 I hate divorce.
 I hate it when one of you does such a cruel thing to his wife.
 Make sure do not break your promise.
 Be faithful to your wife.
Meaning
 Love can be confused with infatuation.
 Real love is to spend one’s life for the other.
 It includes keeping of promises.
 It demands generosity, courage, and faithfulness.
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 It is a high ideal, but it is the level one needs to achieve happiness.

 This is the type of love God desires for his people.

Hosea 2:1-3:1
A good marriage relationship
 Jezreel will be a great day
 so call your fellow-Israelites “God’s people
 and “Loved by the Lord.”
 My children, plead with your mother
 though she is no longer a wife to me,
 and I am no longer her husband.
 Plead with her to stop her adultery and prostitution.
 If she does not, I will strip her as naked as
 she was on the day she was born.
 I will make her like a dry and barren land,
 and she will die of thirst.
 The Lord said to me.
 Go again and show your love for a woman
 Who is committing adultery with a lover.
 You must love her just as I still love the people of Israel,
 even though they turn to other gods
 and like to take offerings of raisins to idols.
Meaning
 The love of God for his people is faithful and forgiving
 God loves us because God chooses to do so.
 Even when we betray, God continues to love us.
 He pursues us, leads us to see our illusions.
 When we repent he welcomes us back.
 It is this kind of love God wants to be present in a marriage relationship.
 Love must be true, faithful and permanent.

BIBLE New Testament

John 4:16-19
Jesus heals
 Jesus: Go and call your husband and come back.
 Woman: I haven’t got a husband.
 Jesus: you are right when you say you haven’t got a husband.
 You have been married to five men.
 The man you live with now is not really your husband.
 You have told me the truth.
 Woman: I see you are a prophet sir.
Meaning
 The woman is incapable of true married love.
 There is no permanence in her relationship.
 Jesus offers the opportunity of healing her relationship with God.
 This will enable her in developing a mature and faithful relationship with her husband

John 8:1-11
Be faithful
 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman
 who was caught committing adultery.
 They made her stand before them all.
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 “Teacher” they said to Jesus, “ this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery.
 In our law Moses commanded that such a woman must be stoned to death.
 Now what do you say”
 Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground with his fingers.
 He said, “Which ever one of you has committed no sin may throw the first stone at her.”
 When they heard this they all left.
 Jesus said, “Where are they? Is there no one left to condemn you?”
 ‘No one Sir, ‘she said, “I do not condemn you either.
 Go, but do not sin again.’
Meaning
 The law forbids adultery.
 Faithful married life leads to happiness.

Ephesians 5:21-23
Genuine love and understanding
 Submit yourself to one another,
 because of your reverence for Christ.
 Wives submit to your husbands as to the Lord.
 A husband has authority over his wife
 Just like Christ has authority over the Church;
 Christ is the saviour of the Church his body.
Meaning
 Christian life is about living for the good of the loved one.
 Christ brought this fuller life and happiness to the people through his teaching and healing.
 He even sacrificed his life.
 His love is the model for married couples.
 It is the responsibility of the husband to lead by example.

Mark 10:1-12
Ideal of Monogamy
 Some Pharisees came to Jesus and tried to trap him.
 Tell us they asked, “Does the law allow a man to divorce his wife?
 What law did Moses give you?
 Moses gave permission for a man to write a divorce notice and send his wife away.
 Jesus said, Moses wrote this law for you because you are so hard to teach.
 But in the beginning, at the time of creation,
 God made them male and female.
 And for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and unite with his wife.
 And the two will become one.
 What God has joined together man must not separate.
 A man who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery.
 A woman who divorces her husband and marries another commits adultery.
Meaning
 A certificate of release was provided for divorce.
 Divorce was only allowed if the wife was not a virgin at marriage and was found unfaithful after
marriage
 Jesus explained the law: people had still to learn how to love, God did not want divorce and He
wanted the people to have an ideal relationship with each other.

1 Corinthian 7:1-7
Mutual respect and self giving
 A man does well not marry.
 But because there is so much immorality
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 every man should have his own wife.

 And every woman her own husband.
 A man should fulfill his duty to his wife.
 Each should satisfy the other’s need.
 A wife is not mistress of her own body,
 but her husband is.
 A husband is not master of his own body
 but his wife is.
 Do not deny yourself to each other
 unless you first agree to do not.
Meaning
 Paul suggests two ways of living the command of Jesus: Choosing to renounce marriage and
through the path of married love.
 The duty of married partners is to satisfy the other’s needs.
 Marital relations must be denied only though mutual consent and for a short time.

THEME: OUR RESPONSE TO GOD

SUB-THEME: Man’s quest for God

Present Situation
We search for the Supreme Being through:
 Prayer: A way to reach the Supreme Being.
 Holy books (the holy Quran, The Bible, Vedas…) helping one to find his or her answers.
 Nature: impressive mountains, waterfalls,
 Religious leaders: priest, pastors, deacons …
Different ways
 Human beings are able to reflect on their experiences.
 They are able to ask questions.
 Such reflections have enabled us to admit the existence of a greater power.
 They have tried to understand this mysterious presence.
 They have tried to make some contacts.
 This is the basis of all religions.
 This is our search for God.

Prayer
 It is an experiment to meet the living God
 A chief way to meet the living God.
 It takes many forms.
Common elements of prayer
 It is done everyday
 In a place which helps
 Studying the word of God
 It is reaching out to God.
In prayer there may be no:
 Physical manifestation of God’s presence
 A voice from heaven
 Vision, dream
 Blinding light
Changes that take place in oneself as God’s silent action
 Problems that brought discouragement will become easier to solve.
 We will grow in concern for others and their needs.
 We will grow in generosity and become courageous.
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 We will see the importance of loving our enemies.

 We will live a simple life of service.
 We will be peaceful in times of difficulties, suffering and even death.

The quest continues

 Communism has been unable to chase God from Eastern Europe.
 There has been more than four decades of communist rule.
 There has been persecution of religion; but religion has survived.
 The religious belief is growing stronger among the youth.
 Catholics have weekly mass-going and take the sacraments.
 Orthodox adherents attend church for high holidays and observe their customs.
 Protestants there is membership of church rolls.
 Muslims and Jews attendance at public worship and observance of dietary laws.

Hindu search for God

 ‘Puja room is a room for worship for Hindus.
 It contains images of the goddesses or gods they have chosen to help them worship.
 Hindus believe that God can be revealed through any image.
 They decorate the place with flowers.
 Men, women and children pray there in every morning and evening before starting on a journey
and making a change in life
 In most Hindu hotels or places of work there is an altar in a quiet place.
 People bring offering for God and the most common gift is flower.
 Some also bring rice and coconut.
 After offering the food it is shared.
 This enables the Hindus to live in god’s presence always.
 Hindus pray as individuals.
 There is no congregational gathering.
 When there is a feast, only the devotees of that special goddess/god come to the festival.

Submission to Allah
 Islam derives from SLM which means peace, purity, submission and obedience.
 It means total submission to the will of Allah
 and obedience to His Law.
 This submission is the fundamental attitude of a Muslim.
Those who submit to Allah:
 believe.
 obey
 speak the truth
 persevere in righteousness
 are humble
 give alms
 fast
 guard their modesty
 remember Allah
Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and great reward.

African traditional
Some of the qualities attributed to God are:
 Nyamvula: the one who secretes rain
 Ipokubozya: the one who makes things rot and responsible for the changing of the seasons
 Haatwakwe: owner of all things
 Katungu: one who can do all things
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 Kabumba: one who moulds all

 Samatama: the one who creates
 Mphambe: the one who has power and strength.
The proverbs indicate the constant search of human being for God, truth and wisdom.
Stories also denote their inspiration:
 God is far away from human beings
 The distance is sometimes explained as the result of human beings refusal to live in peace and
justice.

An Ila prophet searches for God

 Mupumani was an Ila prophet.
 He received revelation from God telling him to act as a prophet.
 He denounced witchcraft.
 He was asking the people to pray directly to God instead of through ancestors.
 He worked with the missionaries.
 People came from distant places to hear his message.
 They hoped a new age would begin.
 The dead would return.
 Everybody would have plenty.
 There would be everlasting peace.
 People begged for medicine and he gave them.
 But gradually they lost faith in him.
 In 1914 he was arrested.

Religious Rituals
 These are forms of prayer.
 They include words, but also symbolic action.
 They emerge from within traditions.
 They communicate values.
 The most important rituals are done as a community.
 Community rituals include sharing of food as a symbol of sharing harmony.
 Hospitality is also an important part of community ritual.
The Kuoloka Ritual
 It is a Lozi ritual meaning eating the first crop of the season.
 It is a ritual of gratitude.
 A person could get ill if this ritual was not performed before they ate the food.
 An elderly woman would go and get the first grain.
 It would then be pounded with some leaves and roots.
 This can be cooked and eaten.
 After eating this, the family is free to eat from the new crop.
 Such types of rituals were confined to individual families or villages only.
 They helped to mark the beginning and endings of seasons.
Rituals at the time of misfortune
 These were performed when a misfortune hits the clan.
 It is carried out by the eldest in the family, woman or man.
 Age was regarded as privileged closeness to the departed ancestors.
 At the time of drought or poor harvest the chief of the Lozi performs a ritual to cleanse the land
from whatever evil the people may have done.
 All misfortune is the result of evil done to the land.
 The chief would send word to all in his chiefdom.
 The ritual can start at an individual level.
 Every family will offer sacrifice to the ancestor.
 All the sub-chiefs and indunas are convened at the Litunga’s palace.
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 There sacrifice will be offered.

 Animals will be slaughtered.
 Different food will be offered
 Beer will be brewed and offered. at the shrine.
 Finally water will also be sprinkled.
 Throughout this ceremony the Litunga utters special prayers asking for forgiveness and rain to
come
 After such a ritual there would be signs of rain.
 If this fails it would mean that a greater sacrifice needs to be offered.
Kutomola Ceremony
 It is a ritual performed at the beginning of the harvest season.
 When the crops are ready the headman would announce the day.
 A week is allowed for preparation.
 During this time a bit of each crop is collected.
 They are cooked in different pots.
 A temporary hut is built the previous day of the ceremony.
 It is left in the Insaka for the ancestral spirits to come and taste.
 In the morning the chief opens the ceremony by thanking God for rains and good food.
 He asks the spirits to be with them.
 After prayer the chief goes round eating from each pot.
 He rubs some on his chest so that sickness will be prevented.
 If a woman is pregnant she rubs some on her stomach to protect her child.
 After everybody has eaten, the remaining is thrown in the direction of the setting sun.
 This is to symbolise that the evil go away with the setting sun.
 The Insaka remains until planting time.
 The elders will then go and pray another good harvest.

CHURCH HISTORY

Search and Find

Those who have accepted the Christian faith can be divided into three groups:
 Those attracted to sects like to be part of a small community, welcoming and possess a clear and
simple ideology. They offer some hope for life after death and offer possibility of communicating
with God.

 The Philosophers reject ideology or offer of security. They always ask questions. They believe
that the search for truth has its own reward and only lasting security.

 Moral Reformers consider truth to be a luxury, while many are denied justice and dignity.
They want to build a New World where truth of existence and religion will reveal itself.

These three types can overlap. One person may have all three dimensions.
Nevertheless there is a predominant type.

Augustine
 The mother was a Christian.
 He had little interest in Christianity.
 He was interested in a philosophy called Manichaeism,
 That allowed him to live fourteen years with a mistress.
 His mother prayed for his conversion.
 At the age of 33, Augustine realised that what he was doing was wrong.
 He accepted baptism.
 He broke away from his mistress.
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 He established a monastery for himself and his followers.

 They led a life of poverty, prayer, study and active charity among the poor.
 At the age of 42, he was made bishop of Hippo.
 For the next 34 years, he developed and defended the Christian faith.
 In his preaching he always kept gentleness and humility

The search in Zambia today

 Secularism means a way of looking at life without any reference to God.
 It is installed in art and literature, novels and newspapers, films and TV.
 Values like loyalty, obedience, honesty, integrity, faithfulness in marriage, justice are forgotten.
 Because of this, there is a hunger within people for deeper and more lasting values.
 A spiritual hungers for something greater and deeper.
 There is a search for truth, justice, values.
 There is a search for God.
The church today brings God to people by:
 direct evangelization
 through the witness of the lives and works of the people.
The church has involved itself:
 in education
 in development work
 in social services
 in opposing injustice
 in helping the hungry
 in upholding Christian values
 in ministering to refugees
 in campaigning for human rights
Many people are weary of secularism in society.
 They are beginning to reflect on the works of the church.
 Some are strengthened by what they see.
 Others are drawn by the example of the dedication and service of Christians.
 Christians and non-Christians have reaped the blessings of the Christian faith.

Types of Knowing
No one type can be claimed to be the only true way of knowing.
 Everyday Knowledge: it is often vague, but is also personal. It includes first-hand experience.
 Scientific knowledge: It is exact and impersonal. It depends on experiments which can be
repeated anywhere.
 Art and Music: Depend on personal preference or taste.
 Ethics: It is the study of what people ought to do or avoid. It adds the idea of obligation.
 Philosophy: It studies and evaluates ways of thinking used in science, art, morals, religion.
 Religion: It adds faith and commitment to each.

The different types of knowledge are not parallel to each other.

They cross at angles at various different points.

BIBLE Old Testament

Psalm 19
Through Creation
 How clearly the sky reveals God’s glory.
 How plainly it shows what he had done.
 Each day announces it to the following day.
 Each night repeats it to the next.
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 No speech or words are used.

 No sound is heard.
 Yet their message goes out to all the world.
 And is heard to the ends of the earth.
 God made a home in the sky for the sun.
 It comes out in the morning like a happy bridegroom.
 Like an athlete eager to run a race.
 It starts at one end of the sky.
 And goes across to the other.
 Nothing can hide from its heat.
Meaning
 People know that the one who created the world must be kind and powerful.
 The beauty of the sky leads them to praise the one they cannot see.
 The sky is a special reminder of God since it is always there.
 They grow to believe that God is wise.
 They trust the law of God and obey it.

Isaiah 56:6-8
Life for all
 The Lord said to the foreigners
 who became part of his people.
 I will bring you to Zion, my sacred hill.
 Give you joy in my house of prayer.
 Accept the sacrifice you offer on my altar.
 My Temple will be called a house of prayer for the people of all nations.
Meaning
 People are expected to share knowledge with the less fortunate.
 Instead they grow suspicious of foreigners.
 They separate themselves from them.
 The reason often is pride and greed.
 Christians have to keep educating them to be respectful to all.
 God’s love includes all.
 His temple is to be open to all.

Psalm 105:26-43
Through Events
 God sent his servant Moses and Aaron .
 They did God’s mighty acts
 and performed miracles in Egypt.
 Then he led Israel out.
 They carried silver and gold.
 And all of them were healthy and strong.
 They asked, and he gave them food from heaven.
 He opened a rock, and water gushed out.
 So he led his people out.
 And they sang and shouted for joy.
Meaning
 Freedom is a great event for the all of us.
 We know that God is present in helping us.
 He is present in protecting us.
 He can be trusted to help us in all events.
 If we remain faithful we can be a great nation.
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The Resurrection of Jesus justifies a Christian search for God

 Christ who rose from the dead is a special one sent by God.
 He leads us to Him
 He teaches us the correct way to live.
 To take him seriously demands a revolution in our living and thinking.
 Our human nature rebels against such a revolution.
 The resurrection must be examined critically if one’s faith is to be reasonable.
The gospel accounts of the eyewitness reports pass the truth test.
Criteria have been discovered that help to sort out the truth of the report.
 It will be disordered grouping of irrelevant details mixed with important ones.
 It will contain some elements of shock or surprise.
 It will contain some facts that could be embarrassing or unexplainable.
 If many witnesses are involved there could be agreements on main points but contradictions or
inconsistencies on minor points.
There was no reason for the disciples to fake the empty tomb
 The Pharisees accused the disciples of stealing the body of Jesus.
 It would have been more reasonable for the disciples to leave the body of Jesus.
 Leaving the body could have served as a reminder of the cruel and unjust death.
 No place in the Old Testament talks of the Messiah rising from the dead.
Only the Resurrection could explain the change in the early Christians
 Peter ran away and denied Jesus when he was arrested.
 Later he endured suffering and death to make his name known.
 Only an extraordinary happening could change the life of Saul who murdered Christians.
 He thereafter brought Christ to the Gentiles.
Jesus’ own life rejected all forms of deceit and self-seeking
 Jesus taught about unending life.
 He always spoke the truth.
 There is no evidence even from his enemies that he was deceitful
 None of his actions were deceitful either.
 Jesus spoke the truth when he said, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life.

BIBLE New Testament

Hebrew 1:1-2
Jesus is the answer
 In the past God spoke through our ancestors and prophets.
 In these last days
 He spoke to us through his son.
 He is the one through whom God created the universe.
 The one God has chosen
 to possess all things at the end.
Meaning
 A Christian can learn about God through reflecting on how God works.
 The fullest knowledge comes from studying the teaching and the life of Jesus.

Romans 1:18-32
 God’s anger is revealed from heaven against all the sin and evil of the people.
 God punishes them because what can be known about God is plain to them.
 For God has made it clear to them.
 They know God but do not give him the honour that belongs to him.
 Nor do they thank him.
 They say they are wise but they are fools.
 They exchange truth for a lie.
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 They worship and serve what God has created instead of the creator.
 They are filled with all kinds of wickedness, evil, greed and vice.
 They are full of jealousy, murder, fighting, deceit and malice.
 They gossip and speak evil of one another.
 They are hateful to God, insolent, proud and boastful.
 They show no kindness or pity for others.
Meaning
 We can know God through creation.
 We know God but refuse to give him honour.
 Our evil prevents the truth from being known.
 We often turn to worship created things.
 Cruelty, arrogance, selfishness and pride replace the justice and care which God wants.

Luke 11:29-32
To be open
 Jesus said: ‘How evil are the people of this day.
 They ask for a miracle
 not one will be given to them.
 Except the miracle of Jonah.
 On the day of judgement
 the Queen of Sheba will stand up
 and accuse the people of today.
 Because she listened to King Solomon’s wise teaching
 I tell you there is something wiser than Solomon here.
 On judgement day the people of Ninevah will stand up
 and accuse you because they turned from their sins.
 I assure you that there is something here greater than Jonah.
Meaning
 We are expected to accept the message of Jesus’ coming to fulfill the law.
 Less fortunate often show deeper willingness to trust Jesus.

Acts 17:16-34
Very close
 Paul was greatly upset when he noticed how full of idols the city of Athens was.
 So he held discussions in the synagogue with the Jews and the Gentiles.
 Some of the people asked, ‘What is this ignorant show-off trying to say?’
 He seems to be talking about Jesus and the resurrection.
 They brought Paul before the council and asked what the new teaching was about.
 Paul stood up and said, ‘I see that you are religious.
 I have found an altar which is written, ‘To the Unknown God.’
 God who made the world and everything in it.
 The Lord of heaven and the earth.
 The one who gives life and breath and everything else to everyone.
 In him we live and move and exist.
 He has fixed a day to judge the whole world with justice.
 He has given proof of this to everyone by raising a man from the death.
 When they heard Paul speak about raising from the death, some of them made fun of him
 Some men joined him and believed.
Meaning
 Some people admit that they have not yet discovered the real God.
 They are in search.
 Religious leaders explain what that God is.
 God puts the feelings of restlessness in our hearts to keep us searching for him.
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Ephesians 3:1-3
Salvation revealed to all
 God in his grace has given me this work to do for your good.
 God revealed his secret plan and made it known to me.
 In the past no one was told this secret
 God has revealed it now to his apostles and prophets.
 The secret is that by means of the gospel the gentiles have a part with the Jews in God’s
blessing.
 They are members of the same body and share in the promise God made through Christ.
 I was given this privilege of taking the Good News to Gentile.
 To make people see how this plan is put into effect.
 God kept his secret hidden though the past ages to show his wisdom.
 He did this according to his eternal purpose achieved though Christ.
 In union with Christ and through our faith in him.
 We have the boldness to go into God’s presence with all confidence…
Meaning
 In all cultures and all past peoples one discovers a belief in God.
 Human reason demand that this world did not happen by chance.
 There was a creator and designer who ought to be honoured.
 However there is a fear of coming near that creator.
 Sacrifices were offered, rituals practiced but God was still far away.
 People slowly learned that God had come close to them..
 The good news of God and Jesus is for all who seriously searched for God