By Nathan Kiwere
Throughout history, Christianity has faced the challenge of balancing the imperatives of faith with the evolving demands of secular law. In contemporary Africa, this dilemma is particularly pronounced among radical Christians who uphold God’s law as supreme, often resisting any accommodation of secular human rights principles that seem to contradict their faith and socio-cultural values. This clash between divine and human law raises complex questions about allegiance, often forcing Christians to make difficult choices between obedience to their faith and compliance with the dictates of secular authority.
The Root of the Conflict
At the heart of the conflict lies the conviction among many African Christians that God’s law, as revealed through the Bible, is unchangeable and absolute. The Bible is perceived as the ultimate authority, and adherence to its teachings is considered essential for a life that is pleasing to God. In contrast, human rights laws, rooted in secular philosophy and increasingly influenced by global, pluralistic values, evolve over time in response to shifts in cultural attitudes. For radical African Christians, this evolving nature of human rights presents a threat to the integrity of their faith, as they believe it often promotes values contrary to biblical teachings.
One of the most contentious issues highlighting this conflict is the debate over LGBTQ+ rights. Many African nations, particularly Uganda, Ghana and Nigeria, have passed legislation that criminalizes homosexuality, justified by lawmakers as an effort to preserve traditional values rooted in biblical teachings. The Anti-Homosexuality Act in Uganda, initially passed in 2014 and reintroduced in 2023, reflects the strong influence of radical Christian values on legislation in these societies. Supported by a significant section of the Christian community, this law was seen as a bulwark against the “Western influence” that allegedly threatens Africa’s moral fabric. Advocates of the law argue that permitting LGBTQ+ rights goes against biblical teachings and is an affront to God’s law, as seen in scriptures that explicitly condemn homosexual acts (e.g., Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1:26-27).
The reaction from the international community has been swift, with Western governments and human rights organizations condemning these laws as severe violations of human rights, specifically the rights to freedom, privacy, and equality. This external pressure has only strengthened the resolve of radical Christians who view the opposition as a form of cultural imperialism. Rather than yielding to these pressures, many radical African Christians see their stance as a form of spiritual warfare, resisting human rights that conflict with God’s law.
The Question of Women’s Rights and Reproductive Health
Reproductive health is another area where the clash between God’s law and human rights manifests. Issues like access to contraceptives, safe abortion, and reproductive autonomy have become controversial within radical Christian communities. In some African countries, such as Kenya and Ethiopia, the push to expand reproductive rights, including access to safe abortion, has met with fierce opposition from radical Christians. They cite the biblical commandment “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13) and argue that abortion is equivalent to murder, a grave sin in the eyes of God. Many radical African Christians assert that life begins at conception, and hence, any form of abortion is contrary to God’s will.
International organizations, including the United Nations and various human rights NGOs, advocate for women’s rights to reproductive autonomy, emphasizing that safe abortion and contraceptives are essential for gender equality and women’s health. However, radical Christians often see these interventions as attempts to erode the sanctity of life and dismantle family structures. While some Christians acknowledge the health risks that restrictive laws pose to women, they argue that compromising on this issue would be tantamount to forsaking God’s law in favour of secular, humanistic ideologies.
The Tension over Freedom of Religion and Expression
Another area where allegiance to God’s law can conflict with human rights is the freedom of religion and expression. Radical African Christians often face government restrictions on public evangelism and preaching against certain groups or practices, especially in contexts where this might lead to hate speech or discrimination. For example, in countries like South Africa, where laws against hate speech are strict, Christians have encountered legal action for preaching against homosexuality or other practices they deem sinful.
These Christians, however, argue that their freedom of expression and religion should include the right to preach and teach their beliefs openly, including those that may condemn certain lifestyles. To them, this is not hate speech but obedience to a divine mandate, as seen in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). Many radical Christians in Africa view such laws as attempts to muzzle their faith, seeing secular restrictions on religious expression as attacks on God’s law.
Despite these tensions, not all Christians see human rights as inherently opposed to God’s law. Some progressive Christians argue for a middle ground, suggesting that both divine and human laws aim to protect human dignity and promote justice. For instance, many Christians in Africa advocate for the protection of vulnerable individuals—such as refugees and children—through human rights frameworks, which they see as consistent with biblical mandates to care for “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40). Others argue that embracing certain human rights principles could enhance their witness in a pluralistic world by embodying the Christian values of love, justice, and mercy.
However, radical Christians remain wary of such compromises, seeing them as the “watering down” of biblical principles. They insist that, where human laws conflict with God’s laws, their allegiance must lie with the latter. To them, submitting to God’s law is a matter of eternal consequence, whereas human rights, shaped by shifting societal values, are temporal and subject to change.
The conflict between submitting to God’s law and observing human rights presents a deep challenge for Christians, particularly for radical African believers who prioritize obedience to divine commandments over compliance with secular standards. This tension highlights the larger, unresolved question of where ultimate authority resides: with God or with human governance. While progressive voices within Christianity may seek ways to harmonize these two frameworks, radical African Christians remain resolute, perceiving God’s law as the unshakable foundation upon which their faith and lives are built. In an era marked by increasing pluralism and secularization, this stance has profound implications for both religious freedom and human rights, underscoring the complex dynamics of allegiance that shape the lives of committed believers in today’s Africa.
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