A local pastor believes a code of conduct needs to be implemented in a bid to regulate independent churches and pastors against hate speech and anti-Hindu sentiment.
The call comes in the wake of a recent incident where a Durban pastor made derogatory remarks about Hindu worship.
Pastor Pukreesamy (who also calls himself Bob Perumal) was a guest speaker at the Congregational Church of Queensburgh in Durban, when he said the Shiva Lingum was a demon, invading Europe with yoga.
A video of his sermon went viral on social media.
"Shiva, Shiva Lingum. I don't know if anybody heard of that, Shiva Lingum. Shiva is a spirit that is going around America and is teaching people yoga. It originated in India and when you see Shiva, he is sitting in this form and is coiled up. Now the White people, they don't know about Shiva Lingum. It is the same demon that is invading Europe with yoga."
The pastor also slammed churches that promoted yoga for exercise which he slammed as the work of the devil.
Pukreesamy further told the congregation that a woman from Phoenix, “who was suffering badly with a spirit coiled up on her wishbone” was a demon. He said the reason she was experiencing pain was because she had helped her neighbour make veda (a traditional Indian savoury snack) for a Hindu celebration.
He went on to call the celebration devil worship.
Pastor Mervin Naidoo, of the Cornerstone Church, in Chatsworth, said the church was unregulated, and there was a possibility that the pastor had no formal theological training.
"There are many people who claim to be pastors without the proper training and because of this, they are bringing disrepute to the Christian faith. They are making the church sound like a bunch of fools. The definition of pastor is to be loving and not abrasive."
He said this was not the first time this had happened.
"It shows you that this pastor is immature. If we, as Christians, are disrespectful, it is a poor reflection of Jesus Christ. Our God is a God of love. I apologise to the Hindu community on behalf of him. His views are not the reflection of the entire Body of Christ or the broader pastoral community."
Naidoo said there were many churches and pastors who worked independently and it was difficult to regulate them.
"We are working at putting together a behavioural code of conduct to try and prevent further incidents in the future."
Pastor Aaron Munsamy, of Cares Church in Verulam, said Christian religious leaders should never condemn other religions.
"We are mature enough to understand that we are all children of God. We cannot be ignorant to other beliefs. The Bible teaches us to love one another and also love our neighbour. The pastor in question needs to be educated.”
The video of Pukreesamy has raised the ire of the Hindu community with the South African Hindu Maha Sabha, the South African Dharma Sabha, the Mohanji Centre of Benevolence Nonoti and The Sannyasa Spiritual Council of South Africa, condemning his sermon as hate speech.
Ashwin Trikamjee, the president of the Maha Sabha, said: "The right to freedom of religion is enshrined in the Constitution of South Africa. Religious discrimination and hatred based on religion is prohibited. The Human Rights Commission has emphasised that hate speech ‘impacts negatively on victims in terms of their self-worth; causes significant hurt, harm, pain, distress, sorrow and humiliation; is degrading and dehumanising; it impugns the right to human dignity and equality’."
He said the Sabha had asked for an apology to the Hindu community, a R100 000 donation to the organisation's welfare projects, and for Pukreesamy to attend a course on religious tolerance, and undertake not to make such utterances ever.
Ram Maharaj, from the Dharma Sabha, said Pukreesamy’s utterances were derogatory, demeaning, dogmatic, divisive and discriminatory.
The Sannyasa Spiritual Council of South Africa’s Swami Vedanand Saraswathi, said they supported the Sabha’s action against the pastor.
“Such uninformed, ignorant, and misleading statements cause more division, disharmony, and confusion. Such actions will not be tolerated and will be called to order, especially in a nation where the right of belief and worship of all individuals are protected and respected.”
Sulosh Pillay, of the Mohanji Centre of Benevolence Nonoti, said Pukreesamy’s words had caused distress to the Hindu community and beyond.
"It is our belief that such statements, which generalise and mischaracterise cultural and spiritual practices, have the potential to fuel misunderstanding and intolerance. We believe in the importance of promoting dialogue that encourages mutual respect for diverse perspectives, recognising that individuals hold varying beliefs that contribute to the richness of our shared human experience. The comments made about a woman from Phoenix and her involvement in cultural celebrations are deeply troubling. "
Pillay invited Pukreesamy to visit the centre in Nonoti and participate in their service to the community so that he could imbibe the ethos of ‘One world One Humanity’.
Pukreesamy released a video on TikTok at the weekend apologising. When the POST contacted him for comment, he declined saying the matter was with the Equality Court.
This has not been the first time pastors have made derogatory remarks against Hinduism.
- In June 2020, evangelist Simeon Bradley Chetty posted a video on Facebook testifying about his conversion from Hinduism to Christianity at an open-air church service. Chetty said: “My father was a Telugu, my mother was a Tamil and while they were growing up they said, you know what? They have no meaning. They worship idols, they worship other gods, but I am here to tell you that the name of Jesus is above every other name. Let me ask you this question. Why would a Telugu man worship Jesus? Why would a Muslim man worship Jesus? Why would every religion give their life to Jesus?”. The Equality Court ordered him to apologise to the Hindu community.
- Two weeks later, a 16-second clip of Reverend Llewellyn Joseph from February 2020 resurfaced on Facebook, where Joseph is heard praying for a congregation of worshippers. During his prayer, he calls out for a congregation member who felt a sense of heaviness in his or her home and family when Kavady was being observed.