What would Jesus do about Africa?

Mike Huckabee, the GOP candidate for president, now a front runner among the republican candidates recently said this: “Jesus was too smart to run for public office”. He made the statement in response to a question about evolution during a CNN/YouTube Debate featuring other GOP presidential contenders. What would Jesus do about evolution was the question all the GOP candidates scrambled to answer.

Rudy Guliani, a fellow republican, also trying to claim the GOP ticket, when the cameras turned on him during Huckbee’s response, was seen cheering and smiling as was the audience that felt excited about the comment from Mr. Huckabee. It seemed a smart response from the man who political analysts now think is the GOP’s best chance in the November 2008 US Presidential race. Huckabee, a former Baptist minister, has received strong endorsement from other Baptist ministers around America. Now, if you believe the polls, the conservative movement is also said to be rallying behind him as their man for the primaries.

But as we celebrate Christmas, the challenge many have is to figure out the role of religion in dealing with social issues like Abortion, Immigration, poverty and much more. Akin to this, as in previous election cycles, remains the issue about the separation of Church and State, a tenet enshrined in America’s constitution. Is Huckabee now going to wear his “religiosity” on his sleeves and act like Jesus when he becomes President? That is the question that political bloggers are muscling from left and right.

Also, the talk in America is how the so called "anti-Christ" movement is employing Machiavellian machinations to strip Jesus Christ out of Christmas. We all have heard it and perhaps practice it too; advertently or inadvertently. Instead of wishing everyone a “Merry Christmas”, critics say, we now prefer “Happy Holidays” in order not to offend non Christians. The big question is, “who are these non Christians that we don’t want to offend?” Everyone is scratching their heads. As they say, “America is a free country and everyone is welcome to do or say whatever they like, so long as it fits within the bounds of US laws” Everyone, including CNN, now running a Christmas special called "What would Jesus really do", has gotten into the debate.

Now that it has been announced that President Bush plans another trip to Africa in 2008 as he finishes eights in the white house, i like to shift the focus from Jesus in America to Jesus in Africa. With this, a new set of questions arises. What would Jesus do about Africa?

What would He do about poverty and debt relief in Africa? Would Jesus live in a place like Zimbabwe where there is 1000% inflation, according to recent press reports? Would Jesus help raise funds for anti-retro viral drugs for Aids patients all over Africa? Would Jesus attend an African Union conference to debate the expansion of the African Union to a 21st century style European Union? Or, would He rather say "we should adopt African solutions to African problems and not copy western style capitalism?"

Would Jesus mediate in the Bakassi Peninsular dispute between Cameroon and Nigeria? Would Jesus even think about letting an African president be in power any longer than eight years? Or would He say “for the sake of peace, I rather have one person be in charge until we can find someone qualified enough to take over?

Or, would Jesus say, “forget that a British teacher came close to being flocked or killed in Sudan because she allowed one of her students to name a teddy bear Mohammed” Would Jesus say “forget that there is genocide taking place in Darfur for which the Sudanese government has been called the most brutal regime in recent memory”

Would Jesus rather not focus on the Bad and Ugly about Africa and pay more attention to a democratic revolution taking place since most African nations gained independence in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Would he say “I don’t care what everyone is saying about Africa and that Africa has a better chance at development if Africans stop talking and blaming their governments for their failures and start listening and acting to the ideas being proposed as solutions to problems in the continent?

What would Jesus do about thousands of Africans who have fled Africa and are now living in America and enjoying the American dream? Would Jesus say that such a move is good or bad for Africa?

Would Jesus focus on the “Good, Better and Best” of today’s African leaders and use them as shinning examples for the rest of Africa and the world? What would Jesus really say about Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu? Would Jesus make a comment about the trial of Charles Taylor or about the Tanzanian stock Exchange?

Would Jesus encourage Africans to learn leadership better skills and prepare their younger generation who would take over leadership of the continent ten years from now? Or would Jesus say, “I am too smart to run for public office”, or “I rather stay home because I am too tired of Africans who talk too much and do nothing about their problems”

Would Jesus say, “I don’t want to be called all kinds of names, so I am going to take a pass on this African thing” What would He do for Africa?

How about one last question, “When will the debate about Jesus ever end?” I really don’t know because I am not a religious nut, nor am I interested in liberal or conservative bashing. All I know is how to ask these questions.

Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas!
George Bamu

Free Photoshop CS3 Class -- Today!

If you are looking to enhance your career through digital imaging and multi-media productions, here is a free opportunity for you. Please come attend a free Career Development workshop at Colorado Technical University. Specifically, it is a free Digital Imaging Workshop using Adobe's latest digital Imaging tools(Photoshop CS3). The things to do include learning the ins and outs of photoshop, image restoration and graphics editing, image modification, photo effects, size and scale and much more. Again, this is a free workshop on Saturday December 8th, from 10 to 2 PM. Lunch is Included. Please call 888-287-0555 to reserve a seat(limited seating)

You can attend either at the CTU Denver South Campus or CTU Denver North Campus.
For directions, go to www.coloradotech.edu .

Good Luck to everyone!


George Bamu

World Aids Day: Bland Rhetoric about Africa does not help anyone.

We'll, I thought that when we celebrate World Aids Day it is supposed to be about how people and communities around the world are surviving the throes of death and suffering in the face of a new world order. Also, I thought World Aids day was supposed to be World Aids Day and not Africa Aids Day. Don't dare you tell me that it is because Africa accounts for the bulk of folks suffering from the disease for which the media now spends hours showing citizens in shams and slums all over the place. True, the vast majority of infections and deaths from Aids today are taking place in Africa. India and China come next to Africa Vis a Vis the challenges posed by HIV/AIDS. I have not seen anything about India since i started watching the Aids commemoration events on TV, between November 30th and December 1st. naturally, the world's attention should be focused on Africa. It is there that things, sometimes, don't look so good.

On the same score, isn't it time that we look seriously at what causes poverty, illiteracy and other factors which engender the climate that breeds diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria etc. Does anyone know the answers to unemployment, illiteracy, the suppression of the press in Africa? Does anyone know that you can take education to a place where none exists? Does anyone understand that Cameroon is a democracy and that it is currently engaged in a dispute with Nigeria over a tiny oil rich territory called the bakassi peninsular? Is someone going to get involved, report these stories to the world and really help before the next war ensues in that part of the world.

You can only fight problems with solutions and not empty media coverage and bland responses from a few well place sources. I watched a CNN interview with Magic Johnson and how he is fighting the disease since going public in 1991 and it was inspirational. Can Africa learn from Magic's story? Certainly YES. Africa needs more stories of inspiration and not stories of slums and desperation.

How about we ask the media to focus on tourism and activities which might invite investors to pump money into Africa and help with unemployment issues. Don't dare you tell me that Africans are corrupt and that they will mismanage every cent put at their disposal. The time for negative rhetoric about Africa has come and gone.

How about someone starts to show that Africans are capable, that Africa is about 53 independent nations and not represented only in Zimbabwe, Somalia and Darfur. Does anyone in the US media know this?

How about we look at a thriving tourism industry in Tanzania, the rising stock market in South Africa, Tunisia, Kenya and Nigeria. How about someone takes their digital cameras and blackberries and go down to lecture halls around African universities and see what students are doing to change their lives and their countries. How about someone goes to an African restaurant and savor some real home made African dish and forget about the images of "Feed the Children" that we see on US television each day. Isn't that the kind of progress that we all want?

George Bamu