Abstract:
This article asks the question whether the Afrikaans-speaking churches
should confess guilt publicly for their support of the apartheid-state. A
short summary is given to different opinions in South Africa. The main
focus of the article is on the German discussion. From this discussion
we learn that people, some in a more horrible way than others, do make
themselves guilty in history. For believers it is a matter of course to confess
their guilt in a church service. Guilty people, unfortunately, always
try to justify themselves and to point to the guilt of others. Some people
are always more guilty than others, but people become guilty collectively.
To prevent evil, the church has the responsibility of preaching the
doctrine of original guilt. This would also enable believers to handle
guilt from the perspective of the doctrine of justification.
