Abstract

Points of departure for the state in the Institutes of Calvin compared with points of departure of the South African Bill of Rights (1996) In the last chapter of his “Institutes” the reformer John Calvin (1509-1564) concentrates on points of departure for the state and on the task of the state government. Calvin is strongly influenced by the Bible and sees the state government as being ordained by God to exercise justice in society. For him justice and fairness should be the norm for every law created by the state. The South African “Bill of Rights” is regarded as the highest law in the country. To prevent chaos or people exercising the law wrongly, the Constitution with the “Bill of Rights” in the final instance should be interpreted by the Constitutional Court. This makes South Africa a just state or a society governed by the constitution or law. Although Calvin, like the “Bill of Rights”, has a feeling for justice to all, he and the Bill part company on the important issue that the state should be seen as a servant of God.

Highlights

  • The South African “Bill of Rights” is regarded as the highest law in the country

  • To prevent chaos or people exercising the law wrongly, the Constitution with the “Bill of Rights” in the final instance should be interpreted by the Constitutional Court

  • This makes South Africa a just state or a society governed by the constitution or law

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Summary

Inleiding en probleemstelling

Medeteoloog en jarelange vriend is dit vir my ’n voorreg om aan ’n huldigingsbundel vir professor Callie Coetzee deel te neem. Die onmiddellike vraag wat hierdie uitgangspunt van Calvyn in die huidige Suid-Afrika ontlok, is of so ’n vertrekpunt nog relevant in ’n land is wat daarop aanspraak maak dat hy, soos afgelei uit sy Handves van Regte in die Grondwet, ’n godsdienstig-neutrale staat is.. Hierdie artikel wil egter opnuut en kortliks na die uitgangspunte van Calvyn oor die staat en die staatsregering kyk asook sy uitgangspunte met uitgangspunte van die Suid-Afrikaanse Handves van Regte vergelyk. Die Handves is egter nie ateïsties ingestel nie, omdat dit ten opsigte van godsdiens en geloof ’n sogenaamde free exercise clause bevat wat die positiewe gevolg het dat godsdienstige aktiwiteite in die samelewing, soos byvoorbeeld in die openbare onderwys, tot sy reg kan kom Dit is natuurlik ’n oop vraag hoe godsdienstig neutraal die “staatsregering” van die dag in sy politiek wil wees as President Jacob Zuma, in aanloop tot die verkiesing van 2009, aanvoer dat die regerende ANC die God van die Bybel aan sy kant het (Zuma, 2009:6)

Calvyn en die staat as ’n dienaar van God
Die staat as ’n dienaar van God en Suid-Afrika se Handves van Regte
Die staat as dienaar van God: enkele kwessies oor regering
Die staat as dienaar van God: enkele kwessies oor gehoorsaamheid
Slotsom
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