Kaffir Boy Religion Quotes

"Don't you think God has had some influence on the way your life is turning out?" she said one night after I had just finished reading her Scriptures….

"I have no way of telling, Ma," I said, "except that I do somehow believe there is something more powerful than man out there in the universe. Some call it a Force, some call it God, some call it luck."

"What do you call it?"

"I call it 'The Force,'" I said, laughing. (36.8-11).

"They keep returning, my boy," Limela said, shaking his head despairingly. "And each time they tell me, in different ways and each way more devious than the last, that this God of their forgives all sins, be they a black man's or white man's. Boy, would you, if you were God, forgive white people for what they're doing to us?"

"Never," I said.

"Don't lead the children astray, now, Limela," said the mfundisi. "Jesus said, 'Let the children – '".

I cut him short. "I'm not a bloody child, mister, and I'm going to no f***ing Jesus." Warming up, I continued, "I know people of your kind. You're dirty stinking liars! You make people forget reality and dream about some stupid heaven no one really knows exists!" (36.35-38)

The house became a pulpit. Everyone who passed through our house had to be told abut my mother's God. Her new God turned her into a believer that every problem was solvable, every obstacle surmountable; she never got angry or wished anyone ill or hated her enemies, for she believed that her all-loving God would not approve of such emotions. Even her criticism of my father lessened; she tolerated every abuse he hurled at her; she even gave him money. She loved to share the little she had and would often bring home complete strangers off the streets – tramps, prostitutes, lunatics and even tsotsis – and would share with them whatever little food was there, and occasionally she would let them sleep over for a night or two. (39.19)