It is true that many missionaries misused and misinteprted the message the bible but as I will explain below this does not amount into an objection against the fact that the bible is an inspired book and sole rule of faith, neither does this justify the mistaken notion that the bible is untrue or corrupt.I ask, if the bible is taken up by a plunderer, murderer and robber, do we dismiss the value of the bible on basis that it has been misused, do we therefore doubt the usefulness of the bible where it ought to be used in the manner it ought to be used simply because a murderer once misused the bible?
Many European missionaries who came to Africa also read, and did not understand the bible through its Christocentric lens, they intepreted the bible for Africans in such a way that they could get Africans to assent to exploitation by Europeans without ever rising gainst the opressors.
Years ago I dismissed Calvinism/ doctrines of Grace as an invention of the white supremacist largely because i first encounterd calvinism in historical accounts that suggested that the Dutch Reformed Church calvinist theology was partly responsible for apartheid in South Africa.
Obviously some early Dutch settler politicians and clergy where racist and kinist heretics, a coveteous lot in search of worldly riches hence ignored the Christocentric message of the bible [Luke 24:27, John 5:39, Acts 28:23, John 1:45 ] instead twisted the biblical doctrine of predestination & election to mean that they where the predestined elect of God with every right to exploit Africans.
The misuse of scripture does not however disqualify the inspirtation of scripture [ 2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:21 ] and its Christocentric message[ Luke 24:27, John 5:39, Acts 28:23, John 1:45 ] thus we cannot conclude that the bible is a terrible document on the basis of those who misintepreted it because they ignored the message and the intent of the Bible
Tendai Mbofana 