Facebook user under fire for saying God burnt Knysna for being too gay

An Afrikaner Christian took to Facebook this week to share what he believed was the real cause of the devastation in the Southern Cape.

Runaway fires in high winds ravaged both Knysna and Plettenberg bay, destroying hundreds of buildings and causing thousands to be evacuated.

At least five people have died, including a fireman and a family of three.

According to Facebook user Bossie Boshoff, all of this was apparently due to the wrath of God being meted out on a town that had shown far too much tolerance towards homosexuality and gay weddings.

The Facebook post in question appears to have been deleted from Boshoff’s profile, but a screenshot of it has nevertheless been circulating on various social networks, causing uproar.

Update: It has since emerged that Bossie Boshoff is not the user’s real first name, but that he is a Netcare911 paramedic and has been suspended pending further investigation.

Netcare911 distanced itself from the comments.

Bossie Boshoff’s alleged post. Picture: Facebook screenshot

Writing in Afrikaans, he made reference to last year’s Pink Loerie Mardi Gras and Arts Festival where 12 gay marriages took place with the support of the NG church, which is normally known for its conservatism but recently became more liberal about LGBTi rights.

Boshoff said: “It was all over the newspapers .. It dared God .. they mustn’t cry now about the fire .. God doesn’t let Himself be mocked….!!!!”

Facebook user Christian Bresnier shared the screenshot on Thursday, saying that there were “Two types of religious people reacting to the damage caused by the storm and the fires:

“Those praying to help or save people affected by these disasters, bizarrely asking that from a God who either sent these two disasters or could not/would not prevent them.

“And the other kind thinking their god is causing these disasters because he has been defied by the gays and gay marriage, or angered by some other stuff.”

Another user, Garth van Zyl, commented: “Who would of [sic] thought that uncle Bossie Boshoff would go as far as to say that due to the pink loerie festival is the cause of the #knysnafire because of the 12 gay marriages that took place and NG kerk supporting it.

“Bossie my bru….I think it’s enough Internet for ou for the day….”

Conservative Christians consider homosexuality a sin, and often turn to the book of Leviticus in the Bible for justification.

The story of Sodom and Gomorrah is also often cited, due to the fact that God allegedly smote these cities due to their wild sexual proclivities.