The Religion and Political Views of Oscar Pistorius

Oscar Pistorius was born in Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa and grew up in Pretoria, South Africa.

Pistorius was raised a devout Christian,[1] though no source indicates which denomination. His late mother (who was instrumental in his Christian upbringing) was of Italian descent,[2] so we might be able to make a logical leap to Catholic, though it's admittedly a stretch.

Nevertheless, Jesus and his faith are central in Pistorius' life. He even tattooed a verse from the Biblical book of Corinthians on his shoulder.[3] And he said:

God is the most important person in the world to me. If I'm on the right patch spiritually, it helps with everything else.[4]

Pistorius also credits God and Christ to his Olympic victories and his success in the face of adversity:

Christ makes all the difference. He aids me in my struggles and makes my glories that much better.[5]

However, and as we will discuss in the following section, some of Pistorius' alleged actions throw into question the usefulness and effectiveness of the moral framework of Christianity to which he claims to adhere.

No leg to stand on… bad form?

Pistorius isn't political in the traditional sense–seemingly no advocacy of policy or activism for any particular cause to be found. However, he is (or was?) a hero for his country and a true tale of inspiration. Pistorius' ability to go from double amputee to Olympic medalist has been compared to the political struggles of his country.[6] When Apartheid threatened to stunt the development of South Africa, it overcame its struggles and is now thriving (somewhat). When Pistorius' medical condition threatened to write Pistorius' destiny as a cripple, he overcame and thrived as well.

But no discussion of Pistorius' personal politics could go without a mention of his legal troubles. Naturally, he is innocent until proven guilty and at the time of writing this article, no verdict has been handed down. However, it is known that Pistorius shot his girlfriend to death. What's in question is if he meant to do it.[7]

Four years prior to this incident, Pistorius was arrested for assaulting a woman with a door.[8] This disturbing pattern of violence against women has some calling Pistorius a misogynist,[9] which is, in a way, a political position. What do you think readers?