In my teenage years, I had a very inquisitive mind and, in many ways, I still do.

In my teenage years, I had a very inquisitive mind and, in many ways, I still do.

I have since those days also developed a tendency to challenge the status quo, to be brave and to be upfront.

My mindset is strong-willed, my conviction and my commitment, a chosen cause, is unshakeable.

During the horrible years of apartheid, I always ended up on the wrong side of the law. Even among my own friends who were more blessed than others, I became known as a hardegat, so to speak.

For all those terrible years of untold human suffering of the majority of my people, I found the Bible consistently irrelevant to my life as an oppressed person.

There was a particular statement in the Bible that was readily misconstrued by those who enjoyed the privileges which were protected by a corrupt and cruel political system that enforced the domination of one race by the others.

The statement is in Romans 13 Verses 1 and 2. It reads: "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are put there by God."

It continues: "Therefore, whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves."

I thought to myself and I told everyone who cared to listen, that if this is indeed the commandment of God then I am willing to defy it in the name of justice and freedom for all.

For many years, I held a grudge against God.

It was the same resolve I called upon when I learnt that living with HIV was equal to a death sentence. I made a conscious decision, there and then, 17 years ago to be precise, that I would never succumb to HIV and Aids. I steadfastly refused to become a victim and to die helplessly like many other people.

Living with HIV is my final challenge, after the demolition of racial hatred and unfair discrimination, I convinced myself.

I was introduced to a Japanese man with whom I share very much in common, except that I am not wealthy.

His name is Robert Kiyosaki. He is a multi billionaire and a financial guru who has also found the Bible to be irrelevant, abusive and largely contributing to the brainwashing of the majority of poverty-stricken people in the world.

The Bible, among other unbelievable things, dictates: "Blessed are the poor because the kingdom of God belongs to them."

Kiyosaki, just like me, remains unfazed and unafraid. He challenges the status quo without fear, prejudice or favour.

He maintains that such statements encourage poor people to believe that living in squalor is a blessing from God, while the few stinking-rich people are told that "Blessed is the hand that giveth than the one that receiveth".

Kiyosaki says that religion is the cause of poverty in the world and he asks rhetorically: "If the love of money is the root of all evil, then why is everybody working so hard to have it?"

It makes you think, doesn't it?