Changes

Strydom was raised in a right-wing family, his father, Nic Strydom, was [[AWB]] regional leader for Heidelberg, Transvaal, and was an elder in the NGK Dutch Reformed Church. At Barend's trial his father proudly announced that he had "planted the seeds of his son's views".

Strydom was raised in a right-wing family, his father, Nic Strydom, was [[AWB]] regional leader for Heidelberg, Transvaal, and was an elder in the NGK Dutch Reformed Church. At Barend's trial his father proudly announced that he had "planted the seeds of his son's views".

Strydom, by the age of 16, was very active in right-wing politics, he had, by right-wingers, been warned of the dangers of communism and drug and alcohol abuse. His opinions were nurtured by his father, Nic Strydom, an ex-policeman, regional AWB leader and elder in the NGK (Dutch Reformed Church). Nic Strydom later said, "I explained to him (Barend) that, according to the Bible, each nation should have its own Church and religion, which he accepted wholeheartedly".

Strydom, by the age of 16, was very active in right-wing politics, he had, by right-wingers, been warned of the dangers of communism and drug and alcohol abuse. His opinions were nurtured by his father, Nic Strydom, an ex-policeman. Nic Strydom later said, "I explained to him (Barend) that, according to the Bible, each nation should have its own Church and religion, which he accepted wholeheartedly".

 

Barend was a dedicated Churchgoer.

Nic Strydom's more extreme beliefs were cited as a primary reason why Barend was so fanatical, Nic Strydom said that he believed Black people to be animals, and that this was a Biblically-based belief.  

Nic Strydom's more extreme beliefs were cited as a primary reason why Barend was so fanatical, Nic Strydom said that he believed Black people to be animals, and that this was a Biblically-based belief.