Innocent Sadiki says 'Skeem Saam's' homosexual storyline changed her outlook as a preacher

When actress Innocent Sadiki is not bringing her character Sthoko to life on Skeem Saam, she spends her time serving the pulpit. And, the current homosexual storyline on the soapie has made her introspect as a preacher. 

In an interview with TshisaLIVE, Innocent explained that playing out the storyline made her introspect on how she's reacted to people who identify as homosexual in her own life.

“I'll be honest and say the storyline made me think a lot, it made me question a lot of the things that we have been preaching and talking about. I've always had friends who are gay but because of how I grew up and what I was taught in the church, I've always been one of those judgmental people. But this year, my mindset took a turn completely. I, myself, believe that perhaps people are born this way and really ... who are we to judge?

“Despite what the Bible says, it boils down to the fact that we shouldn't judge them. It's not our place and God created them, so only he has that right to judge them. All I harbour now is empathy, to say it's hard enough to try to live your truth when you are different, what more when people don't accept you. So I was like, 'God, if this is wrong, then you must deal with it,'" Innocent said.

Here is a video of preacher Sadiki in action. Watch it below:

In the Skeem Saam storyline, the pastor took a U-turn from the typical reaction of pastors to homosexual congregants. Instead of casting out demons, he encouraged Clement to live in his truth.

“It shocked most viewers to see the pastor in the storyline, become the healing voice. When Mantuli and Sthoko expected him to come guns blazing and remove 'the gay demon' from Clement, he did the exact opposite. Instead he encouraged Clement to be himself, to love himself ... he actually assured Clement that it was his mother and grandmother who were the ones who were delusional.

“This just goes to show that it's not even about being a pastor, it about being human. You are human before you are pastor. That's the approach that pastor took, to just put himself in Clement's shoes and advise him from a place of humanity,” she explained.