One of the most disturbing paradoxes of modern times is that an acute sense of expanding moral responsibility goes hand in hand with a growing inability to bear such responsibility. This article demonstrates how modern technology, in particular information technology, has contributed to both the expansion of moral responsibility and the development of the responsibility gap. In order to deal adequately with the challenges modern technology poses in respect of moral responsibility, it has become necessary to supplement the classical notion of retrospective moral responsibility with the new notion of prospective moral responsibility. In the case of retrospective responsibility some or other negative outcome of the past is ascribed to a particular person or persons. In the case of prospective responsibility, the responsibility of preventing humans and nature from being actively harmed or to realise desirable future conditions by taking the necessary measures in the present, is ascribed to a particular person or persons, or, more likely, to a particular institution or institutions. SAMEVATTING'n Ontstellende paradoks van die moderne tyd is dat 'n besef van toenemende morele verantwoordelikheid gepaardgaan met 'n toenemende onvermoe om die verantwoordelikheid na te kom. Die artikel toon aan hoedat moderne tegnologie, in die besonder inligtingstegnologie, tot beide die uitbreiding van morele verantwoordelikheid en die ontstaan van die verantwoordelikheidsgaping aanleiding gegee het. Om die uitdagings wat moderne tegnologie met betrekking tot morele verantwoordelikheid aan die mens stel, die hoof te kan bied, het dit nodig geword om die klassieke opvatting van retrospektiewe morele verantwoordelikheid aan te vulmet die nuwe begrip van prospektiewe morele verantwoordelikheid. In die geval van retrospektiewe verantwoordelikheid word 'n negatiewe resultaat van die verlede aan 'n bepaalde persoon of persone toegedig. In die geval van prospektiewe verantwoordelikheid word die verantwoordelikheid om toekomstige skade aan mense of die natuur te voorkom of om gunstige toekomstige omstandighede te skep deur die nodige stappe in die hede te neem, toegeskryf aan n bepaalde persoon of persone, of-meer waarskynlik -aan n bepaalde ins telling of instellings.

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The question asked in the heading was answered in this article in four steps. In the first step, an attempt was made to find an accurate account of biblical prophecy by means of a critical discussion of certain influential interpretations of it. In the second step, the extent to which biblical prophecy could serve as a model for contemporary Christians was discussed and an acceptable Christian model of prophetic witness was formulated by drawing on the views of different authors. In the third step, the impact of democracy on the prophetic witness of the church was discussed. The Dutch theologian, Gerrit de Kruijf&rsquo;s view that the public prophetic witness of the church is not appropriate in democratic societies was criticised and the legitimacy of certain forms of prophetic witness in such societies defended. In the final step, a number of examples of the prophetic witness that is needed in the present democratic South Africa were provided.<p><strong>How to cite this article:</strong> De Villiers, E., 2010, &lsquo;Prophetic witness: An appropriate mode of public discourse in the democratic South Africa?&rsquo;, <em>HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies</em> 66(1), Art. #797, 8 pages. DOI: 10.4102/hts.v66i1.797</p>