▁the ▁att itudes ▁and ▁actions ▁of ▁the ▁Rh odes ian ▁government ▁and ▁white ▁minor ity ▁with ▁those ▁that ▁he ▁regarded ▁as ▁auth ent ically ▁Christian . ▁▁ ▁The ▁specific ▁problems ▁that ▁he ▁concentr ated ▁on ▁were ▁those ▁of ▁the ▁conf is cation ▁of ▁land , ▁and ▁government al ▁control ▁of ▁education . ▁In ▁particular ▁he ▁condem ned ▁the ▁difference ▁in ▁educational ▁opportunity ▁available ▁to ▁children ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁ra cial ▁groups , ▁and ▁accused ▁the ▁government ▁of ▁ob struct ing ▁efforts ▁by ▁Christian ▁mission aries ▁to ▁improve ▁educational ▁provision ▁for ▁black ▁children : ▁" M ission aries ▁have ▁been ▁waiting , ▁quite ▁literally ▁for ▁years , ▁for ▁permission ▁from ▁the ▁State ▁to ▁open ▁the ▁most ▁elementary ▁kind ▁of ▁village ▁schools ▁which ▁the ▁African ▁people ▁require ▁and ▁demand ▁and ▁are ▁willing ▁to ▁ere ct ▁at ▁their ▁own ▁exp ense ; ▁and ▁the ▁applications , ▁detailed ▁and ▁in ▁writing , ▁are ▁still ▁un gr anted ." ▁ ▁U DI ▁When ▁Ian ▁Smith ▁came ▁to ▁power ▁and ▁declared ▁independence ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 5 , ▁Bishop ▁Lam ont ▁was ▁hor r ified . ▁He ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁long - time ▁critic ▁of ▁the ▁policies ▁of ▁the ▁Rh odes ian ▁government , ▁claim ing ▁they ▁were ▁rac ist . ▁ ▁Among st ▁his ▁criticism , ▁Lam ont ▁wrote ▁an ▁open ▁letter ▁to ▁Ian ▁Smith , ▁then ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁of ▁Rh odes ia , ▁saying ▁" F ar ▁from ▁your ▁policies ▁def ending ▁Christian ity ▁and ▁Western ▁civil ization , ▁as ▁you ▁claim , ▁they ▁mock ▁the