Christian Faith was Once so Proud of its Missionary Work


I suppose white missionaries went to Africa well over 100 years ago and Christians there are 3rd, 4th or 5th generation. Before Christian missionaries began converting locals other religious beliefs were already there. As Christianity moved in the old culture that fueled the previous religions remained. Ever since Christians thought they had the upper hand hammering down on the local culture the truth has reared its head. The original culture is still there. 

There seems to be a slow realization in the U.S. religious community that using money collected from the pews is not bringing Christianity to those cultures quite as planned. Both those people converted and those born to native Christian parents are a branch of the faith different than the one back here. The original branch of the Presbyterian denomination recently closed down it entire missionary enterprise. Southern Baptists reduced the size of its operation. Watching videos of Lutheran Missouri Synod I see expressed often "The U. S. in the biggest mission field in the world." The unspoken message is Missouri Synod is losing membership in the U. S. and should be spending its outreach money here instead of in other places in the world. 

A story that encapsulates the dilemma came from the Anglican Church. Recently the first woman in its history in Africa was promoted to Bishop in Arch Diocese. She has a wife. One of the churches in the diocese announced angularly it is leaving the denomination. The preacher said homosexuality is an abomination. This blatant endorsement of discrimination is exactly what the Anglican Church is opposed to. Is this what the huge budgets for missionary work was supposed to accomplish? Converting people in that culture to Christianity did not change cultural myths.

Methodists reduced, almost eliminated, the impact of African Methodists in U. S. Methodism. The denomination wondered what is the point of a denomination that endorses discrimination. Once it had dumped Africa it quickly voted to allow gay Methodist preachers. 

Christians in the U.S. would serve their cause well by dropping all foreign missionary operations.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Time to Forget the Christian Nation Thing

Image
While women are forbidden from being priests/preachers in some branches of Christianity thank goodness they are not forbidden from writing and lecturing about Christianity. A great article about the "Christian nation" notion shows us the U.S. is not a Christian nation and hopefully never will be. It is written by a woman with nerve and was published on a very Christian site, Christian Post.  Among the pilgrims were a few that wanted to establish a utopian Christian society. Some of their brethren stayed behind in Europe hoping the push aside worldly forces there and bring sinners to God. Today, whether it is the anti abortion, anti gay/trans, anti immigration or the put prayer back in schools branch there are those who want a version of what some pilgrims wanted, a utopian Christian society. The pilgrims were disappointed. Today's Christian utopians will be also. Here is why. The children of pilgrims did not believe the same things as their parents. Parents were roundly d...
Read more

Ancient God, Bel (Baal), the Main Character in an Ancient Play

Image
In a British museum is a preserved stone tablet from Babylon. It dates to about 2,000 BCE. Someone labored patiently to inscribe an entire passion play featuring the god Bel. I reiterate this is a stone tablet, not a recopied papyrus. The play begins with the god Bel arrested by soldiers and taken off the stage. He reappears at a trial in the Hall of Judgement. Bel is innocent but is sentenced to death. In the next scene Bel is accosted by a mob. He is despised and rejected. The actor playing Bel is then taken by guard to a hilltop in a sacred grove. Two criminals are taken with him. One of these is released. The the audience then leaves the theater and follows the actor Bel and his guards to the top of a hill where the death scene is enacted by hanging from a tree. The audience returns to the theater for the dramatic final scenes. The dead Bel is stripped and prepared for burial. On a theatrical hill to the side of the stage is a tomb where the body is placed. A stone is rolle...
Read more

Who Suffers from a "Hardened Heart"

Image
Some years ago on this blog there was a discussion about what the Bible calls "The hardened heart." The "hardened heart" was the explanation given for why people like me cannot accept the tenets of Christianity. We are unable to believe there are floating spirits and gods or imaginary places people go when the die. Now, a prominent Christian preacher and author has given us a way to diagnose the "hardened heart." It contained some surprises.  Rev. John Piper, who spoke about the hardened heart, said we can see this in a person who lacks "ordinary tenderness and compassion." He went on to describe the characteristics of a person without the affliction of the hardened heart. A healthy person displays empathy and sympathy. Those with the hardened heart are like stone. Jesus wanted compassion for the poor. The hardened heart discussion referred to atheists only if they are sinners and then it was indirectly. Sin, Piper said, hardens one's heart a...
Read more