African and Chinese Catholics are Not European Catholics

In a recent post, the Vatican preached to African Bishops the European Catholic view of marriage. While there is lots of polygamy in the Bible, the Vatican does not approve. The Vatican wrote the paper in response to African Bishops who are finding polygamy common in their worshippers. They wanted help. 

So goes efforts to expand western religious and cultural idea on other continents. In China, the government has put up a high wall, only government approved clergy and sermons. In Africa, long standing cultural practices prevail even though criticized in Western theology. 

Africa has governments that hold gay people can be put to death. On the other hand, there is not the aversion to abortion that U.S. clergy hammer on. Right wing Methodists spun off the mainline group over abortion. The spin off had good numbers because it included other countries including those in Africa. When African Methodists fall far to the right of right-wing U. S. Methodists sparks will fly. 

As has been written here many times, cultures create gods. It's not the other way around. When the cultures of China and Africa alter Christianity to fit their respective cultures we can expect version of Christianity different from the culture of the U.S. 

The Chinese government sees no need for Christianity except to generate support for the People's Party. The government plays a bigger role in Chinese Catholic Church than does Rome. Rome has always seen some local accommodation as in its self interest. Time will tell if that works out everywhere.