Time and time again gates have been opened to the Christian faith. Starting from the time of discovery all-the-way to the present Christianity moved alongside the movement in economy and the development in society. Is there a pattern in this unnatural phenomenon? Is there a reason why western culture is portrayed in a culture containing Christianity?
The question above has great relevance in learning today's culture. As Christianity first started to spread in the Roman Empire the culture of the Romans blended in with it. Starting the Roman Catholic Church the Roman Empire spread its culture along with religion. Currently the Christian church, also known as a branch of the Orthodox Church, has engraved the western culture on it's base. For over two-thousand years missionaries all over the world spread the gospel with this culture, leaving it up to the new believers to deal with the change.
Also Christianity has opened the front gates of newly discovered countries, allowing stronger nations to walk in and forcefully confiscate the land that the people bear. Although it is not the missionaries' intention to destroy an existing culture, by revealing a tribe or clan to the world, the newly discovered land becomes the perfect target to counties wanting land. Thus this leads to destruction of a race or tribe. Christian missionaries should be more cautious in revealing cultures to the world and should be aware that the culture that they may be entering may be the only culture that is the closest to reality.
2 comments:
You seem to understand the history of Christianity very well. It is interesting that you believe revealing the culture would eventually lead to destruction..I believe that God has plan for everything. Like Don RIchardson states, this world just isn't big enough anymore. Do you think that they will be discovered in time, by others? Missionaries opening up a way for destruction is not exactly their purpose in evangelizing. What is your suggestion then, just to be cautious? or to not venture out at all?
Aaron,
In most cases I don't think that the missionaries were really the ones who "discovered" people groups. Like Richardson said in the book, "it is naive to think that these people should be left alone, because if the most sympathetic person doesn't go in, some one will." That was a loose quote from my memory. Anyway, I tend to agree that although, yes, missionaries do go into places and they do affect the culture, with globalization the way it is today, if it wasn't the missionaries it would be someone else. And although that "someone else" may not be as bad as Richardson says, they definitely will come in and affect the culture.
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