Question = What factors of your native culture have informed your religious world view? Explain the impact of these factors.
--> Personally, I grew up in a small city located about an hour away from Toronto. I have lived there my entire life excluding the 3 years spent in South Korea. Living and growing up there has very much influenced my life and the perspective that I have today. I also grew up in a Christian family, although my real Dad is Jewish. I have had the opportunity to celebrate different holidays and traditions which has also affected my point of view. The small city that I grew up in is primarily Christian or Catholic based, although there were small muslim churches and other various small churches. Even though our city had many churches, the overall world view of the North American culture is "Christian" although it is still polluted with society today. In a sense, I grew up in a culture that was all about themselves, what the wanted, and what they "needed". Although my family was very rooted in the Bible, many people and even friends that I went to church with every Sunday were the opposite of what a Christian person is supposed to be. I found that after moving to South Korea I realized more about how corrupt the human nature is and how it has affected my culture. The fact that our world today is corrupt has, to an extent, impacted my world view. Moving to South Korea definitely changed that world view and I found that it is so hard to go against what the world thinks/our worldly desires. I found myself thinking about how teenagers, in general, spend their time (ex. shopping, partying, etc.) Is this really how we were meant to spend our time? Are we supposed to be consumed with ourselves and worldly possessions? Of course not. How people spend their time is their own decision but, there are more important things going on in this world than money, sex, and clothes. I think my own culture is full of this and, to an extent, ignorant of the real problems that are occur everyday in developing countries.
So, in a sense, the native culture that I grew up in very much impacted/distorted certain truths of the world and the acceptance of worldly desires.
3 comments:
Thanks Rebecca.
I think that when we look at society as a whole it is easiest to pick out the negatives and throw the baby out with the bathwater so to speak. Ahhh, culture is so bad, how could God allow it to be so messed up? There must be no God then. I think the challenge is to focus on the good things in life and the good things that people are doing in society rather than focusing on the negatives. In that way I think it is easier to see what God really is doing in the world.
p.s. good bball game on Friday and Saturday.
Rebecca... super blog - your baby brothers are really cute! Don't you just love the way God takes us on these amazing adventures and draws us closer to him? Reading your post gave me a sense that God brought you to Korea to grow and change and that you have. Now you have an even greater purpose when you go back - because you are changed - transformed. Your post reiterated the scripture "Do not be conformed to this world, but continually be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you may be able to determine what God's will is-what is proper, pleasing, and perfect." Romans 12v2. Really Cool stuff! Mrs.Mc.
I was surprised by how much you were affected by different cultures. I was always ignorant of things around me but after reading your blog I've decided to be aware of those things. Your post gave me many inspirations and insights. Cool post, I really like it =)
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