Question = What do mission organizations do for these people?
After reading Don Richardson's writing about, "Do Missionaries Destroy Cultures," I was shocked by the methods/practices that have happened in secluded tribes. I think it is ironic that a Christian would act in such extreme ways and, at times, not be sensitive to the culture, their background, and previous religion. I think that when you are embarking on such a mission, it is necessary to fully understand as much as you can about their culture and it is also very important to put yourself in their shoes; to look at things from their perspective and not force a group of people to convert but instead to present the Bible and let God do the rest. Doing the opposite of how God intends for us to spread/preach the
gospel results in sin (murder, anger, etc.), in most circumstances. Some good examples of how NOT to approach new cultures with the gospel were mentioned in the short story. Although these missionaries had very good intentions, they were not sensitive to the cultures religion or traditions and this drastically affected how the tribe/group of people responded to the Bible and in almost all of these situations, it resulted in devastating change.
Don Richardson is an exceptional example of a missionary that took all the aspects of a culture and made drastic change over a period of time through small actions that made people ask questions and eventually grow closer to God.
To show the tribe/group of people that they (referring to the missionaries) were there to help them, they would first build a house and live among the people - this is also what Don Richardson and his family did to show the Sawi that they were there to stay and help them. Moreover, missionaries try to bring health and various other benefits to the community. Although missionaries bring benefits to a community, they also bring negatives. Some of these being: disease, conflict, and laws/rules that need to be abided by. Also, missionaries would bring medicine, tools (axes, etc.), and other
necessary/basic elements of life with them to share with the community so as to build trust and, in a sense, show the community that there is more out there in the world and different ways of thinking, technology, and most importantly, religion.
Therefore, I gained a new understanding through Don Richardson's short story because I realized how easily it is to make judgements or assumptions about a group of people before you actually meet them. Although missionaries have extremely genuine intentions, they need to first approach controversial situations with an open-mind to different people's opinions, history, and religion... =)
5 comments:
Hey Rebecca!
I agree that people should be sensitive to the cultures of others, but it should apply to everyone else as well, not just missionaries. Missionaries make it known to people their goals and purposes so it's easy for people to blame them for any disasters. However they at least act out of good will, however there are plenty others in the world that approeach these cultures in secret and bring disease and chaos without any mind to do good in these tribes at all. Anyways loved reading your post and I totally agree that before we approach new cultures we should be as well aware of their history, religion, and everything else.
~Jin Yoo
hey Rebecca!
You ALREADY have your next post up as well that is so soon!!
" I think it is ironic that a Christian would act in such extreme ways and, at times, not be sensitive to the culture, their background, and previous religion." I agree with you on this point. Also I always thought about how is is so horrible to be a tribes person but i never thought aabout it from the missionaries point of view. What they do makes sense now however it still does not mean that they have the right to do it. I see that you have also made that clear. Nice ending too!
looking forward to reading more of your blog posts... :)
I'm glad that you saw that there are indeed hypocritical Christians in the world-it serves as a reminder that no one is perfect, Christians included. I would caution you about pulling the majority of your perspective from the examples in Don Richardson's writings. His examples are very valid and they serve as example of what not to do. If you have ever studied all that missionaries have to go through in order to go to a country, at least in the larger organizations, it is a very long and detailed process that requires them to take courses regarding culture, culture shock and sharing the gospel. Although there is importance in looking at things from the other people's perspectives, as Christians, we are supposed to look at people through God's eyes. And honestly, no other perspective is better when it comes to loving people and understanding them. Also, do note that anger is not a sin. Ephesians 4:26a states: "Be angry and do not sin.". I would agree that going away from God's will and intention in regards to any aspect of life does result in sin, but I would caution you in citing anger as a consequence in that because there has been many a time when people have gotten mad at my parents or other missionaries I have known because they were Christians and because they shared the gospel with those people. People do not like to hear that they are wrong or they have sinned, Christian or non-Christian, and sometimes they react with anger. Even when Christians point out faults in each other, it does result in anger at times-does this make it wrong? No, it's what is done with the anger that determines whether it is right or wrong. I would disagree that Don Richardson is an "exceptional" example because for every "bad" missionary there are a thousand more "good" ones-although I do think he is a good example. The first sentence in your last paragraph is something to keep in mind when dealing with anything. I would challenge everyone in our class, including myself, to keep your statement in mind and apply to our lives and specifically the readings we are doing and will do. I would agree that missionaries should not try to force their message on anyone, but I do not think that anyone can truly have an open-mind and that one can ever fully see things from another's perspective. Missionaries first duty is to God and thus, their greatest challenge is not to be open-minded, or see things from another's viewpoint, but rather to see things through God's eyes. God loves all people and He is perfect, so what better way to relate and respect people than to look at them through God's eyes and act accordingly?
Heyya I enjoyed reading your post! I liked the way how you interpreted all the things about missionaries and Don Richardson but I think we should also think about other missionaries as well because Christians don't make up all the missionaries out there. Yes, I totally agree to the fact that Christian missionaries have good intentions and they really are good people. Some people might not think that way but compared to other 'types' of missionaries, Christians are really good people. Nice post =]
Superb post - you have written well and galvanised the thoughts of others. I agree with you that we should present the gospel and let God do the rest! Nice work. Mrs.Mc.
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