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SoloWriter - exactly, I often wonder what Jesus Christ would think if he
were alive today?
I'm certain that the first thing that he would do is issue a disclaimer.
posted by
gomedome
on July 5, 2006 at 1:03 PM
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Well, here's what I've been thinking lately ...
If I were to write a bunch of philosophy, T-Ruth, wisdom and poetic works, and if two thousand years later a movement had developed in foreign countries over the interpretation of my writings that caused family discord, divorce, fatalities, misunderstandings, huge public egos, or extremist forms of self-denial, then I think I would have to call those misled people unfortunate rather than blessed. I would have to insist from the beginning that all readers of my literature arrive at their own understanding of the written word, if it is to become a lasting influence in a life-supporting way.
After all, I am in a purist sense Ruthless in that I've never personally known anyone named Ruth who was about the business of contributing to my well-being.
posted by
Jenasis
on July 5, 2006 at 12:53 PM
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Xeno-x -The history of how the Christian religions have treated the Native
Americans is a long saga of primarily malfeasance. Little wonder that Native groups declined offers to join in the Christopher Columbus 500 year anniversery celebrations back in the early 90's.
posted by
gomedome
on July 5, 2006 at 12:00 PM
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With indigenous Americans
it was sort of a "captive audience" in some cases.
also, a little food and booze helps grease the wheels of conversion.
posted by
Xeno-x
on July 5, 2006 at 11:25 AM
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strat - and it was all for their own good
Obliterate their culture and their religion in the name of God. To a certain extent this still goes on today, aid held ransom for religion.
posted by
gomedome
on July 5, 2006 at 11:13 AM
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I think what usually happened was that a small force would come in
and get waxed by the natives -- but not before they gave them some awful disease, a Biblical plague, as it were.
So who knows? Maybe the native indignation over all this was where the term "Magic Bullet" came from.
posted by
strat
on July 5, 2006 at 11:03 AM
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TVBlogger - It really is an issue of perspective
For someone to go to India for example, to spread the Christian word, they must have a perspective of the two main religions indigenous to India, in Hindusim and Sihkism, as being inferior religions. Little wonder that they are treated sometimes with hostility.
posted by
gomedome
on July 5, 2006 at 10:55 AM
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Yes, that's exactly how it was spun...
I remember hearing stories as a kid about martyred missionaries. Someone else always followed and convinced the heathens of the error of their ways. Now being a bit more educated and watching a lot of documentaries, I can see the suffering inflicted on these people as their families are torn apart and their traditional way of life is decimated and replaced with commercialism... because honestly, that's the true religion we proselytized.
posted by
TVBlogger
on July 5, 2006 at 10:47 AM
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Samhain_Moon - no doubt that story was spun into a positive
They would be martyrs. Dying in the service of the Lord.
posted by
gomedome
on July 5, 2006 at 8:10 AM
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Gomedome, In terms of negatives, there's a story from a few years ago where a missionary and his son were killed by villagers in India because of their conversion attempts; that one seems rather negative. Samhain_Moon 
posted by
syzygy
on July 5, 2006 at 7:50 AM
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