OK, here's an idea I've had, and wondered if anything like it exists. All over the world, Christian missionaries go and try to convert people, generally by giving them food, water, clothing, medicine and then adding in Jesus and slowly making them give up their old beliefs and customs in favor of Christianity. And often, as in the case of Africa and the Caribbean, a very virulently homophobic, conservative strain of Christianity. So I was thinking: I'd like to see a group go out, and try to convert them back. To help them with food and medicine, but also to help them protect their heritage and customs. It's sad to me that certain religions feel they need to wipe out the diversity of belief systems and supplant them with this 'one true way' notion. I was pondering how much has been lost among native populations due to this. So! Maybe one day, I'll be out there, converting back those heathens the missionaries just converted over.
Go ahead, i have no problem with it. Although, once being a part of one of "those" homophobic evangelistic groups, i will say that it was done out of love, and we wanted people to be happy and have the same trust and hope we had. However i left and am no longer that sort of person because 1) its a lot of work and heartbreak to get maybe 1 person who appreciates the work, and 2) The 2% of the people who "help" the world but out of hate and gave everyone a bad name. It's more annoying to have the same faith as one of those people, but then they go and cuss out everyone out of self righteousness. Its a well known fact that everyone screws up but it doesnt need to be pointed out. So go ahead and do that if you'd like, but please get that stereotype out of your head. It hurts the 98% of those people who are fully tolerant to other religious, believes, orientations, and just want to help the world to the best of their abilities. Yeah, anyways. Just read my sig, that really is how 98% of christians believe. Its the other 2% who tend to be the loudest and give everyone a bad name. That is why we cant have nice things. EDIT: i forgot to mention, i would more classify myself as a reformationist Christian, but i dont really like to give myself out like that because then people will try to stereotype me for my faith, and thats just not how a decent conversation works. I could really care less what my sect is.
^Uh, it's a lot more than 2% of 'Christians' who hate homosexuals and are intolerant to others' beliefs. Anyway, I would be all over this, preserving their customs, but I'm doubtful they would turn back. Ultimately i think all religions are at best silly, but Christianity won converts because they figured out how to market it - believe in jesus, get saved. Confess and your sins are forgiven. Also i find a laughable number believe the 'end times' will happen any moment and they will get to bypass death. All this has a certain appeal to people who don't know any better.
Personally, I like the idea. Except that I prefer that it be whatever their baseline was - either their original religion or no religion at all.
I don't like the idea of preserving customs, when many of those customs are just as backwards as the Christian/Muslim/Jewish fundamentalists'. A secular charity that helps with aid, health, and education is all that is needed. Foreigners trying to preserve customs is quite patronising, anyway.
I couldn't agree more! Some older religions had worse activities like human sacrifices or rituals that violated human dignity (as we consider it now).
I know that missionaries do a lot of good for the people they evangelise, but at the same time, I just can't help but associate it with Western supremacy and colonialism. I can't say much about it without sounding ignorant because I don't know much about mission; it's just that in my mind, there's a conflict between the good they do and the improvement of the people's lives, and the inherently supremacist attitude that western civilisation should overcome traditions. And I don't think anyone has the right to say what is backwards and what is not. Nobody should feel superior to another culture because they think they're more civilised.
So was torture in the Middle Ages. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, and all that. This number seems to be inflated, especially given the situation in places like Africa, especially relating to gay rights. Don't you tell me that only 2% of missionaries made Africa the most homophobic place on Earth (or that only that 2% managed to eradicate the traditional beliefs of those people), while the other 98% were powerless to do anything to stop it..
