Tuesday, 14 October 2008
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Isolated Tribe Found in Brazil: Should Missionaries Visit?
by mr oak
Couple months ago, the Brazilian government found a completely isolated tribe in the rainforest. Immediately critics emphasized the preservation of this tribe - from conveying the risks of logging and even the negatives of bringing western influences that may dilute their culture.
I'm so fascinated by this - to think that for thousands of years, these people had very limited contact with others in the world. Imagine, not knowing that there are cars, airplanes, internet, cell phones - I can't even imagine what it would be like to suddenly be introduced to all of that.
Which made me wonder about how missionaries may feel about this whole scenario.
Historically, we've seen missionaries going from place to place and teaching the Gospel. At the same time, they also bring diseases, cultural changes, and challenges to their culture.
I saw a documentary on a tribesman from Ecuador that killed American missionary Jim Elliot. The basic story culminates with this man becoming a man of God. However, a part of me was saddened that his tribe changed so much - looking at him wearing a button down tshirt and khakis made me wonder if culture was lost in the whole process.
Should missionaries be allowed to visit this tribe?
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Comments (114)
@ChrisRusso@xanga - But Christianity is part of our our society, in fact it's a huge part. It's the major religion of America, and it's the deciding factor in almost everything you do every single day. Because of your religious beliefs and those who taught them to you, the way you dress, the way you eat, the way you think, the way you celebrate certain holidays (or just the fact that you celebrate any holidays at all), it all affects society, it creates and maintains society - and it's all based around your faith in Christianity. If you introduce Jesus to them, you're unconsciously and inadvertently introducing an outside civilisation to them. Every little thing a person does has an effect whether or not he or she knows it. And in this case, it can completely destroy a perfectly healthy, thriving civilisation.
If you go and tell them about Jesus and they don't accept, someone else is going to go and try to convince them. When they still don't accept, someone else will go. And then someone else and someone else until a person gets killed or the beliefs of that society are completely wiped out. If we leave them to their peace and ways of life, they will survive. If we don't, we just might kill them.
@Pickwick12@xanga - @jmallory@xanga - If you go and tell them about Jesus and they don't accept, someone else is going to go and try to convince them. When they still don't accept, someone else will go. And then someone else and someone else until a person gets killed or they are forced into Christianity out of need for peace, at which time their beliefs will be completely wiped out. If we leave them to their peace and ways of life, they will survive. If we don't, we just might kill them.
@HeartOfPandora@xanga - Again, I believe what I believe because of the Bible. I believe being a Christian is the best thing that could ever happen to someone. It would be a priceless gift for someone to go and offer the gospel. Not American culture. Just Jesus.
Also, just because a culture has been intact for years doesn't mean everything about it is good. There is often a lot of misery. The light of the Gospel can change cultures in a good way, and there's nothing wrong with that.
@Pickwick12@xanga - Meh, we're not gonna get anywhere in this debate. Can we agree to disagree? :)
@HeartOfPandora@xanga - Sure :) May I ask if you would consider yourself a Christian? I'm not judging whether you are or not, just curious.
@Pickwick12@xanga - Hah no, actually I follow the beliefs of a Green Wiccan; paganism. :)
@HeartOfPandora@xanga - I thought I remembered you from another post
Sort of explains why we don't agree on this.
@Pickwick12@xanga - Lol yeah, I just hope I didn't offend. It always looks like I'm angry when I'm just trying voice my opinions. =\
@HeartOfPandora@xanga - It isn't about convincing them into anything! We just tell them. That is it.
This news piece is a lie: http://www.javno.com/en/world/clanak.php?id=158694
This tribe has been known since 1910, but it is remote and not easily visited. It is a tribe that apparently knows of other civilizations and actively does their best to discourage any sort of contact (as the pictures show them attacking the plane taking pictures of them).
I'd really pray before doing anything with these people in any way that will draw a protest from them. The auca natives who killed those missionaries in the 50's, felt awful about being guilty of murder once they were gently approached later. This group shouldn't have to be guilty of the same thing since we know that is NOT the way to successfully contact hostile groups now.
Justathot
@jmallory@xanga - Why can't you see that telling them about Jesus is forcing our ways on them? If God wanted or needed them to know Him then he would find a way to introduce Himself. Why is it that the moment western society finds something new they have to possess it and smother it with their beliefs? Leave them alone and learn from them instead of bullying them into the complicated world of Christianity. Western society is supposedly based on Christian belief and we're constantly at war and on the brink of financial meltdown. General church membership is at an all time low as Christianity has been shown by organised religeous groups to be deeply hypocritical and narrow minded yet here we go again talking about missionaries. Which denomination should these missionaries represent? Which of our 300 odd forms of the same belief system should we be proudly declaring to them?
I have a personal belief in a universal, all powerful force that we call God and I believe that he was represented on this Earth by Jesus but I do not fully trust the Bible or its translations or order of entries. I believe that if the Bible were fully revised and re-written in an open and honest manner that our whole belief system would be exposed for the people control mechanism that it is and that the truth would change the way we live in the "civilised world".
Capitalism and doubt rule our world not truth or freedom and to expose these innocent people to us in any way would be a disaster. Leave them alone!
But of course...WE WON'T.
@HeartOfPandora@xanga - I would debate whether real, vibrant Christianity is the majority in this country. Perhaps a large group, but not a majority. Christian is as Christian does: Christ said that you would know people by their fruits, and a disciple begins to look like his master over time. How many Americans act like Jesus did?
And I respectfully reject the idea that it is impossible to present Christianity to a culture without presenting Western culture to them. The following short videos (with interviews) make the point better than I could:
Kingdom and Culture--check out the Native American church especially.
The Changing Church--most Christians are not American. Soon American Christians will be a minority in the kingdom, in fact. In 2002 there were more Anglicans (the "Church of England") in the nation of Nigeria alone than there were in all of North America and Europe combined.
i'm sure they have heard of tribes dying by the thousands by "outsider" even so, if no one goes to them then who will... until the last person (only God knows) has accepted Jesus, the end will not come... funnie how people want to go to heaven but not the world to end...
Um....you do know that the pic that you used is of a hoax, right?
Originally they said that this was a never before found/discovered tribe, but that's not actually true.
@hubbaduh@xanga - It wasn't a never-before-found tribe, but it was still an uncontacted tribe.
Photos of Amazon Tribe Not A Hoax
@ChrisRusso@xanga - Most Christians are not American, but most Americans are Christians.
Anyway, being Wiccan I've decided on agreeing to disagree with anyone arguing this blog. We're just too different, and our values and morals are based on things that are just too diverse.
@HeartOfPandora@xanga - As you will.
Check out the videos anyway, though--they're a decent watch, and fairly short.
there are many other places in Oceania that are isolated ya know... someone needs a course in cultural area study.... its okay as long as those missionaries aren't imposing their own culture
@neq1 - My friend... if you think I am all about forcing my beliefs on others, read my xanga. If you think I am for this western culture bull crap- read my xanga. If you think I am for war and fundementalist Christianity- read my xanga.
Telling people about what I believe isn't forcing that belief on them. That is just like saying that letting them know what I had for dinner the night before means I am trying to tell them that they have to eat what I had.
Christians should not ignore the words of the person they claim to follow. If Jesus says go out to all the world and let them know of him, then we should do just that.
@HeartOfPandora@xanga - No, you don't seem angry to me.
@ChrisRusso@xanga - It's a hoax in that it was originally touted as this never before seen/never before found/never before known about tribe, which it was not. So that's a hoax.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoax
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hoax
Jesus transcends culture. We should share the gospel with them, doing our very best to fit it into their cultural context without forcing our culture onto them. Obviously, that can't be done 100%, but we should do our best. In the end, the grace of God is more important than culture.
Actually, it was later proven that the journalist was lying about finding a new tribe - scientists had known about them since 1910.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jun/21/amazon?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront
But to answer your question - no I don't think missionaries should visit. I honestly believe the tribe should be left to themselves, to live their life to the full extent that they desire. Outsiders will destroy their culture.
No.
@HeartOfPandora@xanga - or maybe they already have found him? maybe he's already there?