What do you think about modern missionaries trying to convert Amazon tribes to Christianity?
Question by satori: What do you feel about modern missionaries hoping to convert Amazon tribes to Christianity?
The Brazilian authorities is at the moment fighting to prevent American and other foreign missionaries from “converting” native populations that dwell in the deep Amazon to Christianity simply because by doing so they inadvertently remove the historic culture of individuals peoples forever.
What do you think about this topic? Even if the missionaries have good intentions (and I imagine they do), how can this be good in the prolonged run?
Finest response:
Solution by bongernet
It really is disgusting. They really should be ashamed of on their own, spreading their disorder to these individuals.
What do you assume? Response below!
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about 1 year ago
As I always say; Why can’t Christians keep their lame delusions to themselves??
That’s my only beef with them…
about 1 year ago
In unrelated news the blackmarket supply of authentic shrunken heads has seen an unexplained rise in recent years.
about 1 year ago
Pathetic. What are their “good” intentions? To alter the way of life of a group of people to ensure they think just like they want them to? That is ridiculous. They do not have good intentions. They have the intent to assimilate.
about 1 year ago
Good for the missionaries if they don’t force the tribes to convert, but rather, just witness to them.
How long do you think these Amazon tribes can be separated from society? They will be overwhelmed by our society, secular or otherwise, eventually.
EDIT: It’s funny how venomous most of these answers are. As if spreading word of faith is equivalent to annihilating a culture. It’s not like our missionaries have a Bible in one hand and a sword in the other.
All you who object to Christian ministry; how do you feel about the “There’s Probably No God” bus ads over in England? Isn’t that an attack on culture too?
about 1 year ago
If ‘they’ have a culture with Truth added, it is wonderful and then their culture will blossom into something much more rewarding!!
about 1 year ago
The bible says in Revelation that in heaven there will be members from every tongue and every tribe- so eventually some of the Amazon people will come to know Christ. What is good about this in the long run? A chance for all people to be saved.
about 1 year ago
I hate missionaries. They have no right to destroy native cultures. Proving once again that Christians have no morals and deserve to rot in the make believe hell of theirs.
Missionairies are one of the worst Christians besides Creationists.
about 1 year ago
I think while the intentions may be good it’s one of the biggest wrongs one society can do to another.
To eliminate or kill the culture of one people is killing those people.
There’s a place for everyone and every belief on the planet and we should all respect that.
about 1 year ago
I think it’s a little racist that anthropologists and governments think they have a right to decide what information indigenous people have access too.
Maybe the Brazilian government should put the focus on stopping logging companies from destroying the ecosystems and land these tribes live on… don’t ya think that would be the first step to preserving their ancient culture?
about 1 year ago
Some times the tribes are the ones that do the converting:
http://freethinker.co.uk/2008/11/08/how-an-amazonian-tribe-turned-a-missionary-into-an-atheist/
about 1 year ago
We need to preserve culture?
So America was founded on Christianity. Why do the same people who wish to preserve the Amazon tribes wish to wipe out American culture. Is hypocrisy the luxury of the modern Atheist?
about 1 year ago
Converting them to Christianity isn’t intended to eliminate their culture. It’s only intended to help them find salvation. The “well-intended” missionaries are only fulfilling a God-called duty to try and compel them, not force them to enter into the Christian fold, not strip them of their way of life.
about 1 year ago
“I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to EVERY NATION, and KINDRED, and TONGUE, and PEOPLE”. (REVELATION 14:6)
WITH ALL BEST WISHES
MIGUEL
(MORMON RETURNED MISSIONARY)
about 1 year ago
if for 1000 years there was a group of people who had a society of killing people for money, would it be ok to change them to tell them it’s not ok to kill people for money ?
Same thing here as Christian we don’t want to see these people go to Hell, so we spread the word of Christ, it’s not possible to stop the word of Christ being spread ( read history they have tired it )
This tells you how to become a Christian, and how to go to Heaven
John 9:31
Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.
John3:5
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God .
Acts 2:36-38
36Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
37Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost
about 1 year ago
It’s bad, these culture provide tons of information regarding the human social evolution and development. Not to mention they’re a separate culture all by itself and need their own space.
We, as a civilized culture, should do our part in preserving them as they are. Of course we should help, but only when requested, not when we feel like it.
about 1 year ago
I fail to see ow the eradication of native culture due to the introduction of an alien religion could be seen as inadvertent. In any case, I’m 100% behind the Brazilian government here. There is no good reason for this type of activity.
about 1 year ago
I’m against it.
These people still have very fragile immune systems, anybody going there is endangering their lives. Of course, that wouldn’t stop missionaries, I’ve asked that before.
about 1 year ago
I think that they need to leave these poor, innocent humans alone! It is horrible and disgusting.
about 1 year ago
I think it is despicable! Missionaries spread lies.
Missionaries go to people and tell these people that they better believe only what the missionary tells them or they will go to hell.
That is a total lie!
The only proof these missionaries offer is the buy-bull.
about 1 year ago
I think American missionaries, or any missionaries need to mind their own business! Those people have been living in their ancient and probably quite secluded way, for a VERY long time. Just leave them alone!! The missionaries are not wanted. Get the hint. They should go where they are wanted.
about 1 year ago
No one can be forced into Christianity, but if some missions are there illegally, meaning without passports and having some other suspicious motive of being there, then I can understand the concern. My church currently has missionaries in Peru that aren’t there to spread the Gospel, but to help the poor and sick. My church has a partnership with certain charities in Peru, and work together to help those in need.
I don’t think foreign government would resist missionaries if the result of them being there would benefit its community.
about 1 year ago
From an Anthropological standpoint, mission work is destructive and irresponsible. Missionaries travel to parts of the world and destroy cultures they do not understand out of some sense of superiority. For example, several pacific rim tribes experienced a phenomenon known as cargo cultism as a result of missionary interference. The missionaries were unable to actually describe Christianity in terms the tribes could understand, so you wound up with tribes believing that if they built an airstrip, then Jesus would come on a plane to take them to America (which they came to believe was Heaven) so that they could be with LBJ (who at the time was President of America, also known as Heaven) who they believed was God.
about 1 year ago
spreading religious cult beliefs is wrong no matter how you slice it.
about 1 year ago
In the long run those Amazon tribes will be extinct without Christianity.
Amazon murder among tribes is very high both adults and children.
GOD BLESS! AMEN! SHALOM!
about 1 year ago
I know of a group right now trying to get into the Amazon. And I also know what they believe in, for the gospel they want to preach is no gospel at all. You see these Christians still have sin and make God out to be a liar, for they do not believe that Jesus came by the water of His baptism, but only by His shed blood on the Cross, even though God clearly teaches us in His Word (1 John 5:6-11) that if anyone does this mocks Him and makes Him out to be a liar!!
So I hope the Brazilian Government arrests them and puts them on the first plane out of that country. All they do is spread the devils lies.
Only the righteous may preach this heavenly gospel, sinners cannot do this, for all they do is make more sinners.
about 1 year ago
The christians should mind their own business. If someone wants to convert they will “ASK.” Otherwise, butt out…
I would get great pleasure just by helping these people without the need or desire to convert them to my own beliefs. How arrogant and rude…. I can’t say I’m surprised though.
These tribes do well with their own beliefs….I also think it’s disgusting to try to force beliefs on to others.
about 1 year ago
How can offering others the chance for eternal life be bad? Maybe it is time to come out of the dark and into the light.
How would you like to push back that chair from the computer and find yourself living in an “ancient culture”….or even in an amazon tribe?
about 1 year ago
Leave the native peoples alone. You can take your bible and shove it! It isn’t true, Jesus never existed, and it is plain evil and deception.
about 1 year ago
Just because a people group choose to follow Christ doesn’t mean they need to change their cultural customs, as long as they aren’t worshiping idols and acting like hedonists. There are redemptive traits in every culture.
I do however understand where their government is coming from. Many missionaries from the west do inadvertently “westernize” their target people groups. That is a shame.
about 1 year ago
Between the loggers the oil companies and the missionaries they are doing a good job at dispatching these new converts, who are not immune to common diseases, straight to heaven. But who cares, they’re saved and we get the oil and lumber cheaper. (sarcasm).
about 1 year ago
it is great and becoming christian will not eliminate their culture
unless you are for keeping people ignorant
about 1 year ago
It depends on the footprint of the religion. Some are boisterous, loud and change the culture. Some do not in the same manner. You cannot ban all of them because of a few.
about 1 year ago
I say go for it, if they are true Christians it is our commission to spread the gospel to every nation and every tongue.
Proverbs 25:25
As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.
Matthew 24:14
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Mark 16:15
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Luke 8:1
And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him,
about 1 year ago
Puts me in mind of the Borg from Star Trek. It begs the question,what methods will these numpties use if and when the tribesmen resist? Will they just say fair enough and move on? Somehow I doubt it.
about 1 year ago
No one can force another to believe something. I do believe in keeping the range of diversity in the world and would hope people would be motivated to keep their own culture, assuming the practices were within basic human rights. I see no harm in letting different groups communicate with each other and letting people make their own decisions. I also respect the right of the government to govern as they see fit.
about 1 year ago
I think the missionaries should mind their own business.
about 1 year ago
I’m all for them.
Missionaries can preach the gospel without destroying culture.
The two are not mutually exclusive.
The problem is that not all missionary understand this.
Independent Baptists are probably the worst offenders in this.
I remember attending a missions convention at an Independent Baptist Church and one Missionary there, was raising funds to go to Israel.
Their campaign literature said, and I’m quoting from memory here:
“We are not planning to start Messianic Synagogues, but New Testament Baptist Churches”.
The people who made the above statement are the problem.
If a missionary wants to go to Israel or even to New Jersey, if your target audience is Jewish people, you need to help them be more Jewish, not less.
All that said, there are some ancient cultures which need to be eliminated. That is cultures with customs which are inherently evil.
The key note speaker at this missions convention was Steve Saint, author of the book, “The End of the Spear”. He is the son of the Missionary Pilot who was killed along with Jim Elliot in 1955 in the Amazon jungle.
Steve Saint and his family still do missions work in the Amazon.
When not on the Mission Field, Steve Saint and his family live in Florida, not too far from where I live.
about 1 year ago
All indigenous peoples have an inherent wisdom and understanding about life and, as they have increasingly been *swallowed up* by what sadly is called *civilization*, which includes the loading onto them of guilt and low self esteem via the teachings of Christianity, not to mention, as others have, the diseases they often then inherit from us, there have also been efforts by the dark rulers of our planet to eradicate them and their philosophies completely which have been largely successful in many areas..
Our Creator gave us the gift of freewill and choice, and I dont see how the inflicting of negative teachings about the self being *sinful* for not wearing clothes and the like bring joy and *salvation* to those beautiful peoples..There are MANY paths to God, all of them valid.
Well done the Government of Brazil..Other *civilized* governments could learn much from them..
about 1 year ago
Consciously or not, missionaries are not serving God. They’re serving the white mans greed for land, resources and profit. Tribes converted to Christianity are tamed and gradually ensnared in Western culture. Twenty years from now, these people will be dirt poor, living in a shanty town, sick from diseases they’ve got no immunity to, while loggers, miners and businessmen get to steal their land. They’ll be jaguars beaten down to become house cats.
about 1 year ago
§I think it would be terrible if the christian missionaries do get there
the amazons should be left alone
about 1 year ago
There’s no need to convert people. Why do missionaries just assume that other cultures have no connection to a higher power, do not engage in any type of spirituality… or worse yet, view other people’s spirituality as being evil.
If I had the option to travel to Brazil with a translator, I would spend my time learning about other people’s cultures. It would be cool to even join a native tribe in some type of ritual. If I were in the Amazon rainforest I would focus on expanding my own mind, not shoving my beliefs down someone else’s throat.
about 1 year ago
First, I don’t believe what you said about the Brazilian government. My son and grandson both returned recently from the Amazon and found no government resistance to their efforts. Christians are mandated by their beliefs to spread the gospel all over the world. That it is poorly done at times I can’t deny but properly done it should not affect the people as drastically as many think. Missionaries that I know have always started by helping in the areas of sanitation, housing and food production in order to help the tribes to improve their living standard. Christ is first introduced through the actions of the missionary and then through the preaching of the “good news.” The governments of many South American and Asian countries have long ignored the aboriginal peoples while at the same time destroying their habitat. The rivers are no longer safe hygienically speaking and the forests have been poorly treated so that food animals are relocated. Missionaries provide medical care and training to the people so that they can survive to have a culture.
about 1 year ago
Satori, my friend:
Based upon my first reading of the Third Edition of the book “The Fierced People” many years ago and third reading again this year, this editorial description of Chagnon’s book is modest. When the 3rd Edition was published, Chagnon had lived with the Yanamomo for about 4 years. In the last chapter of the 3rd Edition, Chagnon describes the effects of the missionaries – Catholic and Protestant – on these amazing human beings.
In addition to their “contribution” of “civilized” clothing to the Yanomamö culture, the missionaries brought with them a number of other less benign gifts: disease, guns, tourism and a systematic eradication of their way of life. Some would disagree with my use of the term – but I think of it as a form of genocide. This “systematic erasure” of their culture has never been complete. The Yanomamö are a strong and resilient people. Nonetheless, the overall effects of the missionaries’ attempt to convert these people from their way of life and view of the world to their own brand of christianity is a modern tragedy.
There have been many ways through which missionaries have brought harm to the Yanomamö.
Try to read this book. It’s very interesting. I do not agree with all the
remarks, but it worth well reading it and you will come with your own conclusions.
LIGHT BRIGHT!
about 1 year ago
all missionaries bring is destruction. i;’m native and traditional. i have seen what these missionaries have done to my own people. and in south america they are once again stealing native children and putting them in institutions to “kill the indian, save the man”. these children will suffer the same fate as many in north america..sexual and physical abuse and death of spirit and lose of culture. missionaries only serve themselves and their warped desire to be RIGHT.
they should keep their beliefs to themselves and try living them before they try to impose it on anyone else.
about 1 year ago
I agree with that. Keep them away. the cultural heritage should be preserved.
about 1 year ago
Hello; it’s all right?
So, this is really bad, where ‘s the freedom of expression, not even, you know?
I do not think anything can be good, so I hope that they improve, the good, correct?
And if you can please add me here, okay?
Answered!
Brazilian greetings for you; Counterwoman Friend!
about 1 year ago
Missionaries annoy me, they have no right to destroy the culture and language of other people. I live within a community of Aboriginals that can barely say “Welcome” in their native language anymore because of missionaries. Everyday I see people trying to struggle and hold on to their identities. It is extremely sad.
If God really does exist, I’m sure he’d agree with the Brazilian Government, because, even though missionaries most likely have good intentions (albeit ignorant) they have no idea how much pain and suffering they can cause within a community and culture. I’m sure (if God exists) he would want his people to be happy, no matter what religion they are.
This is coming from a person who has witnessed, first hand, the dent missionaries have left.