A while ago I lived in Argentina for a year, which was fantastic. Over there, Christians did a lot more spiritual warfare (that was the main difference between Argentina and the UK), support structures within churches seemed better - there was more accountability and personal discipleship going on (and also evangelism). Within the circles I was in, there was a lot of emphasis on discovering God's will, and obeying Him. Maybe they didn't understand God's grace as much as we do in the UK, but they did seem more in line with God on a lot of things.
I'd love to hear your experiences, because I think we can learn a lot from different cultures - we can change some of our own misconceptions about God etc.
2007-05-11 22:03:44 · 6 answers · asked by Isabel 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Social influences are great. Yet in and of itself, is not wrong. For example, in Australia there are more than a few Christians (Protestant) who drink alcohol without qualms (as long as they don't get drunk) yet they consider smoking cigarettes to be beyond the pale. The self-same denomination in Britain have it the other way around: they think drinking alcohol is an almost unforgiveable sin, yet they smoke like chimneys (well, the men do)! It's purely social factors at work there. With disputable matters, it's not serious.
However, there are pitfalls for unwary Christians. In materially wealthy countries (no names mentioned, but it should be obvious) Christians can be lulled into thinking God prospers faithful followers with lots of money and good health. Their persecuted brethren in impoverished countries where conversion to Christianity can result in death take a dim view of that. They have to be extremely cautious about evangelism - even meeting privately with a few others can be dangerous. Yet their tried and tested faith puts us Westerners to shame. We are so glib, so quick to spout nonsense, like "Oh, God loves you just as you are! He'll forgive anybody who says 'sorry', and he'll bless you abundantly now and in heaven..." That's our idea of evangelism. It's trite, trashy, and seriously unbalanced. You never find persecuted Christians saying things like that. They show love to their tormentors and pray for them. We should learn to stop talking about love and just show it, and to pray far more earnestly, especially for the persecuted Church.
2007-05-11 22:57:50 · answer #1 · answered by Annsan_In_Him 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Often our cultural experience determines how we understand things. In the UK, most people are quite privileged and there is a history of being a 'Christian nation' so many people still have a nominal belief that hasn't been pushed too much. In countries where Christians face daily persecution in a much more real and direct way, faith is often lived out with a lot more passion. Interestingly, it is often those believers who who stay strong during the tough times that end up living their faith in a way that really impacts others. Nominal Christian living is not really a true reflection of the kind of life available to us. Should we learn from other cultures? Absolutely. But ultimately we should go back to the Bible to see the kind of life we should all be living, regardless of country.
2007-05-12 06:03:00 · answer #2 · answered by Nixon 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
We should all rejoice at the recent survey carried out by the University of Manchester which clearly shows that christianity is fast becoming an obsolete religion.
Christianity has had only one purpose in the UK and that is to provide a platform for paedophiles to practice their vile acts on little children:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/6620445.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6594439.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6614497.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6614503.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6176145.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/5296296.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4438106.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6184477.stm
2007-05-13 11:08:31 · answer #3 · answered by pagreen1966 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
christians dont live the same way of life.let me tell you a fact.to be a true christian you have to believe in the virgin birth.that is number one on their list.you cant be christian by just saying that you believe in god.also,you dont have to be religious at all to believe in a god.i shall now finish by stating that i am a confirmed atheist.i believe only in the power of nature.
2007-05-12 18:27:36 · answer #4 · answered by earl 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
in this country christians are mocked for following their religion, but when the muslims say the same things as the christians, people say, "their religion is really important to them" and how devoted they are.
2007-05-12 05:09:13 · answer #5 · answered by Abdul 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The concept of God is illogical.
He isn't real.
Grow up.
2007-05-12 05:08:40 · answer #6 · answered by Hi, I'm a Douche. 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋