Here is your Sunday must read. From the Times Online.
Before Christmas I returned, after 45 years, to the country that as a boy I knew as Nyasaland. Today it’s Malawi, and The Times Christmas Appeal includes a small British charity working there. Pump Aid helps rural communities to install a simple pump, letting people keep their village wells sealed and clean. I went to see this work.
It inspired me, renewing my flagging faith in development charities. But travelling in Malawi refreshed another belief, too: one I’ve been trying to banish all my life, but an observation I’ve been unable to avoid since my African childhood. It confounds my ideological beliefs, stubbornly refuses to fit my world view, and has embarrassed my growing belief that there is no God.
Now a confirmed atheist, I’ve become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa Christianity changes people’s hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good.
I don’t have time to write much about this article, but I really impressed by Mr. Parris’ honesty. Like I said when Penn Gillette reacted to a Christian proselytizing after a show moved him,amazing what happens when Christians act like Christians. Even atheists take notice.
I don’t have time to write more now, but I will catch up with you in the combox tomorrow.
December 28, 2008 at 6:45 pm
Mr. Parris’ honesty at looking at the real world, thinking about it and acknowledging the reality that is in front of him is refreshing as well as brave.
Toward the end of his article, his analysis of ‘WHY’ is missing the point I think. The reason Christianity does what he observes is NOT because Martin Luther said ‘Faith alone’ and ‘Me and Jesus’ (ok – I know he didn’t really say that but that’s the outcome) but rather the Church taught about the dignity of the person because we are made in the image and likeness of God. That persons are the top of His Creation and are worth the crucifix of His Son in order to be saved. That means, out of love for God, Christians will honor and take care of and love other persons.
December 28, 2008 at 7:36 pm
Great article. Thanks for posting. Jackie has a point – I think he misunderstands where the value of the individual comes from (which is articulated and protected by the Catholic Church more than any other, and does not rely on Luther). But he does understand what is given, even if he misses the whys and wherefores. 🙂
~Zee
December 29, 2008 at 7:22 am
While I applaud the author for saying it in the Times Online, I also think that to anyone with a shred of insight here would give the statement a big “Duh!” Tribalism is the curse of Africa (as it is also the curse of the Balkans and many other parts of the world). Christianity allows people of various tribes, cultures, ethnicities and nationalities to come together with a common view, goal and valutation of humanity. In Africa, life is VERY cheap. But as Christians, Africans are worth just as much as anyone else in the eyes of God.
A quick annectdote that many here probably don’t know; during the Rwandan genocide, the VAST majority of Hutus did not participate in the genocides at all. Those who did are actually about 3% of the entire population. And guess where nearly all of those people came from–tribalist fanatics. These were people who shunned Christianity to go “back to their roots” and formed the Interhamwe. By rejecting Christianity (or most likely never having embraced it) they had no issues with throwing bombs at refugees in churches then hacking them to pieces. There was no sense of value for human life.
When the Tutsi-backed rebels finally gained control of Rwanda, the tribalist interhamwe retreated into Congo, Burundi, Uganda etc. And they took their beliefs with them. Today Rwanda’s tribalists are at .1% whereas in 1992 they were at 25%. Let’s pray Christianity can take hold in African and bring all our African brothers and sisters to the level of human dignity that we in the West experience.