Atheist seek’s God’s help

An interesting account of realfaithpolitik in the Times of London, where atheist Matthew Parris argues secular charities can't hold a candle to those motivated by Christian faith;

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.

For Parris, it isn't just that secular humanist charities travel business class:

You do not encounter missionaries in the lobbies of expensive hotels discussing development strategy documents, as you do with the big NGOs.

Instead, missionaries are out actually converting people, THEN giving them the cup of water:

In the city we had working for us Africans who had converted and were strong believers. The Christians were always different. Far from having cowed or confined its converts, their faith appeared to have liberated and relaxed them. There was a liveliness, a curiosity, an engagement with the world - a directness in their dealings with others - that seemed to be missing in traditional African life. They stood tall.

Whenever we entered a territory worked by missionaries, we had to acknowledge that something changed in the faces of the people we passed and spoke to: something in their eyes, the way they approached you direct, man-to-man, without looking down or away. They had not become more deferential towards strangers - in some ways less so - but more open.

Indeed. The irony is that Africa and Asia are the centres of Christian faith in the world. The Nigerian branch of the Anglican church has more members than virtually the rest of the world's Anglican churches combined. In Uganda and elsewhere, AIDS workers have been forced to acknowledge the big impact Christianity has had on reducing the spread of STIs, particularly because of the religion's push for faithful monogamy, and rebuking of shamanic traditions such as raping virgins in order to cure oneself of diseases.

Little wonder Matthew Parris' article is entitled: "As an atheist, I truly believe Africa needs God: Missionaries, not aid money, are the solution to Africa's biggest problem - the crushing passivity of the people's mindset"

 

Hat tip: Michael Drake

 

Comments

[Shane Ponting]

This verse came to mind after reading the above:

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. 15 My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place.
Tyndale House Publishers. (2004). Holy Bible : New Living Translation. "Text edition"--Spine. (2nd ed.) (2 Ch 7:14-15). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers.

[ZenTiger]

It is a wise man that can see beyond his own preconceptions.

I think Bono made similar observations, perhaps more cautiously.

And equally, I know there are many other types of people doing great work there, and they by their example must also provide a measure of hope and optimism in people's lives.

[dad4justice]

Helping the unfortunate in our communities is the most rewarding experience a person could hope for. Spread the spirit, as mankind spirals towards oblivion. God is our only hope.

[peter]

If you must go for superstitions, it is true that many African superstitions are more destructive than some other superstitions.

This does not mean that it is ethical to be pushing superstitions onto hungry/gullible people as a precondition for providing them with aid.

It is just a phase and it will pass.

[dad4justice]

"It is just a phase and it will pass."

Yes I wish you would stop being a troll peter billy borker.

[peter]

Daddy 4

The position is changing

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-humanist-parents-1228bddec28,0,921249.story

[peter]

Ian says:

"The Nigerian branch of the Anglican church has more members than virtually the rest of the world's Anglican churches combined."

So what is the relevance of the Church of England to Africa?

And Nigeria is still a shambles that reverts to alternative superstitions at the drop of a hat.

Nigeria adds nothing to the Church of England - just more nightmares for the hapless Rowan.

[peter]

Another approach to getting 3rd world more up beat!!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/25/AR2008122500931.html

[peter]

A roll is on:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122696699813835335.html

[peter]

Reformed Christian Fundamentalist. Praise god.

http://itn.co.uk/news/07837e4df0bb29c83a83b17a39171d7e.html

[usabikes]

Tsk, tsk... nobody taking the bait eh peter?

Perhaps if you actually intended a reasoned discussion... but no, I hope for too much.

Pretty amazing article really isn't it?

[Joey Hill]

Great article. Proves the importance of continued giving to mission groups overseas - something I suspect some churches are backing away from.

[peter]

Quoting above:

"In Africa Christianity changes people's hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good."

As I have said, "spiritual transformation" may be helpful in cases where superstitions are damaging. It may be that as a stepping stone that more genial superstitions can be gainfully introduced - creating some breathing space until such time as more generalised enlightenment takes place.

The alternative of sharing the teachings of Jesus Christ from a moral philosophy point of view should be considered as an alternative. But why stop there" There are numerous other philosophers and leaders that have something to offer, in understanding the potential of mankind to live in greater happiness. For example, what about Nelson Mandela - a true African and most outstanding world statesman of our time.

[belt]

Isn't it interesting to ponder that if your only path to salvation is to accept Jesus the Christ as your one and only God and Saviour, what happened to all the unfortunate people who didn't have the benefit of knowing about Jesus? Are all the Mayans, most Chinese and pre-European Aborigines and Native Americans in hell now due to a terrible accident of time and/or location? Why would a God of all people be so selective as to who he revealed himself to? Luckily, those missionaries and Christian aid agencies are doing something about it now.

[judas iscariot]

As Tim Rice had me sing:

Now why'd you choose such a backward time
And such a strange land?

If you'd come today
You could have reached the whole nation
Israel in 4 BC had no mass communication

[iwishart]

According to the Population Reference Bureau's tracking of total human population numbers, around 60 BILLION people have been born on Earth since 1 AD, a substantial chunk of which resided in advanced civilised societies (as subsistence living results in smaller populations).

Whatever the exact figure, there's no doubt billions have died as believers in Christ over that period, whereas if Christ had come now, he'd have only reached the modern world.

As for the fate of those who never heard the gospel, the Bible is not clear on their fate. Rejecting Christ having heard the gospel message carries a clear result...but it is uncertain how God would deal with those who never got a chance to hear.

Paul talks about the evidence for God being written in nature and the heavens, so it is possible God may judge based on what a reasonable person in a primitive society should have picked up.

Another train of thought is that, knowing who would ultimately choose him and who wouldn't, God simply allowed those souls who would never have chosen him to live in times and places where exposure to the gospel was never an issue.

Then there's the question of people in other religions having counter-cultural Christian religious experiences, unprovoked, leading them to convert.

Many Muslims (and I have met one personally in this category), claim to have had divine visitations in their dreams from Jesus urging them to convert to Christianity - even in Saudi Arabia!

The conversions have grown so rapidly that, according to Al Jazeera, 667 Muslims convert to Christianity every hour, in Africa alone: six million a year.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdVnILalpeo)

Asians report similar events, so I wouldn't say that God has abandoned people born into non-Christian cultures in modern times.

[belt]

"Another train of thought is that, knowing who would ultimately choose him and who wouldn't, God simply allowed those souls who would never have chosen him to live in times and places where exposure to the gospel was never an issue."

A train of thought it is. But it seems to ignore the principle that you have freedom to choose or reject God when you do live in an exposure time/place. Or do we?

Which is one of those lovely paradoxes... why are people even born, exist and die when God already knows the person will accept and/or reject him?

[iwishart]

I'm not convinced that God's omniscience (knowing what we would choose) affects our free will to make the choice.

I don't think the creation of sentient life was a zero sum, all or nothing game for God. I think that creating beings with free will was always concordant with the risk that some would reject.

Now, does giving those people a life where they're free to ignore the God issue, and pesky missionaries, conflict with the end result?

It's a bit more complex in Western, formerly virtually entirely Christian, societies. Your and my ancestors are far more likely than not to have been Christians, and aside from God's promise to bless the families of believers, it is hard to extricate people from an existing Christian family tree.

Perhaps God, knowing our histories, chooses to let us be absolutely aware ourselves of what we are rejecting. Perhaps the tension and debate between believer and non-believer has a greater purpose in helping fence-sitters decide.

[BammBamm]

Delusional Pyschosis

[dad4justice]

"Delusional Pyschosis"

Indeed, you should know son of fugley or should I say billy borker.

Hi peter.