Universally Subversive, Revolutionary and Transformative Still

Splendour · #1 10-25-2007, 10:11 PM

Just as it looks like Christianity is on the downslide in the industrialized nations it springs up all over the southern hemisphere.

"In 1900, 80 percent of the world's Christians lived in Europe and North America. Today, more than 60 percent of the world's Christians live outside those lands. While only about one million of the 28 million baptized Anglicans in Britain go to church on a Sunday, Nigeria's 18 million Anglicans pack their houses of worship to overflowing. Christianity in the United States seems to be holding its own, but largely because of its revitalization by recent immigrants. As the demographic center of Christian adherence and vitality continues to shift southward, Jenkins argues further, it will be only natural for the views from the South to gain weight. Voices and perspectives from Europe, Christianity's declining northern margin, will seem less authoritative."

People in Asia, Africa and South America are discovering and agreeing with the bible. Apparently a lot of these cultures can identify even with the Old Testament because a lot are agricultural communities they can understand the farming/sowing type parables better than urbanized countries. The bible's message is continuing to resonate with the poor throughout the world.

The article starts out claiming that the bible is driving the largest religious change in history.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/bc/2007/003/7.22.html

It'll be interesting to see the new and diverse ways in which they interpret the Gospel for themselves.

bunny · #2 10-25-2007, 10:16 PM

[ QUOTE ]
People in Asia, Africa and South America are discovering and agreeing with the bible. Apparently a lot of these cultures can identify even with the Old Testament because a lot are agricultural communities they can understand the farming/sowing type parables better than urbanized countries. The bible's message is continuing to resonate with the poor throughout the world.

[/ QUOTE ]
In my opinion, it's more about being poor and religion providing some hope that "it'll all be ok in the end" rather than that they are agricultural. My intuitive position would be that any lifestyle similarities would be trumped by other cultural differences (though I guess most of those cultures had western religious input several centuries ago)

luckyme · #3 10-25-2007, 10:16 PM

no revivals at Cambridge or Yale?

hmmmmm.

luckyme

Splendour · #4 10-25-2007, 10:21 PM

The funny thing is that they seem to focus on different parts of the bible than Northern Christians. Some countries like Proverbs, some like the Nineveh story, they find things in the bible that are relevant to their current lives. Some in India in the lower end of the caste system can relate to the message of hope for the poor.

bunny · #5 10-25-2007, 10:25 PM

Doesnt it worry you that something you regard as the word of god can be interpreted so widely? (I'm presuming you believe the bible is inerrant) I think the biggest problem facing someone who claims the bible is of divine origin, is explaining how it is different from any other holy book given there are so many differing interpretations.

Splendour · #6 10-25-2007, 10:36 PM

I see it more as the Gospel gaining new life. There's a passage somewhere in the bible that this book can never be taken out of the world. Of course, there will always be doctrinal and ritual disagreements.

luckyme · #7 10-25-2007, 10:36 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Doesnt it worry you that something you regard as the word of god can be interpreted so widely? (I'm presuming you believe the bible is inerrant) I think the biggest problem facing someone who claims the bible is of divine origin, is explaining how it is different from any other holy book given there are so many differing interpretations.

[/ QUOTE ]

Does a thing that has 'any' meaning, have any meaning?

I was surprised by this thread in two areas.--
- pride in the ignorant being attracted to a work.
- pride in the 'roll your own god' use of the bible.
whatever you need it to mean, it's there for you.

The two aspects of christianity that atheists take heat for pointing out.

luckyme

Splendour · #8 10-25-2007, 10:40 PM

I think the bible's resilience and flexibility is amazing.

luckyme · #9 10-25-2007, 10:45 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I think the bible's resilience and flexibility is amazing.

[/ QUOTE ]

agreed. ( yet very understandable )

Ruby slippers were headed down that same road, then the movie let the secret out.

luckyme

bunny · #10 10-25-2007, 11:03 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Doesnt it worry you that something you regard as the word of god can be interpreted so widely? (I'm presuming you believe the bible is inerrant) I think the biggest problem facing someone who claims the bible is of divine origin, is explaining how it is different from any other holy book given there are so many differing interpretations.

[/ QUOTE ]

Does a thing that has 'any' meaning, have any meaning?

[/ QUOTE ]
No, but I wouldnt say the meaning one can ascribe to the bible is completely unrestrained - just permissive.

[ QUOTE ]
I was surprised by this thread in two areas.--
- pride in the ignorant being attracted to a work.
- pride in the 'roll your own god' use of the bible.
whatever you need it to mean, it's there for you.

The two aspects of christianity that atheists take heat for pointing out.

luckyme

[/ QUOTE ]
I dont know if you mean me, Splendour or the article she linked. If me, I'm not particularly proud of either of these things - I think it's a problem any theist has who asks to have their view of god taken as true.