Through Spanish Eyes
Since moving to this part of the world back in 1998, because of my life long interest in and respect for Native Americans, I have looked at life here from a certain, admittedly bias perspective. Last week I took a course for teachers on teaching Hispanic History and Culture specifically to the Southwestern Child, and I have had to look at things differently. From a Latino perspective. I took a "field trip" that covered nearly 600 miles in 2 days, designed to experience the rich Hispanic Culture of this area.
This class, this field experience, and an article the professora gave us by Josehp P. Sanchez Ph.D
called "La Leyenda negra Espanola" (The Spanich Black Legend - origins of Anti-Hispanic Stereotypes) is what peaked my interest in the topic mentioned below.
Manifest Destiny and the Black Legend.
Which I am working on.
Meanwhile - I wonder, why are American weather forcasters still smiling?
What a awesome nation we have. We can have wild fires and flash floods and whirling winds and drought all at the same time. Still our greed, violence, and perverseness run rampent. We can have 50% + of our citizens name the name of Christ, worship in their churches, argue theology in coffee shops, pubs, and blogs, while the hungry continue to starve, the homeless continue to wander the streets, children continue to play in the dark. Mothers and Grandmothers weep at the alters, while vibrant music plays and estatic worshipers jump for joy. The call to "Be Still, and Know that I AM God" is drowned out by ritual, tradtion, and prejudice, as teachers argue over which rituals are acceptable and which are blasphamy. The call to care for the Widow and Orphan, the Homeless and the Captive, the Hungry and the Naked, is all but forgotten. Why?
The churches that try to do the most for those, the least of those, are accused of preaching a "Social Gospel" are critizied for helping without telling those poor souls that they are in danger of burning in hell.
And to head back, off this rabbit trail, onto the main path of Manifest Destiny, Propaganda and Predjudice, I have to present this question.
If I KNOW, without doubt, that without Jesus, eternal destiny is Hell...that if a person dies without Christ, they WILL go to Hell. Isn't it my duty to tell them? Warn them?
Or can I just talk to them, and love them, and feed them, and let the Holy Spirit do the convicting? Right now my head is too full, so I'm going to drink more coffee and get ready to do my homework, paperwork, house work. Maybe I'll just watch TV. Not...
10 comments:
so i've been spending all morning studying history. now there is really too much spinning around in my poor old head. truth, truth what is truth????? bias, propaganda, point of view...
learned a new to me statistic. 90% of the Native Population died of disease brought inadvertanly to the american continent by the Europeans. hummm. US census reports that the Native American sector is the fastest growing group in America (through birthrate). two names of note concerning early colonialization by the British protestants. Cotten Mathers and Alexander Whitticer (sp?) more coffee please...
It was recently mentioned on another blog that the early Christians had a greater life expectancy because they were each other's keepers and they banded together and helped each other out.
I don't think this was solely because of the teachings of the bible. In part, their minority status would give reason for them to band together and help each other out.
Perhaps the problems you speak of, such as the debating while people starve is partially due to the majority status. As the majority the Christians can be more comfortable, and less concerned about each and every member.
Conversely, Pagan charities are popping up more and more all over the place, and our networking has been expanding at an exponential rate as we gather together and help each other to survive and thrive. Even though we are not even all of the same religion, but of a common grouping. We are the minority. Perhaps the problem lies in the human nature coupled with the majority status. The Christians have less reason to care, as they don't risk extinction of their belief system if they ignore their brethren.
Just don't judge all Christians by the American Christians.
Hey, and what about Gates, (Mr. and Mrs.) and that other guy who just gave billions to help the poor?
Every fat, rich American Christian driving an expensive car and living in an expensive home should be ashamed
well, not quite -- just every fat rich american christian who is only using their wealth to enrich themselves should be ashamed :(
--doug
agreed Doug...
Don't judge all christians by the pathetic misinformation given on this blog.
I mean the bias of a hispanic professor teaching on all the propaganda that was created by the "protestant" europeans against hispanics. That seems to be the obvious bias of this blog btw,i.e. anti-protestant,i.e anti-caucasian theology.
some of my closest friends are protestants, and my family is quite caucasian...I just think it is sad that Native Americans still think of Jesus as the Whiteman's God, and many protestants believe that the Roman Catholic Church is (and always has been?) of satan.
It would seem to me that Martin Luther fails in the incredibly easy to reach realization that if one doesn't agree with this blog, they can choose not to read it.
Only slightly more complicated (i.e. a second grade level of thinking) would be the thought process that if there is something specific he thought needed to be corrected, this would best be effected by point out what it was and what the contradictory point was, as many others here do.
Failing the ability to grasp these two concepts, it seems more like he is screaming just to hear his own voice then offering any useful information. Particularly since on the surface he portrayed himself as trying to inform me that I would do best not to acknowledge the thoughts and words of one of my best friends.
If he didn't realize this last, it only shows that he hasn't read this blog after all, and his broad generalization of it was uninformed.
In short, Martin Luther, if you are still out there, you wasted your time. I don't think it likely that you have provided anybody any reason to feel your thoughts merited consideration.
the blog world is such an interesting place. i've had several of these hit and run comments. and then there are those who just give up on me I guees. What really bugs me is when I make a good counter point, and the commentors won't acknowledge that i have a good point. oh well, it's my blog and i certainly don't force anyone to read it.and as long as the comments don't get overly rude or offensive, anyone who wishes to put in their two cents is welcome. maryellen
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