World Magazine recently ran an article about the problems the native Alaskans face. Part of their problems stem from the history of injustice they suffered through the hands of the non-natives that came to Alaska. The injustices they endured included “an educational system that separated native families and banned native languages”, sexual abuse, and the constant denigrating of their culture in favor of the culture of the foreigners. [1]
Some Christian missionaries participated in dishing out this injustice. The question we must ask is: Why? In our blog of September 20, 2011 we discussed the genocide that occurred in Rwanda in1994 when Christians killed thousands of other Christians simply because they were of another tribe. [2] And then we have the on-going story of the Roman Catholic priest’s sexual abuse of children. Why do Christians act so unlike Christ?
Yes, we all are not perfect and we do make mistakes but mistakes of this magnitude? Maybe part of the problem is that we subscribe to a religion that only requires that we profess faith in Christ. As long as we say the right words, as long as we have the right beliefs we will go to heaven. Our doctrine of salvation says nothing about how we are to live our lives.
If Christianity taught that salvation is the change of our soul so we become more like God do you not think our behavior would change? Do you think we could participate in the injustices described above if we believed the core of Christianity is that we should love others as God loves us?
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[1] Sophia Lee, “Way up north”, World Magazine, October 1, 2016, pp. 48-53.
[2] Emmanuel Katongole, Mirror to the Church, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009.
