Does Christianity Kill Culture?
by
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The need to write about culture and Christianity arose from the fact that they have always been paradox. Culture has always been transmitted verbally from one generation to the next. That is why it was necessary for Christianity to come on to perfect some of the cultural aspects which would need perfection.
Culture and Christianity are trying to find ways and means of working together from different backgrounds. Culture is coming from a background of primitively, while Christianity wants to keep their morality and ethics. Culture is saying, we are the original, before Christianity was there we were there. Christianity on the other hand says we have the entire civilisation to build a modern society. They (Christianity) are saying we are representing the heavenly kingdom on earth; hence, nature is under our control. Both culturalism and Christianity are claiming that they were created in the image of God. They both claim to be sacred, because they both claim that they have the Spirit of God in them.
If they both claim to have the Spirit of God, it is for them to prove how they are going to work together.
Christianity is claiming that there are so many cultures in the world, but only one Christian culture, so they are saying, let us come and be one thing. However, culture says, we have been existing as multi-cultures long before Christianity without any problem, why today? We have our own values, which should not be looked down upon, says culturalism.
It is time to reflect and see if each of the two has not drifted from the original. When God created man in His own image, He said it was good, is it still good. If they have drifted from the original creation, then they have to strive to go back to the original. Culture says, when God gave dominion to man, culture was there, but Christianity was not yet there. Christianity says we are following Christ who was there at creation, so they also claim they were there before.
At the fall of man, culture also suffered, when Christ came to redeem man, He is also redeeming culture, and so these two should work together.
In Christianity there are some culture Christians who followed Christianity because of what happened to them before in their lives. Christians believe that there is God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They believe that there is resurrection of the soul in the end, at the second coming of Christ. The other factor that helped Christianity’s growth was that it proved to be a non-violent organisation; hence, authorities did not have any problem with it but to let it grow.
Culturalism values their customs, their traditions, and rituals. All these things happen collectively, which means for them to be effective everyone must be valuing them. Each individual must conform to all the rules, for it to be effective, so everyone is accountable for the success of the culture. To them their values are important because they are there for a purpose. Most of the things that are practised in Christianity are also practised in culture; justice, freedom, respect, community and responsibility. The only difference with Christianity is that in culture they are not written. This is where culture and Christianity have similarities, is that you keep those values; they will build your humanity.
The study of Christianity and culture continues, in order to find a common ground for the two to work together.
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About the Book
This book was written in an environment of multi-culturalism. To be against one or pro the other might offend the other. A multi-cultural society allows you to feel connected to different cultures, and culturally different points of view. Cultural differences are not of some one’s own making but natural.
The importance of Christianity to culture is that, Christianity started social things like schools and hospitals, which are for the alleviation of the plight of society. Christianity involves things like our family lives and our personal hygiene, which are very important for our well-being. Christianity takes us as all equals in the eyes of God the Father, is not selfish but viewing every creation as important. How we view ourselves is how we should view others as important as ourselves.
Christianity is unique in that it combines many cultures. It started at the time of Jesus, which means those who came to Christianity, had their own cultures. Some cultures had to abandon what they valued before, such as polygamy, alcohol divorce, abortion and some rituals, which were anti-Christ. Some cultures were made to adopt some Christian cultures, which were not in their cultures before, such as Christmas and Easter holidays. With the fact that they were made to drop some of their traditions and adapt some Christian cultures could be the reason why they would start saying Christianity is killing culture.
About the Author
The author desires to see the next generation have a foundation where they can build their own future that is, building it from where this generation left off. It is interesting to note that there is good relationship between this generation and the next. The present generation wants their successors to have a heritage.