I participated in a football rally this Sunday, and after being thrashed 2 love, my compatriots and I started a conversation. Its usually me pointed things out to them, doing my bit of witnessing in my niche. Somehow the conversation switched to God and culture. Some said religion and culture are intertwined, while others said it should not be. Other options were shared as well.Here is my question to: IS GOD A GOD OF CULTURE?
well, God is a good god, he is able to decipher the very hearts of man. there are certain fundamental principles which transcend culture, like the Sabbath, and other practices, like hat-wearing, which are culturally sensitive or culturally decided. (u kno there was a lesson on this a couple of yrs ago).
ReplyDeleteI think God is a god of culture because He understands all languages, and is able to relate to His people under whatever cultural umbrella they may fall.
and the most wonderful thing about it is that the Holy Spirit, once you are in tune with Him, will guide you into ALL TRUTH, and truth unlike popular belief these days, is not relative. and these truths are perserved inspite of culture.
I agree with Jeudeen above.
ReplyDeleteThere are fundamental beliefs and doctrines which surpass our cultural practices but our culture still decides to a large extent what we do and how we worship.
In India, one's legs are sexual symbols so they do not show them under any circumstance however their style of dress permits them to show their stomachs. While this is not accepted in our part of the world, it is very much accepted there. And you will ask is that being modest? In their culture it is! and they will tell you that we women in North America and Europe arent modest because we show our legs (and i mean ANY part of our legs) and we will say they arent because they show their stomach.
Fortunately God's love superceeds our culture and environment and he understands our motive and our hearts. That does not give us the right however, to do as we please. God is a universal God and whether your influenced by european culture and think that u must wear a suit to church or you live in some remote place where you wear a t-shirt and sandals, he still accepts the worship of those who are sincere.
To JUDEEN, you made a wonderful point however it’s the point that also counteracts your opinion. You said that the Holy Spirit will lead you to ALL TRUTH and that the truth is not relative. Then how must God be a god of culture is culture is a man made institution. An institution on which mans comfort at most times is put above God's.
ReplyDeleteTo RAYANN, humans can’t dictate modesty, but they do according to culture. It should never be so. Hence if I am a Seventh-day Adventist in India, I should be worshiping the same way in Africa, there should be no difference. It should be one standard across the board. If there is a difference there will be no unity or uniformity. That’s why there is ONE way, which is dictated by the bible in all aspects of life. Within culture there can be found modesty in dress of course and all the other stuff.
My friend in the conversation brought up a big point in regards to dress. In the Amazon, the people are most times naked (if not all the time). Their state of attire (they have none still, lol) is not sexually enticing to them. If we were to convert them to our religion, would we allow them to stay naked Adventists, or whatever denomination converts them. I think the answer will be NO. The lines between culture and God are so blur now, that many people can’t make a decision. This culture conflict affects all aspects of our life’s including music, dress and worship. Most of what the pioneer Adventists started out doing in worship was never based on culture as much as we may think so. It was one real reason why we WERE called the people of the bible; we did EVERYTHING accord to it. We do such things no more, sad.
I once thought God was a god of culture. Maybe it’s because of painted pictures with Jesus hovering over people depicting different nations. Another concept can be gotten from that picture, GOD LOVES EVERY ONE NO MATTER WHERE THEY ARE FROM, but I did not get that.
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I have to disagree with you Ruel but before i do pay special attention to the spelling of my name....Ray-Anne lol
ReplyDeleteWe have this mentality that we must force our religion on others or rather our type of religion. We are products of our environment to some extent hence our practices follow what we deem in our culture to be correct. I totally agree as said before that there are FUNDAMENTAL beliefs that are beyond culture so whether your from the east or west that MUST be consistent across ALL borders. But most of our practices are formed because of our environment.
Dress is one of the most popular ones. The Amazon example was a bit extreme so i'll use sumn closer to home. Every week I update myself on mission activities around the globe. Many of these places that we have reached do not have proper church buildings because of lack of funds. The adventist church every sabbath gives an average of 7 cents a week to mission (can u imagine that?) and so the adventists in those areas are forced to have worship wherever they can. Some meet at peoples houses, others in restaurants, wherever they can find room for all the members.
Now it is said by some north americans that some places are not fit for worship as it is not a holy and reverent place. Certaintly you cannot set up church every week in a restaurant where ppl are right inside doing secular activities, they say. But often times these ppl have no choice but they choose to gather despite the odds. This is an environment that is less formal and hotter so what do they wear to church from day to day? something comfortable and cool. how ridiculous it is to expect the ppl to dress up to back foot in conditions that arent favourable for that kind of dress! Its equally ridiculous for me to come to church in a shorts and t-shirt complaining about the heat!
Those in Ellen White days would turn up their noses at the most finely dressed woman in church. Why? In that time they wore long cotton dresses just slightly evolving from the previous corsette dresses worn before. A suit was only worn by a man and not just shirt and tie, the works!(i dont kno the intricate details of what men wear) and you know what's funny, the women in bible time would turn up their noses at what the women in Ellen White wore to church.
Ofcourse there is a standard that we should "manifest true christian modesty in dress and deportment" but we cannot impose of views (not standards) of dress on others who live in different environments than ours. Thats the same kind of behaviour the europeans had when they came to the caribbean,where their standard of dress,speech and music was the only correct way and all should follow. (in slavery).
I could go on to mention in 1 Corinthians where we are told that women must not speak in church for it is a shame to speak in church and we must go home and ask our questions to our husbands. But that too was a cultural statement set in a time where women were vastly inferior to men and had no rights.
The long and short...follow the precepts, the commandments and fundmental beliefs across all borders because there are STANDARDS that must be followed but God is a universal God, not just a God for us and our views but a God for everyone. And I dont think that my worship is inferior or not up to standard cuz i use a drum while u use a violin.
You are not totally correct. Worship "style" will differ from culture to culture, and as i previously said, God is able to judge the heart.
ReplyDeleteModesty is a fundamental principle and is not to be compromised; so our Amazon borthers and sisters will be taught how to wear clothing.
God is a god of culture, as in, He is able to accept worship from all cultures once it is from a sincere heart and we are in no place to judge the sincerity of one's heart.
A couple of weeks ago at my church we looked at different styles of worship. some people prefer to be in a lively environment of prais with many instruments ( as was often done in the bible) but the "culturally accepted" mode of worship here in Jamaica is one where we, for the most part, sit and listen and participante at appropriate slots in the program. this style of worship cannot be expected all around the world, as modes and formats of worship differ.
as was previously stated, the FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES remain untouched, but other things are culturally decided. fundamental principles include: one spouse in marriage, the sabbath, modesty, the Spirit of prophesy, the second advent of Jesus, grace, salvation thru faith which lead to good works, the Godhead etc. Though some of these may be changed in other denominations or adjusted by culture, Adventists all over the world should preach, teach and live these and other unmentioned FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES.
I am inclined to agree (on most points)with Ray-Anne and Jeudeen...
ReplyDeleteActs 10:34,35 (NIV) "...God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear Him and do what is right. "
- The only 'right' we know is what is present in the Ten Commandments...The rest is as the Spirit leads and impresses us.
I don't know if we would exactly say that 'humans can dictate modesty', however I believe that God being as wise as He is, definitely meets us in our culture, and therefore the way a person sees God and in return expresses their love for Him through accepting His word and the true faith (which includes expressing 'modesty)' will vary by culture.
Look at it this way:
WE could have been the Amazonians having this very discussion right here...and to us, the only 'modesty' would be no clothes...possibly the wearing of clothes could be all sinful for all we know!!...So what exactly would determine modesty? The Bible never mentioned anything about suit and tie...which in some cultures would be acutely uncomfortable anyways, and make their worship unacceptable to God...
- If we consider the conversion to Adventism as something that is not the sole result of OUR work (telling ppl about God, showing Bible stuff etc...) but actually the result of the work of the HOLY SPIRIT...then that would mean that sumn would be very wrong with the way the Holy Spirit has been converting persons all over the world for these many years...Where we have those far flung(relative to us) places having their thousands being baptized and we see the joy of the Lord on their faces (via TV, internet) and we see previously violent tribes loving each other and doing what God wants them to do...we don't suddenly hear of thousands of tribal Africans for example, wearing suit to church...no sah...
- And what about the concept of the Bible writers?...God used them despite their cultural differences...which can be apparent in some of their writings...but He ensured that His Word, the part that is neccesary for salvation is preserved...the rest of it is just to help our tiny brains absorb a fraction of His awesomeness...
But wait...we don't really have to worry about the whole cultural differences, do we? Nah...God being the wise one has it all under control...thats why He's God.
All He asks is that we spread His word...He'll take care of the rest.
SDA Fundamental Beliefs and Commentary:
Pg 208
"Man's narrow vision tends to separate people..."
Pg209 (Unity in Christ)
"A church is not exhibiting true unity unless it is actively building up God's work in all parts of the earth. The church should do everything to avoid national cultural, or regional isolationism."
L.F.
TO LF ".God used them despite their cultural differences" which means culture was not a facture in their writing, so as to keep unity in the inpired word, which corroborates my statements. " The only 'right' we know is what is present in the Ten Commandments" whcih is one way. As a said at the moment, religion is mixed with culture, which should not happen. "God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear Him and do what is right.", I agreen much with this statement. But I wonder If you guys get me wrong. I am refering to the mixture of culture with worship (should be one standard) and not where really the nation itself. From the choosing of Isreal to the death of Jesus, God's chosen people worshiped one way. Why cant it be so with us Adventists, why should we take a little culture here and there, which brings forth differences. I LOVE THIS CONVO.
ReplyDeleteSo, let me see if I'm understanding. Are you saying that regardless of the culture, (the way of life in tht country or area), all Adventists, should worship exactly the same way?
ReplyDelete