A Christian Cult in the Outback By Michael Ferguson

     On this one, I must agree with the Aboriginalists, that no part of a fair and decent Christianity should destroy indigenous heritage. But, note the race of the people in this story. Not white:
  https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-20/the-christian-converts-who-are-setting-fire-to-sacred-aboriginal/11527402

“Christian missionaries are causing a fresh wave of upset in outback Australia, promising to bring people back from the dead, and promoting the idea traditional Aboriginal culture is a type of devil worship.
Key points:
•    Christian converts in Wangkatjungka burned sacred objects
•    A preacher who has lived in the community says Aboriginal traditions are "all from the devil"
•    Senator Pat Dodson describes some preachers as a "type of virus"
An investigation by Background Briefing has uncovered dramatic scenes in the Kimberley region, where Aboriginal followers of a Tongan-born preacher have set fire to artefacts considered sacred by many local elders, and dismantled and burned a spiritual law ground. The approach of some recently arrived evangelists has been slammed by some Aboriginal leaders, including Labor senator Pat Dodson. "They are a type of virus that has really got no credibility," he said. "If they really understood the gospel then the gospel is about liberation. "It's about an accommodation of the diversity and differences that we have in our belief systems." He believes the destruction of traditional culture is "an act of bastardry". "It's about the lowest act you could perform in trying to indicate to a fellow human being that you have total disdain for anything they represent.””

     I think that Pat is spot on here. If one has a love for one’s own ethno-culture, then you should also see that others have a right to survive as well. But, in this story there is no white guilt angle at all, as the main players are not white. That is what makes this tale of interest to us.

 

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Friday, 19 April 2024

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