Pt. 1): Idolatry. What is idolatry, why is G-D so serious about idolatry, and why don’t more Native ministries teach against the idolatrous practices that continue in most Native cultures? Why are more Native ministries beginning to concentrate on the effects of colonization, assimilation, acculturation, enculturation, and use terms like genocide and atrocity rather than the horrendous effects idolatry and sin has had, and continues to have on our Native cultures? Simply put, idolatry is the reverence, devotion or worship of a person, place, or thing. Whatever you have in your life that takes precedence over G-D in your life may also be considered idolatry, and that takes many forms even today. Throughout the OT, G-D gave specific instructions “utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations served their gods, upon the high mountains, the hills, under every green tree: ye shall overthrow their altars, break their pillars, burn their groves with fire; ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them (gods) out of that place.” (Deut. 12:6) G-D was also clear in telling the nation of Israel to “thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth: thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites”. Why did G-D seem so merciless and angry? Because G-D knew the nations that served idols and “forms and objects” dedicated to their gods, “would teach you (Israel) to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God”. (Deut. 20:16-18) Ok, what has all this to do with Native ministry? Native American cultures/traditions/beliefs are no different than the many idolatrous practices that were dominant beliefs/practices of the cultures Israel encountered in the OT. The Bible makes a clear statement in (Rom. 1: 18-32) concerning the wrath of G-D against sinful humanity because of their rejection of G-D, and their worship of things created. This worship of things created is called animism and is prevalent in every aspect of Native folklore, legend, and myth. Most of the traditional Native ceremonies/dance/drum, and “forms and objects” created as a tangible form to worship/pray to false “cultural deities”, are based on this belief and these cannot be reconciled with worship/adoration of G-D (YHWH), through “faith in Christ alone”. Many false Native “contextual” teachers have introduced “forms and objects” belonging to pagan religious practices into the church and I am sad to report that many pastors have bowed their knee to this “mixture”, and thus allowed all sorts of idolatry into their houses of worship and into the lives of their parishioners. Although I understand that these corrupt, animistic/pantheistic beliefs and practices are core beliefs in all Native cultures, we as Christians are called to shine the light of the gospel in these dark places, not teach a sympathetic gospel to appease people. Pt 2.) So what is the gospel, and what gospel did Jesus teach? Must we amend the gospel for Native people so as not to offend them today? Is the gospel often at at odds with traditional Native practices? to be continued....
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 15:38:34 +0000
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