Before I even get started I want to say that I am not saying American Christianity is necessarily un-biblical- I am just processing something:) Since I have come to Ukarumpa my beliefs have been under somewhat of a struggle, and I am interested in hearing your thoughts on them. Ukarumpa is a community with people from 17 different countries working side by side to further the gospel. What I have noticed is that there are differences in the "sins" that we feel passionately about. I was talking with one of the boys from Switzerland and he remarked how funny it was to him that Americans felt so strongly against drinking and smoking in the church. He says that in Switzerland getting drunk is frowned on, but no one cares about drinking or smoking. He questioned the fact that we made a major issue out of alcohol while we didn't seem to care so much about the Sabbath. His point was that you have to really look to find verses that prohibit alcohol (he agrees that deliberately getting drunk is taught against), but the Sabbath is right there in the ten commandment. So, why do we make such a big deal about alcohol and smoking (I think, even if we allow drinking, we judge other people in the church for drinking and smoking, and we feel we have to keep it a bit hush hush) and neglect the Sabbath? Is our culture affecting the way we interpret scripture? I have previously written a post on the fact that I had begun to wonder if our culture affects our ideas about parenting and other moral issues, but the fact is that the questions are only getting bigger in my mind. Our German boys say that in Germany cussing is not a big deal. They are taught never to take the Lord's name in vain, but a little "s" or "d" word is not considered a sin. They don't use those types of words in front of me out of love for me. I must note that I never asked them not to, but they assumed that I would be offended because I am American. Here it is culturally acceptable to have multiple wives. We definitely frown on that, and I certainly don't want Charlie picking up another wife. My first reaction to this custom, is what I believe most of you would feel: it is sinful. But why? Where is it clearly taught in scripture that you cannot have more than on wife? I see it clearly taught that the leaders in the Church are not to have more than one wife, and I see it as beneficial to have only one wife, but is it a sin against God to have more than one wife? Here the law is that the first wife must be in support of you taking another wife or you cannot do it? Why would the first wife allow it? I don't know, but it happens regularly here. Should we teach that this is an abomination to God? Another culturally acceptable thing here is to kick a disrespectful, disobedient child out of the village. The child then loses the protection of the village and the help of his line (or family, which is huge here, but takes too long to explain). I have heard that a beating sometimes occurs when the child is kicked out. Feels harsh to us, we certainly err on the side of forgiving our children. But is it wrong? So what things get me fired up because they "feel" wrong, and what things get me fired up because they are upsetting to God? I find it interesting that the same "sins" that upset me upset other Americans, but might not upset other Christians from other countries. How do we make sure that we are passionate about the sins the Bible teaches against and not so passionate against the things that are frowned on just because our culture doesn't like them? I believe that the answer is to throw myself into God's word. I do not think the answer is to lose all righteous anger towards any sin. I just want to make sure I am angered by the things that anger God.
