Indigenous And Christian Blend

[ekimswish]

http://www.christiancentury.org/article/2011-10/philippines-native-wisdom-enhances-christian-spirituality I found this article really encouraging for several reasons. First, I've always been interested in indigenous ways in the Philippines before the Spanish and Americans influenced it differently. Second, I think it's great that not all Christians are so narrow minded as to dismiss "anything" indigenous as "evil." It sounds as if they want to reexplore their original musical instruments and styles, and incorporate them into their own Christian worship, which would actually be quite interesting. As well, adopting some native values, such as respecting nature rather than exploiting it (because god gave us "dominion" and "the rapture will come soon anyways"). If I ever have time and money, I'd love to enroll in a Filipino college and study native culture.

[Mr Lee]

Interesting, I did not realize there was that many of them and that they were Christians.

Indigenous peoples, roughly 17 million or 16 percent of the Philippines' population of 100 million, are those who have maintained their traditional way of life, including their way of worship, as they have been less colonized by Spain and later by the United States.

[ekimswish]

Interesting, I did not realize there was that many of them and that they were Christians.

Indigenous peoples, roughly 17 million or 16 percent of the Philippines' population of 100 million, are those who have maintained their traditional way of life, including their way of worship, as they have been less colonized by Spain and later by the United States.

I think it's more about making the church more welcoming and familiar to indigenous people. I always thought it was crazy in Korea or Taiwan how the Christians look and worship like Christians in the West. I mean, if you have beautiful traditional architecture and dress and musical instruments, why not use them to worship "the new god from the west?" Instead, they look like carbon copies of small town America in their dress clothes and singing their latest chart-topping Christian worship songs from the Christian store on the first floor of the church (i.e. commercialized worship). I have no beef with people abandoning their traditional beliefs for Christianity if that's their choice. But, hey, no need to throw it all away. The art, architecture, musical instruments, and some of the values could stay and only enhance the genuinity of their faith IMO.