North Sentinal Island untouched by The Gospel

[Lamb]

The history of the contact between those who term themselves as "civilized" and those whom they consider as "savage" has had overwhelmingly negative consequences for the "savages". They have made it very clear that they want nothing whatsoever to do with us. We need to honour that. I am reminded of the Jesuit missionaries to the Huron tribe in Ontario. The Hurons died in great numbers to smallpox and as they lay dying the Jesuits baptized them and wrote back to Europe that the "harvest for the Lord was great''. It is estimated by historians and demographers that in the century following first contact with with the Europeans about 90% of the native inhabitants of the Americas were dead. The vast majority died of European diseases and the survivors were subject to colonization, exploitation and genocide. Christianity was an absolute disaster for those people. For the love of God let the North Sentinalese people be!

In other words, don't find a way to share the Gospel because you might infect them with some human disease? Let them never know Christ? There has to be a way to build a relationship with them and still keep them safe. Doom and gloom won't help.

 

[JRT]

In other words, don't find a way to share the Gospel because you might infect them with some human disease? Let them never know Christ? There has to be a way to build a relationship with them and still keep them safe. Doom and gloom won't help.

Until such a plan is devised, honour their wishes and protect them from well meaning outsiders and those who would exploit them.

 

[Albion]

No one said anything in support of exploiters, but as for well meaning outsiders...

that could be said of any and every nation and people on Earth to whom the Gospel was meant to be delivered--according to Christs own instructions. Or was he actually intending that the Gospel should be brought only to those who agree to believe it in advance?

 

[MennoSota]

That dream is a keeper...
Let no one take it from you...

God Bless You Brother...
I came that route...

Most do not...

And most coming that route...
Do not even survive...

Great Gifts from God are Given
To those who come through great tribulations...
Whose faith is proven in such fires...
Faith is proven in the human soul and body...

So the curse is the Blessing...
And Blessings can end up being curses...
When the person on earth is not tried...
In the Baptism of Fire...


Arsenios

Any biblical support for this, Arsenios?

 

[Lamb]

Until such a plan is devised, honour their wishes and protect them from well meaning outsiders and those who would exploit them.

How is sharing the Gospel exploitation?

 

[JRT]

How is sharing the Gospel exploitation?

Why should Christians get preferential access to these people? For better or worse, these people are under the jurisdiction of the government of India so that is unlikely because India has a long history of exploitation by European Christian colonialists.

 

[Andrew]

Why should Christians get preferential access to these people? For better or worse, these people are under the jurisdiction of the government of India so that is unlikely because India has a long history of exploitation by European Christian colonialists.

So... right now is not a good time to spread the Message?

 

[JRT]

So... right now is not a good time to spread the Message?

The problem in this case is how to spread the good news to these people without killing them and/or destroying their culture.

 

[Lamb]

The problem in this case is how to spread the good news to these people without killing them and/or destroying their culture.

Someone knows their language. We know this because the men on the boat were interpreting when that missionary who got killed was there. It would be a good idea for anyone who wants to be a missionary to learn the language first off. Communicating from a boat would be a way to not "kill them" as you put it.

 

[Albion]

And it may not be possible to get through to them in any effective way. But to say that it is wrong in principle to attempt it goes a bit further.

 

[Pedrito]

==============================================================================================

I wonder how many churches represented in CH have “All People That On Earth Do Dwell” in their repertoire (as it were), and which churches they are. (The question is rhetorical. I am not looking for a response.)

“All people that on earth do dwell, sing to the LORD with cheerful voice.”

Interesting words to sing, when the singers believe that the majority of those people being sung to, have nothing to be happy about, eternity-wise – they are said to be going to Hell.

Or does the injunction to all people that on earth do dwell, to rejoice, somehow exclude the people of North Sentinel Island?

==============================================================================================

I think I’ll curl up into a ball now. It’s all too much for me.

(By the way, the words of the first stanza are below. One version, anyway.)

==============================================================================================

All people that on earth do dwell,
Sing to the LORD with cheerful voice.
Serve him with mirth, his praise forthtell,
Come ye before him and rejoice!

==============================================================================================

 

[MennoSota]

==============================================================================================

I wonder how many churches represented in CH have “All People That On Earth Do Dwell” in their repertoire (as it were), and which churches they are. (The question is rhetorical. I am not looking for a response.)

“All people that on earth do dwell, sing to the LORD with cheerful voice.”

Interesting words to sing, when the singers believe that the majority of those people being sung to, have nothing to be happy about, eternity-wise – they are said to be going to Hell.

Or does the injunction to all people that on earth do dwell, to rejoice, somehow exclude the people of North Sentinel Island?

==============================================================================================

I think I’ll curl up into a ball now. It’s all too much for me.

(By the way, the words of the first stanza are below. One version, anyway.)

==============================================================================================

All people that on earth do dwell,
Sing to the LORD with cheerful voice.
Serve him with mirth, his praise forthtell,
Come ye before him and rejoice!

==============================================================================================

Ah...the curse of bad theology in verse. Hymnals are about 90% horrific in their selection. Perhaps that's why many churches have jettisoned hymnals.
Of course, many just substitute for worthless modern songs with no theology at all. Just sing a pop song and shove it into a sermon context. It will draw the masses...