Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Ti--You're Right
Sunday our family had a blast with Ti, our Vietnamese exchange student, and his sister. She just graduated from NYU Law School--not bad! We ate good food and laughed our guts out at Ricky Bobby. When we’re together as a family, we have good debates and discussion on politics, religion--whatever. We came home and were talking about corruption in all governments and the answer to it. Here’s part of the conversation:
Bob: Well Ti, you know the answer to government corruption?
Ti: I know what you would say?
Bob: What?
Ti: Christianity.
Bob: Yeah. And you know why, all you have to do is look at Christian history--redemption and lift is what one guy calls it . Weber also acknowledges wherever Protestants go, things develop.
Ti: Yeah. But it’s not true.
Bob: It’s history. How can you not say that?
Ti: Because it’s still corruption. When you have colonialist coming into other countries to take their resources, even if it’s by Christians, it was wrong.
Bob: But the whole of the story is Christians aren’t all perfect but the overall result is better than it would have been.
The more I thought about it the more I felt like I missed the point of the discussion. The reality is the church has not always been on the right side of issues. I don’t know that we can honestly and always say the church or Christianity is the answer to corruption. BUT, without debate I can say following the example of Christ and living the truth that he taught--that is the answer. I focused on Christianity as a history, instead of Christ as a person. I missed the point.
Bob: Well Ti, you know the answer to government corruption?
Ti: I know what you would say?
Bob: What?
Ti: Christianity.
Bob: Yeah. And you know why, all you have to do is look at Christian history--redemption and lift is what one guy calls it . Weber also acknowledges wherever Protestants go, things develop.
Ti: Yeah. But it’s not true.
Bob: It’s history. How can you not say that?
Ti: Because it’s still corruption. When you have colonialist coming into other countries to take their resources, even if it’s by Christians, it was wrong.
Bob: But the whole of the story is Christians aren’t all perfect but the overall result is better than it would have been.
The more I thought about it the more I felt like I missed the point of the discussion. The reality is the church has not always been on the right side of issues. I don’t know that we can honestly and always say the church or Christianity is the answer to corruption. BUT, without debate I can say following the example of Christ and living the truth that he taught--that is the answer. I focused on Christianity as a history, instead of Christ as a person. I missed the point.
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