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missonary converted by tribe he was sent to convert
genkaku
Northampton, Mass. U.S.A. Veteran
This is not new, but it was passed on again in email today and I found myself every bit as touched -- the first person tale of a man sent to infuse a Brazilian tribe with Christianity only to find himself de-converted, so to speak. It is a spiritual adventure, whatever the spiritual persuasion ... and a blessing from where I sit. Jesus in the desert -- or anyone daring to take the spiritual-practice challenge -- had nothing on this fellow.
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I can understand that. I was "captured" by the culture in Thailand in many different ways.
@vinlyn -- You may well be right, but I saw it as something beyond "culture." I suppose it could be hearing what I choose to hear... that the belief that promises to uplift will invariably cast down in horrendous ways.
I just looked him up, OP. He published articles on the Piraha language, after studying Noam Chomsky's theories. In the end, he refuted some of Chomsky's theories, using Piraha as an example. Chomsky calls him a "charlatan" (with respect to his linguistic analysis). Very interesting. He became a linguistics professor, then later, a college administrator and dean.
@Dakini all this interests me greatly! will have to learn more about this guy.
Random first thoughts: Chomsky is a cool dude, and any contributions to helping preserve languages and help our global understanding of language is welcome in my book.
Early Buddhist missionaries to the East End of London were converted to cockneyism, gawd stone the crows.
I was sad to hear that the atheist missionary lost his family. It is a wonderfully rich story and they are a wonderful people he tried to evangelise.
At the moment we have political evangelists trying to persuade us to vote them into running the political environment. [shudder]
This mans journey is one of integrity and honesty. That is beyond culture or religion or its absence ...
If it was me, I will not fail in my mission to convert that tribe!
You know this is a Buddhist forum about real life issues and not a gamer site right?
Warhammer ftw!
Sssh!!!!!
I used to hate taking my boy to the store where they sold warhammer products. Smelled like a locker room in there. Nerdiest place on the planet!
This will all be history when Fede gets here.
Did you boy convert you into warhammer brah?
No, I will leave it as a timely reminder...