Christians have been a world majority for as long as I can remember. Would it be significant if they were no longer the majority? What do you think?
Of course, the church started off small. Just a band of followers who claimed that Jesus rose from the dead. Everybody else imagined the claim to be ridiculous. Christians were by far the minority then. Romans would throw them to the lions, trying to kill off these fanatics, but their numbers grew in spite the persecution.
Those who saw Jesus alive after His resurrection could not deny the truth. And seeing that He has returned from the dead gave the early Christians hope and security in the hereafter. They were not afraid to love their persecutors. So, in spite being put to death, their numbers grew. Others overseas, who saw and heard about what was happening wanted to believe also. So people around the world joined this little band of followers. Church became institutionalised and regarded as a major world religion.
Islam came along a little later. Their growth was mostly by the sword, even though there were also those who were persuaded by their theology. Many Muslims are Muslims because of culture too.
Rappler.com reckons that by 2050, the number of Muslims would be greater than the number of Christians. Through birthrate,deathrate, conversions, defections and many people who have just lost interest, the percentage of Christians is in decline. However, the number of Muslims is increasing.
Will this change affect you? Why, or why not? Is it a matter of "islamophobia"?
Would you believe this prediction? There are other sources that say that the church is actually growing, and not declining.
Would a Muslim-majority world be a more harmonious world? Or would it be filled with more violence and strife? Would there be more love in the world?
What do you think?
Showing posts with label world. Show all posts
Showing posts with label world. Show all posts
06 April 2015
25 May 2014
Price of success
Did it ever occur to you what it costs to others for you to be able to buy things at the prices you do?
Many years ago, I heard that soccer balls and basket balls were made in India. This is because labour costs is cheap enough, and people living in the richer worlds can afford these balls, while they couldn't, if the Indians were paid according to the wage scale in the home countries of the buyers.
The same applied to clothing and manufacturing. Rarely is one able to buy t-shirts that are made in Australia these days, as the Bangladeshi, Chinese and Vietnamese ones have overtaken the market. Even the manufacturing of cars has become largely off-shored, or at least, it seems to be trending that way. But then again, there is an oversupply of new cars for the world market, so it kind of makes sense to lessen the production in some countries, in spite the costs to the jobs and economy.
More recently, I read about the electronics industry, where it is not just for financial economics that iPhones and mobile are made in China. There are also health issues. Apparently, there is a degree of pollution that comes out as a by-product of the electronics industry. The workers in these factories are exposed to carcinogens. The Chinese economy is set to overtake that of the USA next year, but even so, people are living in conditions where the level of pollution is 1000% higher than what the WHO deems to be safe.
Are we shocked? Should we be? Is this something to think about? Pray about? Or not care about since it is somebody else's problem somewhere else?
The article makes the situation of the factory works akin to those of slaves. Have they overstated the issue? We pray for and protest against slavery in many situations, do we also care about the situations of factory workers?
What can we do about it? Can we afford the higher price of clothing, electronics and other consumables if people were paid at a higher rate?
What do you think? How can we show care for the less privileged around the world?
Many years ago, I heard that soccer balls and basket balls were made in India. This is because labour costs is cheap enough, and people living in the richer worlds can afford these balls, while they couldn't, if the Indians were paid according to the wage scale in the home countries of the buyers.
The same applied to clothing and manufacturing. Rarely is one able to buy t-shirts that are made in Australia these days, as the Bangladeshi, Chinese and Vietnamese ones have overtaken the market. Even the manufacturing of cars has become largely off-shored, or at least, it seems to be trending that way. But then again, there is an oversupply of new cars for the world market, so it kind of makes sense to lessen the production in some countries, in spite the costs to the jobs and economy.
More recently, I read about the electronics industry, where it is not just for financial economics that iPhones and mobile are made in China. There are also health issues. Apparently, there is a degree of pollution that comes out as a by-product of the electronics industry. The workers in these factories are exposed to carcinogens. The Chinese economy is set to overtake that of the USA next year, but even so, people are living in conditions where the level of pollution is 1000% higher than what the WHO deems to be safe.
Are we shocked? Should we be? Is this something to think about? Pray about? Or not care about since it is somebody else's problem somewhere else?
The article makes the situation of the factory works akin to those of slaves. Have they overstated the issue? We pray for and protest against slavery in many situations, do we also care about the situations of factory workers?
What can we do about it? Can we afford the higher price of clothing, electronics and other consumables if people were paid at a higher rate?
What do you think? How can we show care for the less privileged around the world?
02 February 2013
Grace or Justice
Which is stronger for you? Which should be stronger? Grace or Justice?
Justice says we must punish sin. Wrongs must be corrected. One needs to face the consequences. Always.
Grace says we can love and forgive. Punishments may be withheld. Consequences may be met by somebody else.
It seems that we like justice when we have been victimised. We wish revenge on our oppresssors. We wish that they be punished for their misdeeds, and that everything would be right. We wish that everybody would behave kindly, and not take advantage of us. Those who do, should be brought to justice. Molesters, thieves, cheats and swindlers deserve justice and punishment.
However, there are times when we have wronged somebody and have then been found out. We may have spoken a lie. We may have broken a neighbour's window. We may have been caught speeding. We may have burnt our dinner. In these situations, we wish for forgiveness and grace instead of punishment.
But, if the world were to run on a system of perfect fairness and equality, then we don't deserve any more grace than the people who we think should be brought to justice. Don't you think so? Why should we be pardoned for the offences that we have caused when other people are not?
If everybody were excused from doing what is right, then would people behave worse? Would everybody be "a law to themselves" in a carefree, godless manner of wrongdoing? Or, if everybody were to be brought to justice then who may be spared? For all of us would have done something wrong or caused offences to other people at some stages.
The movie Les Miserables carry some concepts of this tension within it. So does the book of Romans. But what do you think? If God were to hold the world fairly and harmoniously, then how should he dish out justice and grace to everyone?
Justice says we must punish sin. Wrongs must be corrected. One needs to face the consequences. Always.
Grace says we can love and forgive. Punishments may be withheld. Consequences may be met by somebody else.
It seems that we like justice when we have been victimised. We wish revenge on our oppresssors. We wish that they be punished for their misdeeds, and that everything would be right. We wish that everybody would behave kindly, and not take advantage of us. Those who do, should be brought to justice. Molesters, thieves, cheats and swindlers deserve justice and punishment.
However, there are times when we have wronged somebody and have then been found out. We may have spoken a lie. We may have broken a neighbour's window. We may have been caught speeding. We may have burnt our dinner. In these situations, we wish for forgiveness and grace instead of punishment.
But, if the world were to run on a system of perfect fairness and equality, then we don't deserve any more grace than the people who we think should be brought to justice. Don't you think so? Why should we be pardoned for the offences that we have caused when other people are not?
If everybody were excused from doing what is right, then would people behave worse? Would everybody be "a law to themselves" in a carefree, godless manner of wrongdoing? Or, if everybody were to be brought to justice then who may be spared? For all of us would have done something wrong or caused offences to other people at some stages.
The movie Les Miserables carry some concepts of this tension within it. So does the book of Romans. But what do you think? If God were to hold the world fairly and harmoniously, then how should he dish out justice and grace to everyone?
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