A missionary's deconversion by a "primitive" tribe

One of the most irritating aspects of Christianity is how this sacrament feels the prerequisite to try to convert people. Not every sacrament does. For example, by as good as large Judaism as good as Hinduism have been calm to let their conviction speak for itself.

So it's enjoyable when the tables have been turned as good as the missionary finds himself deconverted by those who he sought to spin into Christians. Yesterday we learned about the You Tube video, "Christian missionary deconverted by tribe." (Thanks for the email, Clare.)

Around the 7 minute mark, Daniel Everett speaks of how his evangelizing to the South American tribe ended up changing him.

It was apropos clear which the message we had staked my hold up as good as career on did not fit the PIrahas' culture. They didn't feel lost, so they didn't feel the need to be saved either. They have been resolutely committed to the useful concept of utility.

Surprisingly, all this resonated with me. The Pirahas' rejecting of the gospel caused me to subject my own faith. There was so much about the Pirahas which we admired: their quality of middle life, their happiness, their contentment.

The Pirahas had built their enlightenment around what is useful to their survival. My conviction seemed the glaring irrelevancy in this culture. It was damned to the Pirahas. And it began to seem some-more as good as some-more like damned to me.

I began severely to subject the nature of faith, of desiring in something unseen. Sometime in the lagte 1980s we came to confess to myself which we no longer believed in any article of faith, or in anything supernatural.

I was the closet atheist.

Take the look. It's an interesting ten minutes, good worth your time.