Some recent number crunching reveals a trend that is really not all that surprising, but no less disturbing for being predictable:
[T]he proportion of Catholics who oppose abortion is strongly correlated with the proportion of the other major religious group who oppose abortion. All things equal there was an international tendency for Catholics to be somewhat more anti-abortion than non-Catholics, but a far better predictor of attitudes was not religion but nationality. In other words Catholic Germans resembled Protestant Germans while Catholic Chileans resembled Protestant Chileans.
To my minds this really just further underscores the way in which major ethical “questions” cannot be disassociated from the larger issue of the way in which Christian identity is so strongly determined by national and territorial ideologies. Until we conceive of and live our Christian existence as missional diaspora I doubt we will get much coherence on the “big” issues of the day.
How can we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?
Well said Halden and fascinating topic. I have always been intrigued by the depth of how ones ethnic background and/or culture sculpts their worldview. In my studies (whoohoo BA in Cross Cultural Studies) and experience I have found that for one to truly understand a culture other than their own, particularly when ethnicity is part of the dynamic; one must begin with the appreciation of communication style (successful communication is rarely obtained with ease). Upon this foundation the complications and comprehension of the “big” issues will begin to unfold. This requiring time, commitment, empathy and resulting in the a strong framework required for desired results. I appreciate Nelson Mandela’s quote “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” I have the feeling that he wasn’t being completely literal.