MOMENTS WITH A MISSIONARY---DEALING WITH SAVAGES

HOW LUCKY I AM TO MEET A REAL LIVE MISSIONARY --WHO'S WILLING TO ENGAGE WITH ME---answered all my questions.  No I didn't challenge his religion as I often do with believers --I wanted to get a sense of his work and life in the Jungle.

Meet Eric an evangelical missionary to Brazil---home for a 2 weeks visit with his daughter posing beside him.  He will return to the jungle near the headwaters of The Amazon river near Columbia.  He is learning the language of a primitive tribe of about 40 individuals.  Only then will he  speak to them of religious matters, he said.  Here's a sampling of what I learned:

The natives are Animist---believing that everything contains souls---spirits.
They live immersed in fear of evil spirits--forever trying to placate them.
Everyone in the tribe is related--and everyone is keenly aware of the specific connections.
Their culture is frozen because everyone is afraid to deviate.
Anyone who becomes the least bit more successful than others is strongly censured.
To feel a firm sense of "Belonging" is seemingly vital.
Their tribe is related to hundreds more in the region who speak a closely related language.
Early missionaries paddled up the Amazon---today they fly into grassy landing strips.
Both father and daughter had read both books critical of missionary work: """THE POISIONWOOD             BIBLE" and "AT PLAY IN THE FIELDS OF THE LORD".  They were defensive---saying                 those were bad missionaries.
Technology is fast moving in and transforming their view of the world.  Cell phones are everywhere.
English is becoming a dominant language.

RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES:  I come away asking myself if the natives would be better off if they became Christian. Is it really a step up from animism?  Is it worse to fear the dings inflicted by malevolent spirits or the ultimate punishment of a "loving" God: Eternal Hell.
I favor sending: SCIENCE missionaries-- to debunk superstition and arouse wonder in the natives.
                          ENGINEERING missionaries--- to inspire  a can-do spirit in the natives.
                          AGNOSTIC missionaries to acquaint the natives with the ULTIMATE MYSTERY                                                  of life---to demonstrate to them TOLERANCE FOR AMBIGUITY.
                                               (the joyous philosophy of I DON'T KNOW ISM)
                          HISTORY missionaries to unfold the story of how we got to here.
 It pleases me that some governments forbid contact with hitherto uncontacted tribes---India and Brazil have led the way.