And We Call Them Pagans!
A lot of people have misconceptions concerning Africans. We could well profit from many things Africans do. After 25 years of living, working, and studying their culture, I have observed the following things:
Africans come to church [worship, GWS] with their best. Even people who have not become Christians wear their best clothes and bring their best attitudes to church [worship, GWS]. They may be poor, but whatever best they have they wear! They bring their best conduct, best attention, and best service. They sing heartily, they pray fervently, and will sit for hours to listen. Never do you have to call any down, nor do kids cut up. And we call them pagans!
African women will not wear shorts and halters in public. A friend of mine, a white hunter, married an African woman. She considered this a step up. One day she decided to show her new position by dressing like some white women in Africa; she paraded herself in short shorts and a halter. The African women were scandalized. They said, “She is dressing like a prostitute.” A few months later the woman left her husband for another man. All the African women knew this was going to happen because of her lack of modesty. And we call them pagans!
Africans quite often kill rapists, child molesters, and homosexuals. Many tribes pronounce and carry out the death penalty for such people. While African sexual morals leave much to be desired, they have no patience with rapists, child molesters and abusers, and homosexuals. They believe that our attitudes and slap-on-the-wrist treatment of sex offenders is ludicrous; Africans believe evil should be punished. And we call them pagans!
Africans punish murderers immediately. Most often when one is convicted of murder, he is sentenced and executed in six to eight weeks. Otherwise they feel justice is not being done.
Very often thieves are killed by crowds of people on the street when caught. This happened twice in one week in Arusha where we lived. They beat the thieves to death only minutes after the robbery. Somewhere they got the idea that “if judgment against evil work is not executed speedily, then the heart of the sons of men is fully set to do evil.” And we call them pagans!
[Editor’s note: Although brother Connally went to his reward in 1992, his observations remain timely. This article was copied from the May 20, 2013 Beacon, which is published by the Bellview Church of Christ in Pensacola, Florida. This congregation just completed their lectures on “Innovations” (June 7-11, 2013). Chapters include material on drama teams, hand clapping, baby dedications, children’s worship, gymnasiums, and the house church concept. See www.bellviewcoc.com.]