In the past few days I came across the work of Daniel Everett in the form of this video, and further superficial internet research, such as here and here and further.
As I reflected on his thoughts and reactions to the Pirahã culture and linguistic implications, I came up with a response. It would include the permeating effects of sin on the world, humanity and cultures; the differences between Western culture and what I hope is truly universal about the Gospel of Christ; and a fumbled response to the apparent disregard for history, heritage, and certain facets of reason as I understand these things in Dr. Everett's descriptions and debates about his ideas and this culture. I saw a connection between these ideas and the decay of sin and its effects as illustrated, in a way, by the pain in this (incomplete) comic, [disclaimer: link contains language and grotesque depictions of certain aspects of the human condition--proceed at your own risk].
I now see that I am but a tadpole in a sea of old, warty frogs that have been going at this discussion for very long, and don't think that I can bring any new insight to their questions or answers at this time. I must set it aside as a problem to meditate and consider more deeply at a later date.
I will conclude with a brief reflection.
I have said the world is a broken place. It is full of sadness and pain for many people. There are those who have questioned why a benevolent god would permit the suffering, pain and loss there is in the world, and I know that people greater than I have given various answers to the question. This is my own observed speculation, and my response. The pain that we see in the world, all that is evil, is a reflection of sin. It seems cruel for God, in Biblical perspective, to banish all humanity from his presence for the sole reason that the first man and woman couldn't follow his specific but apparently irrational directions. But that's not what sin is--it's just a facet of how things started; this is a lesson I've learned through my study of Milton's Paradise Lost. This is not canonical religious literature, but what it lends to my thinking is a grasp of the complexity involved in facing the problem of sin--there are passions and reason, love and rejection and many driving powers in any direction. Further, sin--any wrongdoing--has an affect on a single person. The spiritual and emotional impact of sin, notwithstanding the pragmatic implications of any wrongdoing, will inevitably impact the people with which a person lives and those that will come after them. The way I see this working out is that a culture that is completely wrapped up and insular to itself, and cultivates an apathy to sin and inconsequential living is clearly capable of being impermeable to the Western (WASP) packaging of the Lord's message; the fault of that culture, to me, does not negate the existence of a loving god, or the fact that God loves those people.
Further, there are powers other than human, that are not Divine, but which plague the circumstances and hearts of men. They are stronger where God's presence is distant--and where there is sin, God cannot be, for he is perfect and cannot mix with that which is imperfect. For some reason, in history, people have rejected God, and this causes generations that follow to suffer the consequences of the earlier peoples' decisions.
If you agree with me, I think you can understand where I'm going with this. If not, then I need more time and concentration to reflect on the implications of this thinking, too. I welcome any responses or retorts, though I cannot pretend that I will know how to answer them fully.
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