Laos
Dos
Greet each other with a prayer-like gesture called nop
A younger person or people of lower status will nop their elder or social superior.
The western customs of shaking hands has become more common in recent years though a smile and a slight bow of the head is still considered.
Remove shoes when entering temples and somebody’s home.
Don’ts
Back slapping
Public displays on affection
Shouting
Gesticulation
Touching someone’s head
Pointing at people or things with feet
Do you think you can go to Laos?
As the Lao has dos and don’ts in their culture so as the Christians. We have a new culture to develop “Christ Culture” our Identity in Christ
What if your parents are the BARRIER?
One way or another when you have changed your belief your past culture and the people that you practice the culture with will be affected. What if the people that will be affected are your parents?
Last week, our professor, Ptr. Ronald Macam in Christianity and Culture gave us a true to life situation and asked us what we would do about it.
The situation is…
Vuthy is a newly converted Christian in Cambodia through his Christian supervisor in a company they both worked with. He learned that offering incense oil and candles is similar to offering to demons. He stopped doing it. But his parents took it as a rebellion to their authority. They accused the Christian supervisor and Christianity as a whole as destroying Cambodian family and culture. How would you respond to this issue as a Christian witness to these people?
From this, I realized how important the culture and family custom is to a Cambodian family.
My opinion is that he should inform his parents about his new belief and the decision he had made. He can explain to his parents that he will still follow their family customs as long as it is not against the Bible which is the foundation of his new belief.
If his parents will still get angry then we should go back to the Old Testament times where the people of God are offering different kinds of offering to God in the altar of incense. If Vuthy will violate the commandment to Honor his parents then my opinion is that as a Christian he can still offer incense oil and candles to God. Then he should live his life as a transformed man and continue to pray for his parents so that one day his parents will realize the God in him. They too will be hungry for his God.
How about you? What do you think is the best thing to do? What would you do? You never know this may happen anytime.
Feel free to comment on this.
-Constance Jane Tupe
Last week, our professor, Ptr. Ronald Macam in Christianity and Culture gave us a true to life situation and asked us what we would do about it.
The situation is…
Vuthy is a newly converted Christian in Cambodia through his Christian supervisor in a company they both worked with. He learned that offering incense oil and candles is similar to offering to demons. He stopped doing it. But his parents took it as a rebellion to their authority. They accused the Christian supervisor and Christianity as a whole as destroying Cambodian family and culture. How would you respond to this issue as a Christian witness to these people?
From this, I realized how important the culture and family custom is to a Cambodian family.
My opinion is that he should inform his parents about his new belief and the decision he had made. He can explain to his parents that he will still follow their family customs as long as it is not against the Bible which is the foundation of his new belief.
If his parents will still get angry then we should go back to the Old Testament times where the people of God are offering different kinds of offering to God in the altar of incense. If Vuthy will violate the commandment to Honor his parents then my opinion is that as a Christian he can still offer incense oil and candles to God. Then he should live his life as a transformed man and continue to pray for his parents so that one day his parents will realize the God in him. They too will be hungry for his God.
How about you? What do you think is the best thing to do? What would you do? You never know this may happen anytime.
Feel free to comment on this.
-Constance Jane Tupe
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