Western Christianity conflicts with Classical Indian Dance and Music

[faroukfarouk]

Both bindi and nose studs are not in my culture. So, I am neither familiar nor comfortable with it (regardless of it being sin or not) but thats my personal choice. For bindi, I think there's some superstitious belief attached to it (maybe an Indian from the mainland can help you with your question) but for nosestud, I don't know.

For my biblical view on cultural attire/jewellery, etc, I believe I have already stated my stand in my previous post.

Thanks.

I was just scrolling back to try to see what you wrote.

In the West, too, customs develop. For many years now for example it has been customary for many women to pierce their ears at least 2 times in each earlobe. I don't find it a problematic custom, do you? I guess, whether or not it is 'traditional' does not prove very much, one way or another.

Blessings.

 

[sanglina]

Thanks.

I was just scrolling back to try to see what you wrote.

In the West, too, customs develop. For many years now for example it has been customary for many women to pierce their ears at least 2 times in each earlobe. I don't find it a problematic custom, do you? I guess, whether or not it is 'traditional' does not prove very much, one way or another.

Blessings.

Sp long as customs are not rooted in superstitious beliefs or donot defy biblical standard of Truth, then I leave it to one's personal preferences. Regarding ear piercing, I have mine pierced four times from the top to the lower earlobe during my high school days. It was in fashion and I went along with it. So, obviously I have no issue with ear piercing.

 

[faroukfarouk]

Sp long as customs are not rooted in superstitious beliefs or donot defy biblical standard of Truth, then I leave it to one's personal preferences. Regarding ear piercing, I have mine pierced four times from the top to the lower earlobe during my high school days. It was in fashion and I went along with it. So, obviously I have no issue with ear piercing.

Ms sanglina: It's not only a Western custom for ladies to pierce multiple holes in their earlobes, then; so Indian ladies like to do it, too.

There's obviously no doctrinal issue with how many holes are pierced in earlobes. So you have 4 on one side? or maybe both sides? 8 altogether.

Blessings.

 

[faroukfarouk]

Ms sanglina: This is an interesting discussion; and I guess it shows also that even within India there are quite widely divergent customs.

Blessings.

 

[rocky085]

hi Rachel

Not just Christianity the whole country culturally is being westernized.
Is it good or bad I do not know?

And I think it's okay to learn those art forms if you are really interested in them.

 

[sanglina]

Ms sanglina: It's not only a Western custom for ladies to pierce multiple holes in their earlobes, then; so Indian ladies like to do it, too.

There's obviously no doctrinal issue with how many holes are pierced in earlobes. So you have 4 on one side? or maybe both sides? 8 altogether.

Blessings.

I believe no culture is static. Acculturation, enculturation and cultural diffusion takes place from time to time within or between people of different geographical region through personal interaction, digital world, etc. So, maybe ear piercing is one such case in point. But even in our culture, ear piercing has been there since for as long as our existence so I cant say whether its ours or Western culture. But whatever it is, when I pierced my ears, I didnot know that it was Western culture. I pierced it because it was in fashion and was harmless. I didnot do it because it was Western or Indian.

That being said, yes, I have four holes on each earlobe.

Ms sanglina: This is an interesting discussion; and I guess it shows also that even within India there are quite widely divergent customs.

Blessings.

Yes, you would never believe. The northeastern (NE) part of India has more cultural affinity with other East Asian countries like Chinese, Korean, Thailand, etc. than the mainstream Indian culture.

I have heard people say there are two types of citizenship- 1) Legal citizen and 2) Cultural citizen. In that context, one can safely say the NEsterners' are legal citizens of India only as our culture is poles apart from the mainland Indian culture.

 

[faroukfarouk]

I believe no culture is static. Acculturation, enculturation and cultural diffusion takes place from time to time within or between people of different geographical region through personal interaction, digital world, etc. with people from other culture. When I pierced my ears, I didnot know that it was Western culture. I pierced it because it was in fashion and was harmless. I didnot do it because it was Western or Indian.

That being said, yes, I have four holes on each earlobe.



Yes, you would never believe. The northeastern (NE) part of India has more cultural affinity with other East Asian countries like Chinese, Korean, Thailand, etc. than the mainstream Indian culture.

I have heard people say there are two types of citizenship- 1) Legal citizen and 2) Cultural citizen. In that context, one can safely say the NEsterners' are legal citizens of India only as our culture is poles apart from the mainland Indian culture.

Ms sanglina: 4 pairs of (or multiple) ear piercings is not particularly a Western thing to do, or an Indian thing to do.

Rather, it's a very womanly thing to do, right?

I think you guys around Manipur, Mizoram etc have cultural affinities with Myanmar, right?

Blessings.

 

[sanglina]

Ms sanglina: 4 pairs of (or multiple) ear piercings is not particularly a Western thing to do, or an Indian thing to do.

Rather, it's a very womanly thing to do, right?

I think you guys around Manipur, Mizoram etc have cultural affinities with Myanmar, right?

Blessings.

You are right, we not only have cultural affinity with Myanmar but with all the other Mongoloid nation in Asia. Which could be the reason why K-pop, K-drama, Chinese, Japanes movies, etc. have gained much more popularity and have mass following than Bollywood (mainstream Indian movie) in our part of the country.

 

[faroukfarouk]

You are right, we not only have cultural affinity with Myanmar but with all the other Mongoloid nation in Asia. Which could be the reason why K-pop, K-drama, Chinese, Japanes movies, etc. have gained much more popularity and have mass following than Bollywood (mainstream Indian movie) in our part of the country.

In fact you guys are geographically surrounded by either Myanmar or Bangladeshi hill country, right?

You agree also about the multiple ear piercing comment, then.

Blessings.

 

[sanglina]

In fact you guys are geographically surrounded by either Myanmar or Bangladeshi hill country, right?

You agree also about the multiple ear piercing comment, then.

Blessings.

Bangladeshi people have similar looks and culture with mainland Indians, Pakistani, Sri Lankans so, no similarity with them as far as I know despite NEsterners' living in close geographical proximity with them.

Regarding multiple ear piercing, I guess you are right.

 

[faroukfarouk]

Bangladeshi people have similar looks with mainland Indians, Pakistani, Sri Lankans so, no similarity with them as far as I know.

Regarding multiple ear piercing, I guess you are right.

Your state's cultural affinities are more with lands to your east and north, right? The whole Assam region has very interesting geography and I think is linguistically and culturally quite diverse.

Well, exactly; your several pairs of ear piercings are not culture-specific as maybe the bindi would be. They are more universal and womanly in character.

Blessings.

 

[faroukfarouk]

I believe no culture is static. Acculturation, enculturation and cultural diffusion...

Hi Ms sanglina: so what's the difference between acculturation and enculturation? (Maybe in an Indian context the specifics are clearer...)

Blessings.

 

[Rachel20]

Thanks for the responses everyone.

From what I've read, perception and culture is diverse everywhere, but even that has to first be placed at the foot of the cross, if it doesn't glorify God.

I really agree with you Rocky085, not just Christianity but whole of India seems to be moving towards westernization.
It's a global phenomenon as countries and geographies become 'closer' with 'blurred lines' thanks to increase in communication.

We still have our own culture and unique identity, but it'll be interesting to see how homogenized societies start to become.
I am still making up my mind on these different cultural ideas and art forms.

I do appreciate them. I'll need to pray and ask God for discernment regarding these things, so that I don't get caught up in any of them.

Thank you all again.
God bless you

 

[Rachel20]

Sanglina, the wedding dresses you posted were very beautiful, and culturally unique too. Thanks for sharing.

I thought about it, and I've seen many of our own Indian Christian women have their own distinct ways to dress up for a wedding too, in white traditional wear!


A white sari - a church wedding in the south

A sari with more ''work''

Or a woman can wear a white lehenga instead

 

[sanglina]

Hi Ms sanglina: so what's the difference between acculturation and enculturation? (Maybe in an Indian context the specifics are clearer...)

Blessings.

I am a classic example of enculturation and acculturation.

Sanglina, the wedding dresses you posted were very beautiful, and culturally unique too. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for the compliment. You are welcome!

 

[faroukfarouk]

I am a classic example of enculturation and acculturation.




Thanks for the compliment. You are welcome!

Ms sanglina: Well, okay! I was wondering about the difference in the meaning of those two words...

Blessings.

 

[sanglina]

Ms sanglina: Well, okay! I was wondering about the difference in the meaning of those two words...

Blessings.

Okay,

Enculturation is the learning of the appropriate behavior of one's own native culture (moral values, behaviors, expectations, rituals, language, etc) so as to become functioning member of his/her society.

Acculturation refers to the process by which one who already has that native culture adopts elements of another, foreign culture. It is the learning of appropriate behavior of one's host culture, and in my context, the 'host culture' would be mainstream Indian culture.

 

[faroukfarouk]

Okay,

Enculturation is the learning of the appropriate behavior of one's own native culture (moral values, behaviors, expectations, rituals, language, etc) so as to become functioning member of his/her society.

Acculturation refers to the process by which one who already has that native culture adopts elements of another, foreign culture. It is the learning of appropriate behavior of one's host culture, and in my context, the 'host culture' would be mainstream Indian culture.

Well, thank-you Ms sanglina for this very full explanation, with examples from India. I understand better now how you are using these words!

I guess acculturation would be similar to the idea of acclimatization, which is sometimes used by and about immigrants who have moved to another country and are getting accustomed to it.

It's so interesting also that with the sheer size of India both 'foreign' and 'native' elements can be perceived among the different states.

Blessings.

 

[jimmydiggs]

This is a major debate in missions classes.
How far can Christians adapt to a given culture?

One speaker I heard said that if western Christians are going to demand wiping away of all cultural traditions, then westerners should think about getting rid of using flowers at funerals, or rice at weddings.

I'm all for getting rid of those.

 

[faroukfarouk]

Okay,

Enculturation is the learning of the appropriate behavior of one's own native culture (moral values, behaviors, expectations, rituals, language, etc) so as to become functioning member of his/her society.

Acculturation refers to the process by which one who already has that native culture adopts elements of another, foreign culture. It is the learning of appropriate behavior of one's host culture, and in my context, the 'host culture' would be mainstream Indian culture.

I guess these are useful terms which you used during your Anthropology Master's course, right?

Blessings.