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Guilt And Virtue In The Yanomamam Of Potato Village

Decent Essays

A second strength of the book was the evidence that Richie presented in showing us that no matter what a cultures morals are, the people of that culture will wrestle with torment and guilt. Hairy was wrenched in guilt of Yellowflower’s murder. Spear continued to feel guilt over the murder of a pleading victim of Potato Village. Raul felt remorse after the butchering of a young girl with a machete. Because man is sinful, and because spiritual depravity exists within us all, guilt and torment is a part of human life, no matter where one lives.
A third strength was in the recognition of the spirituality that exists within a culture. Religion influences culture significantly. All cultures seem to wrestle with the existence of a superior and divine …show more content…

A conscience on the people was evident throughout the book, and guilt and shame was prevalent after battles, raids, rape, and murder. In my culture, while many people claim that right and wrong are a matter of perspective, most of the time people still want justice if they feel they are wronged. And most people have a conscience that makes them feel bad when they have wronged another. In a similar course, the Christian faith understands that right and wrong is not only a matter of one’s own perspectives, but are rooted in the very nature and character of God. Truth is not subjective; it is very objective as described in the commands and laws of God. If one were to attempt to discuss spiritual matters with the Yanomamö, the conscience would be a common denominator among …show more content…

The first action would be to befriend the people in order to get to know them and understand them, to love them, and show concern. In order to build a bridge of trust, the communicator would need to live among them for the purpose of serving and helping them make their lives better. Most likely, only a strong and deep trust would allow a Yanomamö to consider embracing God because they have been so exploited in the past. Authentic living among the people would be a powerful component in communicating Christian spiritual

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