An Out-of-Fishbowl Look at Christianity

Christian Church's Stained Glass Ceiling - Toronto, Canada

Because I've spent a lot of time working overseas and also hanging with immigrants and indigenous peoples, the idea hit me:

Why is it that the entire planet has to follow the culture (Western) and religion (Christianity) of history's greatest empire, the Anglo-American one?

Doesn't it just show that British, American and other European imperialism was entirely successful? 

I mean, think about it, everyone worldwide is expected to use Western technology, food, business methods, economic and political structures, social mores, family patterns, and now, even religion? 

Becoming Christian in today's world = becoming Westernised = becoming cool, educated, civilised, tech savvy, etc. 

In my neck of the woods, most Chinese and Koreans convert to Christianity, I believe, because they're "betting on the winning horse".  Is it by coincidence that the One Way to get to Heaven is via the faith held by Westerners?  Not only have we dominated this life, but we also claim a monopoly on the one to come!
And how is it that a small tribal religion of a bunch of diaspora Jews became the faith of the Roman Empire, and later the British and American (and other European) Empires?  One thing is for certain: Christianity has proven itself to be a very, very useful tool in the hands of imperialists!

Isn't it also very strange that the faith of one small ethnic group, the Jews, was co-opted by their neighbours, morphed into Christianity, then everyone blamed the Jews for rejecting the new, hybrid religion which bore very little resemblance to their original Judaism?  Why do we Gentiles think we know the identity of the true Jewish Messiah than the Jews themselves?  Isn't it ironic?  It's like God revealing himself to the Irish, then the Brits and everyone steal their religion, transform it into something entirely new, then blame, persecute and kill the Irish for not accepting the bastardised version of their original faith? 

The more I look at Christianity in the Big Picture, the stranger it gets!

Crap, maybe I'm just a Conspiracy Theorist . . .

Cheers,

Bjarte

E-mail me at
harvisen AT gmail.com