I'm a Christian and yet I am very opposed to the way Hmong church leaders attack the culture and teach their congregations to abandon everything that is Hmong. Trust me when I say that I have voiced my perspective many, many times. One cannot be a Christian or even understand it unless it is through one's own culture.
But it's not just the leaders because they are only giving in to what many congregation members want. This is why I said that in the next few years Hmong churches will only exist as a social playground. Those who are well-versed in English will opt for American churches instead where their faith can actually grow and they will learn about their faith. I could write a whole topic about this but that is another thread.
BNM,
I've read several of your posts, here and in the faith forum, and you sound like a genuinely good and intelligent person. And you often espouse the view of maintaining the Hmong culture, practices, ways, etc. But what I don't understand is how can you, as a Christian, be able to compromise and reconcile the foreign Christian beliefs with ours and still consider yourself preserving Hmong culture?
You and others as Christians,,,, do you still;
1) noj xyoo tshiab and change up the xwmkab every year?
2) call upon the ancestors to come and join your feast (New Years or other special occasions)?
3) call upon your grandfather(s) to help guide you when "ntuj tsaus nti'?
4) practice the one month caiv for just giving birth and also hu plig for your child?
5) accept, practice and/or participate in ua neeb, whether it's for yourself or for others?
6) house blessing?
7) occasionally hu yus tus menyuam (or whoever) tus plig rov qab los when s/he is sick?
8.) ua nyuj dab for father?
9) lwv qaib and other practices for weddings?
10) raws Hmoob kevcai for funerals? (Very important aspect right here).
11) believe in Hmong after life? Reincarnation?
Those above are just the things I can think of for which Christians won't do anymore once they convert. There might be more that I missed.
And worst, the hardcore Christians, like those CMA, will even come back to attack the Hmong ways. So how can they be Hmong when they seek to eradicate big and important portion(s) of the Hmong culture?