about the cultural inadequacies of Christianity to those Africans...

>who said there was no fire
>in heaven?

Keep in mind: this is a Christian, European missionary, talking to African "heathens," in the early 20th century (If memory serves). Of course, he's going to describe hell as all fire & brimstone, damnation, and turmoil, where heaven will be blue skies, perfect weather, etc. Fire is described by the missionary ONLY in terms of its harmful, destructive qualities, not in the communal, positive sense the Africans see it in.


>even if
>there wasn't, why would you
>need it? you won't
>have to eat.

Again, you have to consider the cultural standpoint. If you know anything about African spirituality, you know that the ancestors are remembered and acknowledged through the gifts of food and other things left by their living relatives. To them, the dead do "eat," in a sense. So it makes sense for them to want to continue that.


>and
>what tribal matters are there
>to discuss? you're in
>heaven! everyone is in
>the same tribe. there
>are no wars to fight.

Again, this is a missionary from a totally ALIEN culture, trying to explain HIS religion in HIS terms to a group of people totally unfamiliar--diametrically opposed to, even, philosophically speaking--with his country, his ways, etc. They're not going to understand his "heaven" and his "hell." Each person in the story is putting his cultural spin on the situation.


> i'm not belittling your
>analogy by any means, but
>i don't see how that
>example proves anything.

I hoped I cleared it up.


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