Monday, January 17, 2005


‘Uncircumcised’ Hispanics Problem for Dominant Church Culture
When the pope made a papal visit to Miami in 1987, delighting Miami's large Hispanic community, a local enterprising Euro-American shirt-maker decided to capitalize on the event. He made thousands of shirts which in Spanish were suppose to read "I saw the Pope."

Unfortunately, he didn't bother to check his quip with those who knew the language. Rather than using the masculine definitive article "el," the shirt-maker used the feminine definitive article "la." Hence the shirts instead read, "I saw the Potato."

The shirt-maker's mishap is often repeated by churches within the dominant Euro-American culture. Although attempting to reach out to the Hispanics of their community, a lot gets is lost in the translation.

In an age of political correctness, many predominate Anglo churches are scrambling to erase centuries of exclusion by now appearing to be multicultural, making diversity the church buzzword of our time.

Three hundred-year-old German hymns are quickly translated into Spanish and flashed on the overhead screen. Sermons are preached instructing Euroamericans why it is their Christian duty to reach out to their less fortunate Latino/as with the gospel message of salvation. Attempts are made to appear culturally sensitive by offering Taco Bell dinners at the congregational fellowship meal....