What Does Blessed Mean To Christians?

I have asked several Christians how they feel about living in America and owning a home and land in this vast country. Often I am told that they consider them selves to be Blessed. I pondered the concept of being Blessed. I asked my self and these Christians: How can one claim that they are Blessed when they have property that had at one time been taken by force from another human being?

I was often told by American Christians that the Indians were not the rightful owners of the land and had never really had a just claim to the land. Recently, I had a radical Christian extremist tell me that, "Indians had no concept of land ownership. They did not understand land ownership."

Another Christian told me that Indians did not have white skin and consequently did not deserve to own land. That is why White American Christians booted them out to the reservations in Oklahoma and other western states. John Wayne, a much loved American movie star often said, "The only good Indian is a dead Indian." His movies celebrated the arrival of the armed forces to help the Good White Guys who had circled the wagons to protect themselves from bad Indians, who ironically wanted to take private property from whites.

The Indians were always a very spiritual people, and even the ones who have survived the genocide (23 million killed according to the government) are spiritual today. Indian religion is nature based, with respect for animals, trees, and the land itself. In contrast, an American Christian always claims that Christianity is the only way to get to heaven, and that one must be born again. Christians also claim that the universe is only 6000 years old, and all those scientists who assert that the universe is billions of years old are all wrong.

I also noted that American Christians often ridicule college educated people while having great respect for men who work using their back, not their mind. So, why is it a Christian can take what belongs to others and claim they are Blessed? And why do Christians look down on the religion of another human? And why do Christians look down on college educated people?

 

You're over-generalizing about Christians. Most Christians aren't Young Earth Creationists who believe the universe is only 6000 years old. And most Christians don't believe that Christianity is the only way to get to heaven. Being "born again" is an Evangelical thing, and current Catholic doctrine allows that sincere non-Christians who act in good conscience go to Heaven. This specifically includes Muslims (See Ratzinger, Truth and Tolerance). As for Christians who told you Indians did not deserve to own land because they don't have white skin, they may call themselves Christian, but it's just a label they like to pin on themselves. All humans are brothers and sisters.

When I say that I'm blessed, I'm expressing gratitude to God for the good fortune He's given me, to be alive and conscious on this beautiful planet, to be aware of the spectacular universe He's created, and to have the honor of knowing, loving and serving Him in His infinite grandeur. To know God for even a second gives my life meaning, and I've known Him for decades of seconds. "Count your many blessings, Name them one by one: And it will surprise you What the Lord has done." I'm also thankful for living in a great and beautiful country that is relatively free and has accomplished a lot of good in the world. We have the ability and duty to acknowledge and right our wrongs and to seek social justice at home and abroad.

 

Looking at America from outside, it seems to me there are two big fault lines in American culture - the Blacks and the Indians. No matter how much rationalization takes place by Christians or other groups the fact will always remain that the whole place was in effect stolen from the Indians and often in a brutal way. Even now some groups of Indians don't exactly get a very good deal.

Not that I blame today's ordinary American. But when I hear stuff like 'the Indians didn't understand land ownership' or 'the Indians weren't using the land' it does cause me to wonder.

The whole business is one of the outcomes of the period of European colonialism and imperialism. It's unfortunate, but was an historical inevitability. Maybe if the Indians today got treated better it would go some way towards healing the situation.

As for Christians who think the thing was all totally justified, I wouldn't even recognize them as Christians as to me it appears that they don't follow Jesus teachings on love thy neighbour.

 

I'm not Christian, but most of my friends and family are. None of them are like those the poster described. It seems to me that, usually, when you hear about "Christians" on the news, at least in the USA, it has to do with the fundamentalist evangelicals. They are fortunately in the minority.

 

OK, thank you both Okie and Black Bill, and you too Dice. It is interesting that you all pointed out, "Not all Christians are that way." Well, Muslims say not all Muslims are like ISIS or the Saudi Royals. Both statements have merit. That leaves the two fronts Black Bill was talking about, the Indian and the Black. I do think a political remedy is needed for both peoples, so they could also feel Blessed.

 

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Blessed by the american government?

 

Interesting you said that Asmo. I was just reading about that oil and gas pipeline ordeal in North Dakota where the Standing Rock Sioux are protesting. I have not read much on how their homeland came to belong to others. Why are the Sioux packed on reservations while others do what they want with their homelands? Does Christianity or a government of Christians give Dakota Access rights to what is traditional Sioux land?