History of Shan Churches in Burma 1861-2001 - Khamkoo

Analysis 199
custom, but purer in morals, and more accessible to the gospel.” Dr. Henderson reported in 1912, “A
teacher says when he went into the village no one bothered to stop the dogs from barking at him.” and
in 1936, “If they abandoned worshiping Buddha, they would almost certainly have been driven out
from their village.” 16
We have seen some American missionaries were warmly welcomed by SaoPha and Shan people
wherever they went. Shan were generally not militant to Christianity. We have read a very friendly
religious dialogue between Dr. Henderson and a Buddhist monk in MuongNai (page 52). Some of the
Buddhist monks were the real seekers of the truth. They did not refuse to read the Bible. They made
comparison with Buddhist scripture and learned about Christian God. But they did try to stop people
becoming Christians. We did not see them making direct interference to the mission work or giving
direct trouble to missionaries. May be because they were under British sovereignty.
Present
The Christian has three implacable foes: the world, the flesh and the devil. 17 The attack may be
physical or mental or spiritual in character. The opposition to Shan believer usually comes from
immediate family. Sometimes when someone wants to believe Christ and become Christian he/she must
first get agreement from immediate family. If someone goes against the family and becomes Christian
he/she will be excommunicated from family, in the worst situation, driven out from home or taken
away the birthright. Sometimes a shelter or a new village has to be built for new believers. I met a man
who was driven out from his home by his father in-law because of his conversion to Christianity. He
had to leave his wife and his one-month-old son and live alone in a small tent. A girl was beaten many
times by her mother in-law for going to the Church. Some tolerant parents may allow their children to
choose their own faith. In fact Jesus has already forewarned us about this division in Matthew 10:34-36.
Some Buddhist monks are friendly to Christian missionaries and pastors. But some see
Christianity as a threat to their well-being and religion. I have visited Buddhist monks and Abbots at
monasteries a number of times. They are friendly to me. I have never been rejected or treated as their
enemy. One time I was taken to a Shan Buddhist monastery in Yangon by a friend of mind who wanted
me to meet some Buddhist monks who use to listen to my gospel message in radio and have written me
letters. Usually the Buddhist Abbot sits on the higher place and all the lay people sit on the floor, which
is lower place. When I first got into the room I was given a place to sit on the floor by my Buddhist
friend. But when I was introduced to the Abbot as a Christian pastor, the Abbot came down from his
high place and sit next to me on the floor and had a very polite and friendly conversation with me. It is
unfortunate that some of our pastors and Christian workers do not have a contact, communication,
meeting and dialogue with Buddhist monks. They even do not try. May be they are taught not to
communicate and have dialogue with leaders of other faiths. When I was young my pastor, Church
elders and my father told me not to go to Buddhist monastery for whatever reasons. I did not know
why. Villagers of a Buddhist village use to have meeting at monastery to discuss the matters relating to
community and village affair. There is no special place for community meeting or gathering in small
village. When our evangelist was invited to go to attend the meeting at monastery, he asked me,
“Should I go to the monastery for the meeting? It is a Buddhist place. As a Christian minister, is it
appropriate for me to sit in the monastery?” I said, “Why not. You are not going to worship other god.
You are going to meet the people and talk about the village affair. You should go and show your
concern and participation in the community. Don’t isolate yourself.” Make friends, not enemies!
Many Shan Christian leaders do not understand interfaith-dialogue. Friendship with Buddhist is
very important if we want to have peace and freedom of missions among the Shan since 99% of Shan
are Buddhist. Most of the monks have high authority over the villages. Without monk’s goodwill
16 Shan work questioned by Henderson, August 13, 1936.
17 Christian Missions in Biblical Perspective by J. Hebert Kane, published by Baker Book House, Michigan, 1979, p267