# Tribal linguist becomes atheist



## Pergamum (Jan 21, 2011)

YouTube - Christian Missionary Deconverted by Tribe (proteanview)


Interesting and disturbing video.

p.s. I do not agree with the linguistic conclusions this man makes, and others have rebutted his findings about the local language (they do have recursives in their language, it appears, and this indicates that they do not merely live in the present). --Also, even the author makes hints that the locals are less than honorable and dignified. 
P.s.s. the wife, I believe, labors faithfully on, trying to learn the language and communicate the Gospel.

---------- Post added at 03:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:56 PM ----------

P.s. atheists are making much of this guy's book because his language data uspposedly rebuts the idea of a "Universal Grammer." And Noam Chomsky has condemned this guy's findings as well. It is very likely that this guy is not correct in his linguistic analysis and has ruined his life, in part, based on failed linguistic conclusions as well as failed conclusions about this local tribe's state of life.

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The Piraha tribe is said to have no social hierarchy and are totally egalitarian, and "their culture is concerned solely with matters that fall within direct personal experience, and thus there is no history beyond living memory" and they exist in the present and think only in present terms. These tribal people challenged Everett away from his Christian presupppositions.

However,
These are not traits of an advanced tribe. 

These traits are of a tribe that has suffered devolution. 

Among some tribes I have seen, due to poor nutrition, it appears that some cognitive powers are impaired and some tribes have no traits of advanced societies due to the degradations of wars, killings, disease and poor nutrition. In my area, the tribes are the biggest losers in history because the stronger tribes to the south have forms of music and wood-carving and were stronger and more skilled in warfare... but my tribe does not have complicated music or wood-carving becuase probably they were pushed north due to being weaker. It is even hard for them to count above 20 or so due to their lack of an advanced counting system. 

Thus, they are not dignified men hanging on honorably to their own cultures, but are the most remote peoples precisely because they have been on the losing end of history and are pushed deeper and deeper into isolation and have not advanced technologically, or in areas of language, or in areas of wood-carving, or using musical instruments besides the mouth-harp. Sure, there are dignified aspects and honorably aspects of every culture, but I suspect many Western people have been brain-washed into the Western myth of the noble savage. 

Tribal peoples are often very poor in health and even cognitive abilities, not to mention simple hygiene. In several areas, the children of these remote tribes (after contact has been made) are a full head taller and more bright and think quicker than their parents, from the medicine and better food alone. If their animistic fears are eradicated and peace between clans occur, then their standards of living soar within a few short years.

I suspect the Piraha's might be the same, especially if they live on a river and, per Everett's account, did not even know how to make canoes.

Atheists are also trumpeting this tribe as, "Atheist tribe deconverts missionary linguist' but the truth is that this tribe is animistic, i.e., they have their own ways of worship and their own religious ideas that are far more "superstitious" than any imported Christianity.


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## saintandsinner77 (Jan 21, 2011)

Chomsky is definitely right on universal grammar- I studied linguistics as an undergrad and read his work and arguments. The arguments against universal grammar are not convincing.

I observed the following from the apostate missionary on the youtube clip who fell away from God

1) So, the tribe has "no creation myth," which is supposed to show what? That everyone does not have the knowledge of God as it says in Romans?
No, but rather, as any pagan, that "they supress the truth in unrighteousness." I have talked with many atheists who claim the same, but "let God be true and every man a liar."

2) The missionary claims that what led him to Christ was the suicide of a loved one.
The primary reason to come to Christ is for forgiveness of sins upon acknowledging one's guilt for offending a Holy God, not merely some emotional relief for the death of a loved one.

3) The missionary is disillusioned because the tribe seemed happy and satisifed without Jesus
Sure, that's no shocker, since men love their sin and are often satisfied with life apart from God

4) The missionary began to question invisible things since it seemed irrelevant to the tribe
But yet he still believes in invisible things-other peoples' minds, emotions, his own immaterial thoughts, abstract concepts like logic

5) the tribe supposedly showed him dignity and deep satisfaction in facing life and death without appeal to heaven or hell
Is this supposed to alarm the believer since in the ancient greek world there were materialists who denied an after life? Again, men supress truth..

"For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it is happened to them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire." (2 Peter 2:21-22)


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## LawrenceU (Jan 21, 2011)

One more reason that translator / linguists should study Transformational Grammar and Philosophy.


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## MarieP (Jan 21, 2011)

I haven't listened to the video, but the phrase "universal grammar" sticks out to me. Why would the non-existence of one disprove (or prove) the existence of God either way? In light of the Tower of Babel, it's the grace and mercy of God we can learn other languages!!!!


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## MarieP (Jan 21, 2011)

A little investigation via Wikipedia!

First, there is all sorts of controversy about the Pirahã language One thing I wonder about is how they truly can understand the language if there are no connections with other languages. Unless....God supernaturally gave them insight- He certainly gave them the abilitiy to learn and observe, whether he acknoledges it or not!

Second, and this is exciting!, as mentioned before, Everett's ex-wife Keren is still a missionary among the Piraha. And their daughter Shannon Russell is a missionary with SIL International They study languages and are partners with Wycliffe Bible Translators.

Don't worry, Christ will receive glory among the Piraha some day!


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## LawrenceU (Jan 21, 2011)

I have read about the Piraha language before. Everett's predispositions have deeply affected how he has analysed the language. Others have come to very different conclusions that do not require continued rather substantial modifications. It is much like some anthropologists who have claimed to have found a 'truly Stone Age Culture', publish their finding and evaluations, and then are shown a brass casing from a 7.62mm round and a cast iron skillet that have benn in use by the tribe for more than twenty years.


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## JonathanHunt (Jan 21, 2011)

Pray for his wife!


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## Pergamum (Jan 22, 2011)

Anthropologists are some of the most biased folks I have ever met.


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## raekwon (Jan 22, 2011)

saintandsinner77 said:


> 3) The missionary is disillusioned because the tribe seemed happy and satisifed without Jesus
> Sure, that's no shocker, since men love their sin and are often satisfied with life apart from God


 
This can probably be traced (at least in part) to contemporary (ie: coming about in the last 150 years) evangelism methods that hinge upon man's "happiness" to press for conversion. We're seeing its fruit.


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## JonathanHunt (Jan 22, 2011)

raekwon said:


> saintandsinner77 said:
> 
> 
> > 3) The missionary is disillusioned because the tribe seemed happy and satisifed without Jesus
> ...


 
A very wise comment, Rae. May our evangelism hinge on man's sin and need of the Saviour, and THEN let us press for conversion.


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