Comments on: More on missionary-turned-atheist Daniel Everett

By: Steve Swartz

Steve Swartz — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 06:07:06 +0000

I’m quite a late-comer to this whole discussion about Dan Everett’s loss of faith into atheism.

Dan and his then wife Keren were both students when I was assistant teaching at SIL Oklahoma during the summer of, I believe, 1975. They were both brilliant, top-drawer students; in fact, I doubt I taught Dan in particular anything. In short, they both were brilliant.

My wife and I also went on to long-term careers with Wycliffe Bible Translators, in our case, working for 23 years among the Warlpiri people of Central Australia. Warlpiri bears some linguistic features generally with the Piraha (pardon the misspelling) language the Everetts worked in (it ‘lacks’ numbers beyond three, arguably it has only two and perhaps only one pure colour terms, has limited recursion, etc).

Like Dan, I have for long periods struggled with my faith, coupled with depression, suicidally so in 1986. The difference is that God reached down to me in His Sovereign Grace and pulled me back on January 19, 2007. I did not ask Him too, but He did. I cannot explain it, nor probably could I explain my faith to the Piraha in a form they could understand.

I have, however, blogged my story at:

http://hammeroffaith.blogspot......jamin.html

I cannot explain why I am alive today. But my faith in Jesus Christ is, and it had and has absolutely nothing to do with me.

Someday we will all know the truth, one way or the other. I trust we all are happy with outcome, but I don’t know how this can possibly be.

By: nullifidian

nullifidian — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 14:36:09 +0000

As a follow-up, I can definitely recommend Everett’s book. He doesn’t spend too much time on his (failed) attempts to convert the Pirahãs in it, but it’s fascinating stuff nonetheless.

By: nullifidian

nullifidian — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:24:27 +0000

I’m halfway through this monograph, and I must say that it’s quite a joy to read. The Pirahãs truly are a strange but intriguing bunch to a modernised westerner like me. I haven’t yet read the chapter concerning his attempt (and failure) to christianise these happily self-sufficient souls.

Thanks for the download link.

By: Rozi

Rozi — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:19:12 +0000

I absolutely agree, Terry Pratchett is one of our greatest living authors and a real champion of humanism. Read Monstrous Regiment for more about religious fundamentalism and its link to unnessacary wars. Actually, all his Discworld books have something pithy and insightful to say about religion. I became a fan whilst I was still a believer and it was his books that first led me to question my faith.