Honor-shame cultures

Abdu Murray in a recent podcast made a connect as he was explaining how to evangelize to those who come from a honor-shame culture. It caught my attention as he mentioned in many ways our western culture is shifting to be the same.

From what once was a culture built around guilt instead of shame. Now your words, failures, or beliefs can haunt you for all your life. Look at how a politician or and spotlight figure can have something from high school, a old belief, failure, or even a new belief is shamed as they the individual is none redeemable.

Or as Abdu mentions in the virtual town square of social media. People get likes or followers for how well the shame others and make themselves look more honorable.

This was the culture of the Pharisees. To ask questions of Jesus, not to learn but to try and trap in something the audience would see as shameful. But in other times in the cover of night to protect their honor they would ask Jesus the true questions of the heart.

The LGBT movement is a western example. To believe in traditional marriage is now a shame game. To speak out brings insults and at times even death threats.

"Abdu is a speaker and Senior Vice President of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. He is the author of four books, including his latest book with Ravi Zacharias, Seeing Jesus From the East – A Fresh Look at History's Most Influential Figure. For most of his life, Abdu was a proud Muslim who studied the Qur'an and Islam. After a nine-year investigation, Abdu discovered that the historic Christian faith alone answers the questions of the mind and the longings of the heart.

Abdu has spoken to diverse international audiences and has participated in debates and dialogues across the globe. He has appeared as a guest on numerous radio and television programs all over the world and hosts the podcast The Defense Rests.

Abdu holds a BA in psychology from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor and earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School. As an attorney, Abdu was named several times in Best Lawyers in America and Michigan Super Lawyer.

Abdu lives in the Detroit, Michigan, area with his wife and their three children."

our western culture....what do you mean by that.
people everywhere can be full of pride, which has been going on ever since Adam and Eve...Cain was the first when he didnt meet with Gods expectations so he killed Abel to try to get rid of his shame.

spiritual pride or self righteousness has been present since Job.

Often it takes one to know one. If you are former muslim, you can tell your muslim friends in their own language about Jesus. If you are former LGBT, you know what its like to live like that, you talk about your conversion.

if youve never had any other belief before you converted, you can reach out to agnostics. If youve grown up or been raised in church, and been born again, you can reach out to nominal christians.

It doesnt necessarily take a lawyer to be able to debate someones belief or persuade some to accept Jesus and have a testimony....as every believer has one.

Well I have spent time in Japan and I think he does not understand how an honour - shame culture functions.

The USA is going more so in the opposite direction.

AWWW!!! I love Abdu and Ravi Zacharias. Listen to them almost every day!!

Well I only heard this conclusion last night so the thoughts behind it may not be fully ironed out or meditated on. Sounded good to me. Could you explain how you disagree?

Ravi will be severely missed

Yeah, I shed a few tears when I heard of his death. I listened to him almost every day. He is the reason why I love apologetics and discussions like these so much. But he left a legacy that people are still seeing and being saved because of. I know I am encouraged by his lifestyle and inspired to become better in defending the faith and my daily walk with God.

Eastern vs Western Culture


The culture of a community or a nation depends upon the surroundings, the values, and beliefs that they are brought up upon. Hence different parts of the world feature different cultures that vary very much from one another. Today, the cultures of the world can be divided into two main parts such as the Eastern and Western culture. However, throughout the years, the two have come to influence one another constantly due to globalization and shaping and molding one another in the process.

What is Eastern Culture?

Eastern culture is the ensemble of beliefs, customs, and traditions that distinguishes the people of the eastern part of the world made up of the Far East, West Asia, Central Asia, North Asia, and South Asia. Based mostly on Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Islam, Taoism, and Zen, the Eastern culture explores the spiritual aspect of exploring the inner world of a human being believing that the universe and its existence are a never-ending cyclic journey with no limits. Eastern culture encourages its people to gain control over their emotions and state of mind through meditation and practices the principle of virtue in all aspects of life. It is also a culture that is built upon community and collectivism as Eastern culture believes that a human being is a social creature and is an integral part of the society.

What is Western Culture?

Western culture is a term that refers to the heritage of ethical values, traditions, customs, belief systems, technologies, and artifacts that define the lifestyles and beliefs of people from the Western part of the world. The roots of the Western culture has its origins in Europe and carries a heritage of Germanic, Celtic, Hellenic, Slavic, Jewish, Latin, and other ethnic and linguistic groups. Mainly based on Christianity, one sees oneself as an element of the divine and life in service of God. Beginning in Ancient Greece and ancient Rome, Western culture continued to develop with Christianity during the middle ages, nourished by the experiments of Enlightenment and discoveries of science and spread itself throughout the world between the 16th and 20th centuries as a result of globalization and human migration.

Never said it takes a lawyer. If you don't need help then don't worry about it. The message isn't for you then.

Most definitely. I wish I could be half the man he was. He should have had the same admiration as Billy Graham when he passed.

There is little honor in the USA ... the shaming part, yes.
The honor comes first.

Perhaps more of a "shame-shame" society LOL

Shaming in the USA is diverse across the social-political- cultural landscape.
The USA will never become an honor shame society the way it is going .. that calls for social cohesion which it sorely lacks.

While yes there are small fringe groups in Japan .. so they play at the "shame" side... but when it comes down to it they still have the honor side intact imho.

I like this topic btw

Most definitely. I wish I could be half the man he was. He should have had the same admiration as Billy Graham when he passed.

Well, there is an honor for which side you are on. If you say what your side loves, it will be honored and adored. Find yourself in the wrong location like a liberal college while you hold conservative beliefs, then you will be shamed but go to a Christian college and it will be adored.

If one side gains the majority then the honor will rise while thee shame the minority.

May be reading too much into it but sounds plausible.

And if it then I see tactics must change.

Maybe a superficial honor for those liberal types ....they lack the depth of character to know real honor, ...honor has a sense of humility ... the Japanese people are very humble in their demeanor possibly as a result of WW II.

In Japan there is a depth of honor I have not seen in western countries.

I think honor shame culture is more of a philosophy or worldview than defined strictly by its name.

Because a culture will differ on what it views as honorable or shameful. .

For example many Japanese soldiers in WW2 would suicide if captured due to honor.

While for example American also having a sense of honor saw that as very foreign to them how a enemy would rather die than return defeated.

I don't know if you know, but his live memorial service is going on right now if you would like to check it out!

MATT. 5:39.
But I say unto you, That you resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.
in this Scripture, Jesus is speaking in the 'context' of an 'honour-shame-society' -
if someone struck you on the 'right cheek', then this was like the 'highest-shameful-insult that one could do -
but,
He was saying, 'though they shame you to the utmost, let them shame you even MORE', and the reason that
He was saying this, is because it was considered the family's duty, IF one member was shamed, that another
member was to KILL that person that had wrongfully shamed that member of their family...
in other words:
he was saying; swallow your PRIDE, and make an END of the blood-shed...

just as an aside, the study of this particular subject is not commonly studied, but it is very relevant to
a better understanding of the scriptures over-all...

The pharisees were a bunch of idiots to say the least. If i saw the miracles and heard the teaching of Jesus and i was in his day, i would not oppose it. The rising of dead Lazarus would have convinced me completely.