Strange beliefs,

good neighbors

The old hymn anys God moves in a mysterious. way, and some Brunswick County Christians are saying Amen to that. How else to explain a Buddhist temple and retreat that’g being established near Bolivia?

Most Brunswick Countians are native-born

Americans of a Protestant Christian denomination. Their new neighbors will be mostly Asians who practice one of the world’s other major

religions – but one that is practically unknown here.

Becauge we human beings tend to be apprehensive about things we know little about, the potential for misunderstanding is obvious.

Fortunately, Brunswick County Baptists are approaching the situation in exactly the right way. At a meeting Sunday night, they started learning about the beliefs and practices of the Buddhists.

Some of thoee beliefs and practices will seem exotic, strange…and wrong. As one minister said. “This is not a Christian denomination. They make no bones about it.” They make no apologies, either. Their faith is as important to them as the

Christian Faith is to many of the people of Brunswick County.

And though they differ in many ways, Christians and Buddhists will find that they share fundamental beliefs. The Rev. Dee Froeber, who spoke to the Baptist meeting, pointed out that Buddhists believe in “morality, good will, compassion, honesty and peacefulness”- qualities that Christians surely would admire.

The people of Brunswick should be pleased, not worried, that people who practice another religion have chosen their beautiful county as a place to gather for meditation.

Ferhaps the best way for the local folks to be witness for their faith is to practice the Golden Rule in their dealings with the new neighbors. It would be an impressive demonstration of that strange Western religion called Christianity.

From Wilmington Morning Star Aug 30, 1988