Pakistan’s Confusing Culture

This is the second in a series of articles regarding my evangelistic efforts, primarily in Faislabad. It’s difficult to find a title that adequately captures the strange and mysterious dimensions of their culture. In was like going back in time to biblical days. The houses were basically rectangular with flat roofs, constructed with mud or brick, having a courtyard with rooms arranged around it, often with messy animals inside. I preached and baptized mostly in the court yards. The streets were filled with noise, confusion, and garbage. While at a four way intersection in a small modern car, a huge camel stood on one side and a small white donkey on the other pulling an elephant size load.
I saw strangely dressed women, asking "why?", I was told, “they are Christian prostitutes.” When I asked about an old man bent over sweeping the street with a bundle of sticks tied together, I was told he must be a Christian because of his type of job. As in biblical days you were either a Jew or a Gentile (non-Jew), so it was in Pakistan. You were either a Muslim or you were classified as a “Christian” (non-Muslim). As such you were forced to the bottom of society, unable to get a decent job, having to live in filth and squalor among dusty little narrow streets surrounded by garbage and open sewer canals that often formed lakes of raw sewage around your home. The people were basically kept ignorant and uneducated for easy exploitation. The women were often sexually abused by Muslims while working. The women said nothing or husbands looked the other way for fear of loosing the desperately needed income of their wives. Many women got up before daylight and walked for hours to get to a job as street sweepers. They worked all day, walked home, and prepared a meal. Exhausted, they walked long distances at night for a preaching service and stayed late into the night for a cold water baptismal service. Walking home soaking wet and risking sickness, they witnessed of their conversion at home and then got up long before daylight for another day of meaningless drudgery, but this time with the hope of heaven singing in their hearts.
In their homes I found evidence of mass religious confusion. One home had a casket shrine in the bedroom said to contain the body of a dead child. This was considered a holy place for prayer. I saw other public places with shrines like this one where people clustered together as a holy place. Superstition and religious ignorance dominated the lives of the people who could neither read nor write. For example, I was told that someone wanted permission to drink some water that I left in a glass. Another wanted to drink water from the baptistry after people were baptized. This water was often brown from the dirty clothing the people wore. The explanation for these requests was a strong Catholic influence in the area which emphasized priestly blessings and ascribed miraculous powers to holy water. Since I was considered a holy man and since I baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, some ignorantly believed the water had power to heal. Because sickness was so common and the people were desperate, they would try anything. I was told that my full beard which grew in such a wild twisted fashion, made me look like a “holy man.” One man came and knelt down before me asking for my blessing. I pointed him to God, corrected his misunderstanding and used this occasion to preach the gospel.
Sometimes customs worked against me. In a couple of services Catholic priests came into the meeting while I was preaching or baptizing and disrupted the service by telling people that my baptism (immersion) was not biblical, was not authorized and that I was a false teacher who should be rejected. They were told that they must come to their services and learn of the Virgin Mary. Some were even passing out paper about it. I could do nothing to stop them because of the “laws of hospitality.” But the light overcame the darkness, truth prevailed, and many obeyed the gospel. Later, by God’s providence, I was shocked by the opportunity to preach in a Catholic Church, where many responded to the gospel and I was able to set up a portable baptistry in the building and immerse people into Christ, even though a Catholic bishop went from door to door the day before warning and forbidding people to attend the baptism service. Sadly, since my last article, I have been told that the priest of that church, who also confessed Christ and was baptized, has been thrown out. He has no job, his children can’t go to school and he has to ask others for food. Would you like to help him feed his family?
There are more events to tell and pictures to show. I am looking for churches that will give me that opportunity. Will you help me give people a chance to accept the gospel who have never been given that chance before?

The work of missions is the fulfillment of the Great Commission of Jesus, based upon His having all authority in Heaven and Earth (Mt.28:18-19). His command to baptize (immerse) every Believer (Mk.16:16) who has repented (Acts2:38) and confessed with their mouth Jesus as Lord ( Rm.10:9-10) in order to receive the remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit required my obedience as well as that of those in Pakistan. Thus the importance of taking a portable Baptistry with me and leaving it behind for others to use after my departure, thanks to the generosity of Joe Garman of A.R.M.

While Baptism seems so simple to us, it proved to be extremely difficult for many of the Pakistanis for a variety of reasons, some of which I had never encountered before. Because I was working with a population group that generally could not read or write, had no Bibles, and were religiously confused by a mixture of Islamic, Catholic, and superstitious beliefs, Bible Baptism was virtually unknown or grossly misunderstood. Most of them had never seen an actual Baptism in their entire lives.

Some common problems with Baptism (which took place mostly in the courtyards of people’s homes) began to occur almost immediately. Although Baptism was always part of my invitation message, many were standing and confessing Jesus as Lord but not obeying His command of Baptism.

At first we had the problem of finding enough water to fill the portable baptistry because it was the dry season and people often had little more than drinking water. Culturally it was difficult to get people to plan ahead and multi-tasking was a difficult concept for them. For example, people wanted to wait until services were over to see if anyone responded. Then they would have to go to the van, get the baptistry, bring it back, set it up, and then go look for water. Then we had to wait until the water could be carried by hand and after a long slow process of filling the Baptistry, many had left for their walk home.

These issues became even more critical when we had two evening services scheduled at different locations. Unfortunately they stayed after these services for a meal and lengthy conversations (which I tried unsuccessfully to shorten) because we had to “let them show us respect.” Tragically by the time we arrived at the next meeting place some had already left, and when this service was over it was so late that a great number had to go home before I could baptize them. In spite of long talks and pushing these issues as far as possible, diplomacy was of little avail. This is partly why there were more confessions of faith than Baptisms.

Next were uncommon problems with Baptism. I discovered that many of the poor were not coming for Baptism because they could not afford to “pay for Baptism,” a concept they had learned from the Catholic influence in the area where people were expected to pay for the blessings they received from a holy man. My bearded disguise was to them a sign that I was a “holy man.” I had told them that salvation was free, but had never thought to say the same about Baptism.

The concept of Baptism among those who had heard of it was that is was by sprinkling only. They had difficulty conceiving of Baptism as a burial in water, as do many in the U.S. One man, in spite of our instructions, jumped into the Baptistry and began rolling around twisting and turning trying to baptize himself. Because Bible Baptism was such a great spectacle for them, great crowds often pressed in upon me to watch and I could not baptize until they were moved back. They were so excited with yelling, talking, and laughing that at times I could not be heard. Word of these Baptisms spread like wildfire through the city; people were saying that “John the Baptist has come.” This success stirred up growing opposition which I found out about only later.

Because of the Muslim influence I faced a modesty issue with the women. Some would not be baptized in the presence of men. Some debated whether or not they had to have their heads covered while being baptized. Some wanted to be baptized privately in a home. Some were confused about whether or not they needed the permission of their husband before being baptized.

Buoyancy was one of the more unexpected problems. People did not bathe in tubs and women were not allowed to go swimming because of modesty, therefore they had never had their bodies immersed in water. When some sat down in the baptistry and their bodies began to float they would become terrified and panic. Some tried to grab the side of the baptistry and hold on, others tried to jump out. One woman asked me through the interpreter, “If I am drowning, will you save me?”

Obviously all of this necessitated a great deal of teaching regarding New Testament Baptism. It provided a wonderful opportunity to teach about the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus (Rm.6:3-6). This is a claim which Muslims deny and which Mohammed could not make.

But praise God, after three weeks in Faisalabad over 569 people stood and confessed faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and the only true prophet of God (a strong Muslim issue). Of these I personally baptized 236. To God be the glory; see what great things He has done. I am prayerfully looking for your help in getting out the word that Jesus Christ is Lord, even in Muslim countries. To help me do this, contact me through White Fields.

Dr. W. Blythe Robinson
4/18/05