"Evangelization is colonialism,” she said. So, there I was on a Zoom call, part of a biweekly meeting of a Christian writers group. After sharing our latest accomplishments and travails, the topic of discussion turned to evangelization. One group member – I’ll call her Josephine – surprised us by categorically rejecting the very concept of missionary evangelization. She alleged that bringing the Gospel to foreign lands was tantamount to exploitation and oppression. “To send missionaries to Africa and Asia to convert the native people to Christianity is religious colonialism,” she insisted.
The word “noise” in English comes from about the 11th century and, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, most probably derives from the Latin words “nausea” (upset, seasickness) or possibly “noxia” (harmful behavior). From its earliest uses, “noise” has had a negative connotation: disturbance, quarrels, discordance, general unpleasantness.