Western Christians long assumed their religious identity was essentially the same as their cultural identity. Now they are awakening to the fact that this is no longer a possibility. Christians from the other continents face a different set of circumstances. From the beginning they have carried the burden of living under censure, stigmatized as being disloyal to family and nation. Thus, Christians from different parts of the world and with contrasting histories now face the common challenge of forging a viable Christian identity for the next millennium.[33]
