Tales Of Hoffman
Mars Hill College Professor Discusses Tour Of South America, India
By WILLIAM LEE
For moat of in, a trip abroad means
taking hundreds of family snapshots
posed in front of famous landmarks.
Only the most observant tourist takes
in the characteristics and differences
between cultures.
For Dr. Richard Hoffman, a pro
fessor of political science and Assis
tant to the President at Mars Hill Col
lege, observing the differences of
foreign cultures was the entire pur
pose of a recent twelve-week journey
to India and South America. Taking a
sabbattical leave after 25 years at
Mars Hill College, Dr. Hoffman spent
six weeks traveling through Peru and
Chile, before flying on to India for
another six weeks.
Dr. Hoffman took a close look at the
problems facing our South American
neighbors, in particular the changing
role of the church. Today's church in
South America, where the Catholic
Church dominates, is taking a more
active role in the problems of the
lower classes in these lesser
developed nations.
"Where the church used to be a
part of the status quo, it is showing a
greater sympathy and responsibility
to the plight of the poor," Hoffman
explained. "Today's church feels it
exists for the people rather than the
other way around, as it often felt."
There ate numerous other chur
ches whose missionary philosophy
still tends favors non-involvement in
the social, economic, and political dif
ficulties of host countries, Hoffman
added. He neither condones nor con
demns such church policy.
"There is certainly a place for in
dividual salvation through prayer
and religious faith," Hoffman says.
At the same time, Hoffman points
to a grassroots movement in the chur
ches. begun through the more liberal
elements of its missionary work.
"Those missionaries closest to the
people haye revived a political
awareness in the plight of the people
down there."
The church community, therefore,
is becoming the single most impor
tant force for change in South and
Latin America, says Hoffman. The
United States and its foreign policy
could learn a lesson or two from the
churches, Hoffman believes.
"The United States is only in con
tact with the governments, the
military leaders, and the elite ruling
class of these countries. We seem to
have, little .concern (or the lower,
classes," Hoffman explains. "We
tend to support and prop up some of
the more repressive regimes in the
world. The Somozas, the Marcos, and
military juntas. It's no wonder the
people feel abandoned by us," Hoff
man continued.
A love-hate relationship exists bet
ween the people of Latin and South
America and their feelings toward
the U.S., Hoffman says. "They love
our lifestyle, our wealth, our
freedoms. It's our government they
can't stand."
Hoffman found the situation in
Chile "very repressive" with
teachers at the universities afraid to
speak out. Death squads still exist
down there, Hoffman says, with the
constant fear of someone coming for
you late at night and spiriting you
from your home.
He talked with a few of the younger
children in a classroom at one of the
schools. Through an interpreter, he
asked the children. "If there was one
thing I could do for you. what would it
be?"
"Almost in unison they answered
that they wanted to go to the United
States."
"I asked them why they wanted to
go there," Hoffman recalls, "and
they replied, "No libertante'."
His trip to India, however, proved
to be as different as day and night.
The wealthy of South America, Hof
fman says, show little concern for the
impoverished, and only seek ways to
secure their private riches. It is a
tradition that has been carried on for
more than 300 years, Hoffman says,
dating back to the time of the Spanish
conquistadors who stripped the land
of its wealth and left nothing. That
same attitude, get what you can, still
continues.
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"We tend to aupport and prop up some
of the more repressive regimes in the
world ? the Somoxaa , the Marcoa and
the military juntaa. It's no wonder the
people feel abandoned by us. "
?Dr. Richard Hoffman
BACK HOME IN HIS MARS HILL OFFICE, Dr. Richard Hoff
man discussed his recent trip to South America and India.
"In India, even the wealthiest
citizens demonstrated to me a great
concern for all the people," Hoffman
explains. "They consider themselves
as part of a greater picture, thinking
in terms of India a$ a whole."
Hoffman visited with Indian
leaders such as B.K. Berle, the son of
Gandhi's financial minister, anc
Rama Krishna Baja, whose grand
father was a top adviser to Gandhi
when India was seeking in
dependence.
Both men, though extremely
wealthy, have given their time and
wealth to the feed and educate the In
dian people, according to Hoffman.
"Their's is a total dedication to In
dian advancement," Hoffman says.
"Both being highly religious men of
the Hindu faith, it is part of that
faith's teaching that they get beyond
the ego to the true self."
Hoffman says it Is this Hindu faith,
combined with a strong political
system established by the British,
that gives India hope for the future.
With 89 percent of India's popula
tion Hindu, and only two percent
Christian, the Christian church's in
fluence is limited. Yet one person who
Hoffman met had earned the love and
admiration of the Indian people so
deeply, that she is the second most
respected person in India, next to
Gandhi.
"Mother Teresa's work there
seems endless," Hoffman said. "I
made my way down to Calcutta,
through masses of people that crowd
ed the streets, to the Buddhist Center
where she brings the old and dying
out off the street."
"She grasped my hand," Hoffman
continued, "smiled, and said she was
glad I was here. Quickly she was back
to the rek and dying, offering com
fort and prayer."
Despite the problems of over
population, the starving and the dy
ing masses that flooded the streets of
Calcutta, Hoffman still sensed a
powerful influence at work. .It was an
almost mystical feeling that sur
rounded him.
Whereas South America showed
him only the hopelessness, exploita
tion and terror of its people. Dr. Hoff
man left India sensing a deep
spiritual commitment from its ruling
class as they reached down to pull its
poor, and India as a whole, toward
self-reliance.
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