No one denies that the Western High Plateau minorities have fine traditions and wholesome customs. The funeral rites are celebrated at the house. The dead body remains covered with a sheet and was laid on the floor with many decorations. It is one of the proofs of the rich custom. If we were in the right season, we may witness the buffalo-sticking ritual and all the music in the festivities of the whole village. Yes, they still preserve all the rich and significant traditions of their own.

That was the story of many years ago, nowadays, all these traditions are on the verge of destruction.

In the '80s our country had been heavily oppressed in economic, political, military and diplomatic pressure from other countries, especially the economic embargo of the US. We were in a deep crisis in the economy and in the society. In order to escape that crisis, our government applied many economic programs, among them were new economic zones for the minorities. In these projects, Vietnamese were living along side the minorities to help them in farming and new techniques in agriculture in general.

Schools and health care were operated in far and remote villages to introduce a healthy life spiritually and physically for all people.

In the new way of life, we mobilized people to eradicate the long family house system where many generations share the same house. We stopped all taboos and got rid of all evil spirit sacrifices and wizards. All bad customs as infant marriage, funeral rites and hundreds of other superstitious practices were forbidden. The new policy as above was just aimed at elevating the standard of living of the minorities to cope with civilized life in the world today. That was our good will.

But our good will has not succeeded in helping the minorities. Why? Surely there must be some problems. First, the culture of the Western High Plateau people was rich but not strong enough to protect itself. It was insufficient in many ways to be a mature culture. Confronted with other cultures and the market economy, it was very vulnerable. When the foundation disintegrated other changes followed and we feel that the culture of the Western High Plateau is fading away fast. That was contrary to the existence of the culture. The culture may be influenced by politics and economy, but it never depends on them, for it has its own ways of development. It always receives new traits but brushes off the unnecessary.

In reality the minorities people did preserve their culture. The Bahnar and Jarai in Gia-lai Kontum still maintain the funeral rites for their dead. And they all still try to celebrate their traditional activities, except for the area where many people follow the Protestant Church.

In these areas, people try to hold on to their tradition but they have no power to save their own culture.

We are not only responsible for the development of culture of the Kinh (Vietnamese), but we must conserve the culture of our brother minorities also, for theirs is one part of our whole cultural picture.

The post industry world bases its social development on culture. But if we do not know how to conserve the original and traditional culture in a subtle way, surely in a short time in the future, we will be helpless before the powerful attacks of various cultural and industrial invasions.

The Protestants have been invading the minorities both in the North and in the South. In many areas they are successful.

Why?

I should say, one, because our minorities' beliefs are very primitive with the concept of "there is a soul in everything". They believe in a lot of spirits but none of them is a solid god. Familiar spirits always cause trouble and bring them all kinds of mischief and problems. They demand all kinds of offerings and sacrifices. The smallest offering is a chicken, then a goat, a pig and the biggest will be a buffalo. But even though they offered all kinds of sacrifices nothing was solved. They were still sick, poor and hungry from one generation to the next. They never dared to quit worshipping them. Evil spirits exist in their lives just like co-habitants or monstrous animals and are both a nuisance and costly for their lives. They only hate but never love or admire them.

That is why when the Protestants introduce them to a powerful God, He not only loves them but also teaches them all kinds of practical and easy-to-do lessons. That God also is personified in flesh and bone and they can even look at his picture in real life. With that God, they were introduced to many other saints and angels who defend God's Kingdom and human beings. Their own gods traditionally only receive the offerings but never give them anything back. This God on the contrary, only gives but never demands anything from them. They believe God is their provider and protector. God is just like a precious treasure that they found for the first time. They are ready to cut off with their past and follow God. God will protect them in this life and when they die He will accept them into His Kingdom, that is, they will be saved and to live in Paradise.

From of old, life and death have been the most difficult to solve for mankind, now the door of heaven is open partly, the spiritual problem has way to be solved. Protestantism is really an answer to the emptiness in the spiritual life of the minorities.

Another question needs to be mentioned here, that is, the spiritual need is very crucial to human beings with no exception of any kind of people. It is the essence of the spiritual environment in human life. We must respect that need of the people. Minorities who follow Protestantism change their belief but not their spiritual need.

The theme of this discussion is not aimed at solving the spiritual problem but to find out a formula to maintain the traditional culture of the minorities in the big family of all Vietnamese ethnic people. We do not approach religion but in this case, Protestantism is in conflict with our culture. How do we deal with them?