In the Non-Western world, belief in the spiritual world runs high. The question is not "is there a God?", but rather "which God" and "what can he do?" That the world has a spiritual dimension is obvious to the average non-Westerner. They feel that this spiritual world is tangible---you can sense it even if you can't always feel it or touch it. In the West, however, religion is a choice, and the spiritual world is real for some people and not for others. But even when it is real to Westerners, it is an aspect of their life--something they go out of their way to think of; the Spiritual realm. It is not viewed as something everywhere at all times...not really. Westerners are all materialists at heart and their spiritual lives are compartmentalized in comparison to most non-Westerners.
Westerners would say that non-Westeners are superstitious; prone to believing in magical thinking. Non-Westerners would view Westerners as oddly ignorant of the forces at play in the world.
Christianity is exploding in the non-Western World and it often grows amidst those who were previously steeped in a different faith. In Africa, Asia, Latin America, Christianity introduces itself and asserts itself. In these places, there is a belief in good and evil and Christianity's clear definitions of those two terms can reasonate deeply with non-Westerners.
The powers face off--good and evil. In the non-Western World it is an unambiguous, cosmic battle.
In the following video clip, you meet an African man who became a Christian pastor after years of murdering people, cannibalizing them, and serving as a voodoo priest and military leader in the country of Liberia. He claims to have killed 20,000 people with his band of armed men. They sacrificed children and practiced black magic. He is a famous man in Liberia known as "General Butt Naked." That's not a joke. That was his nom de guerre and he is still greatly feared.
Now a pastor, he spends his time doing Christian evangelism and apologizing to the families of his victims--of which there are many. At least 2 documentaries have been made of him. The documentarians cannot figure out what to make of him. Is it possible that a man so evil could become a man so good? He's charismatic, seems very sincere, and even turned himself into Liberia's Truth and Reconciliation Committee.
This is only a section of the story. Watch the whole thing if you can (and want to), or see the documentary in cinemas which is winning awards.
Can good triumph over evil like that in someone's soul? Is he a charlatan? How deep could God's grace be? Could Westerners understand that? Can anyone?