The third world?

[Goodbook]

Another question on my mind..why is it called 'the third world' I never hear of anyone mentioning 'the second world' and just wonder where that term comes from.

As christians do we reference this? Does it matter to God if a country is developed or undeveloped? Do we need to care if we are on the 'world stage' or not?
When people talk about this all I can think of is a Miss .world beauty pageant.

 

[Sultan Of Swing]

First world is the Western-allied. Second world is Soviet-allied. Third world is everyone else. That's the classical definition.

Since the Cold War's over, Second World isn't used anymore. Third world stuck around though, referring to poor underdeveloped nations.

Blue is first world, red is second world, green is third world. This is back in the Cold War days.

 

[Goodbook]

oooh. Yea I was wondering what happened to the second world.
The whole east-west thing I don't really get either. East and west of what?

 

[Archie the Preacher]

oooh. Yea I was wondering what happened to the second world.
The whole east-west thing I don't really get either. East and west of what?

What is known as 'Western Civilization' (not gonna explain that here) and the other alternative, the 'Eastern' Marxist driven nations. Most of the nations of the Warsaw Pact (the Soviet controlled 'communist bloc') were on the (more or less) Eastern side of Europe. Of course, Czechoslovakia and Albania were geographically more to the west than Austria. So the 'East-West' thing was mostly correct and a figure of speech.

The 'third world' currently is more of an economic description. Typically the average citizen is 'poorer' than citizens of the more industrialized nations. That is changing as well. Another way of differentiating 'third world' is the greater percentage of these nations are dictatorial in fact rather than theoretical.

England is a monarchy with a Queen and heirs and all. But England has more actual freedom among the regular citizens than some theoretical "democracies" (of whom I will not give examples to avoid offending the guilty).

 

[Goodbook]

But what would have been the 'centre' of east and west. Or is there no centre/dividing line. Switzerland? Because it was neutral?

 

[Anguspure]

oooh. Yea I was wondering what happened to the second world.
The whole east-west thing I don't really get either. East and west of what?

Jerusalem?

 

[Goodbook]

It cant be Jerusalem as they say thats in the Middle East

 

[Goodbook]

And the middle west, well theres no middle west, but theres a midwest and thats in usa.

 

[Anguspure]

It cant be Jerusalem as they say thats in the Middle East

There is a direction of historic written language that is also interesting. Languages from the west tend to be written from left to right and languages in the East tend to go the other way.

 

[Goodbook]

My sister said the middle of the world was at greenwich, in London.
Well she lives there so thats what she thinks. I am not sure what to believe now.
I know the equator, but i wasnt aware there was a real dividing line between east and west.

As far is east is from the west, God has taken our sins from us. So where does He put them?

 

[JackRT]

My sister said the middle of the world was at greenwich, in London.
Well she lives there so thats what she thinks. I am not sure what to believe now.
I know the equator, but i wasnt aware there was a real dividing line between east and west.

As far is east is from the west, God has taken our sins from us. So where does He put them?

The Greenwich meridian was so located in order to provide a starting point for time zones. It was a convenient location because on of the best observatories of that time was located there. Time zones were a Canadian invention but it was such a useful invention that the Brits imposed it on the entire world.

 

[Goodbook]

I crossed the dateline in the pacific ocean. So I went backwards in time. Maybe God was meaning, He threw our sins away to yesterday.

 

[Archie the Preacher]

But what would have been the 'centre' of east and west. Or is there no centre/dividing line. Switzerland? Because it was neutral?

Do you mean the 'center' (or 'centre', as you prefer) between 'Western' and 'Eastern' civilization? (I believe 'civilisation' in Great Britain.)

If so, those phrases are not strictly a geographical distinction. It is more a matter of world view, but has elements of geography attached.

 

[Archie the Preacher]

It cant be Jerusalem as they say thats in the Middle East

In the middle ages, many Christian theologians believed Jerusalem was the center of the Earth for 'religious' reasons. In Europe - largely Christian and controlled by Christian (meaning allied with the Roman Catholic Church in one form or another) leaders (kings) - the secular authorities followed that lead of Jerusalem being the center of the Earth.

I think the current nation of Israel is considered Near East. Middle East includes Iraq and points East and Far East begins somewhere East of India. I've never been able to discern any 'hard boundaries' between "Near", "Middle" and "Far"; it's flexible. And the three distance descriptors seem to be in relation to Europe. The concepts were established during the middle ages (in Europe) and derived from the exploration from Europe.

 

[Goodbook]

Well Jerusalem or zion is the apple of Gods eye and the apostles were sent out from there, or technically, it was Bethany where Jesus ascended but mount zion or moriah where Jesus was transfigured.

In relation to where the ends of the earth are from jersualem, samaria etc.

 

[Goodbook]

Also John 3:16 says God so loved the world....

It does not say, God so loved only the first world. Or that there are even three worlds.

 

[Archie the Preacher]

Well Jerusalem or zion is the apple of Gods eye and the apostles were sent out from there, or technically, it was Bethany where Jesus ascended but mount zion or moriah where Jesus was transfigured.

In relation to where the ends of the earth are from jersualem, samaria etc.

Correct in the main. Jerusalem was long considered 'center' as that's where Jesus worked and valued. Of course, this concept was a largely Judeo-Christian notion. I question if many Chinese or other Asians thought in similar terms. (I think the Chinese Emperors thought their throne was the center.) Probably most indigenous Africans and Western Hemisphere indigenous peoples would have had 'alternate' thoughts. I doubt if many current peoples in those parts of the world think Jerusalem 'center'.

I'm not sure, but I think "Near East, Middle East and Far East" date from later, the 'age of (Western) exploration'.

 

[Archie the Preacher]

Also John 3:16 says God so loved the world....

It does not say, God so loved only the first world.

Right! And when the Bible was translated under King James, the term 'world' meant all of creation. (So if Klingons exist, God loves them like He loves humans.)

Or that there are even three worlds.

No, not mentioned in the Bible. The term is fairly modern and refers to technological and economic development and ability.

 

[Goodbook]

I dont know if klingons actually exist...or maybe they only exist on tv.
Hmm

 

[Goodbook]

China was called the middle kingdom.

Tolkien called nz middle earth (just joking)