Religious missions

[SallyMander]

I've been thinking about this a lot since dinner last night with my husband's cousin. She is a member of a church that does yearly missions to Haiti. When she started talking about it, I had a sort of unconscious immediate negative reaction. I have been reflecting on this today, and granted I am not religious, but I think the thing I really react badly to is the whole proselytizing/converting aspect. I've always felt more comfortable with Judaism, since my understanding is that it's really difficult to convert if you marry into a Jewish family for example. They are not going out trying to make everyone Jewish. Kind of an aside, but I just mean to illustrate that I have a "live and let live" philosophy, and I am happy for anyone who is fulfilled and satisfied in their religious belief. I just don't like the "we're right you're wrong and you're going to Hell unless you do XYZ" aspect, and missions seem to be built upon this approach.

So I asked her what they do exactly while they're down in Haiti, and there is the preaching/Bible School part, but they are also building schools, providing supplies for the students, improving other infrastructure like roads and bridges, and also bringing down tons of food to people living in the worst poverty in our hemisphere. So now I am just mulling this over, because it seems that a lot of good comes from this, and that those kids in Haiti would probably rather be fed and preached to than not fed at all. In an ideal world this type of relief wouldn't be necessary, or would be provided with no strings attached -- but isn't it better that it is provided in this context than not at all?

Just sitting here thinking about this while I should be working, and interested in other peoples' thoughts!

[Lars39]

1. I have a family member who is emloyed by the Southern Baptist church

he attends. His job is organizing mission trips for the congregation. They make a trip every few weeks. The last ones I heard about was to Spain and to Belgium. These sound more like mini-vacations than actually hands-on help. These trips aren't cheap, either. This congregation doesn't do squat for the homeless or food banks in the area that it is located.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

2. I dunno. I kind of think the whole thing smells like PBS

Yeah, getting fed is a good thing, but, it's sort of like PBS being financed by ADM and Chevron. Yes, they get the funds to eat but the funds come with a price. Tow the corporate line or we cut off your funding.

Just my take on the whole missionary/PBS thing.

Ultimately, nothing is for free.

[PeaceNikki]

3. Interesting read here:

http://www.burningcross.net/crusades/christian-missionary-atrocities.html

[Bluenorthwest]

4. The founders of the CA missions felt the same way

"we are helping them and bringing them Christ. What they do is sell their faith, quid pro quo, to the hungry for food. They have food, but they do not give it freely, they trade it for something they want. They get what they came for. They make commodities out of suffering and out of salvation.
A gift is a gift. A string attached is a string attached. Not a gift. An exchange between rich and powerful people and the starving, done for the advantage of the rich and powerful.

[BuyingThyme]

5. I think Christian groups, the Vatican in particular,

see suffering and oppression as an opportunity. I think that's why they so aggressively support children being born into poverty and stuff like that. If somebody is oppressed, somebody is empowered.

[WatchWhatISay]

6. Vulnerability is a key requirement

It greatly increases their odds of success.

[JerseygirlCT]

7. As a Christian, I do not like the thought of any assistance

being offered with religious strings. We ought to be offering care with open hands.

That said, sometimes what people also need and are seeking is religious comfort as well. So I don't think that holding services, or otherwise behaving as religious people, is on its face wrong. As you're finding, the situation can be complex, and immediate reactions might be off.

I think most of the people doing this work are motivated by the desire to help people. Many are likely led to or strengthened in that desire by their religious beliefs. But I think we can pretty easily draw a line at demanding some sort of quid pro quo of religious participation from recipients. That's just wrong, IMO.

[frebrd]

8. Any "gift" that comes with strings ...........

is not a gift; it's deliberate, sugar-coated manipulation.

:(