Missions and Missionaries - In Need of PL Advice

[Crazy Healer Lady]

I have a chance to change the world, to provide clean drinking water and shelter for poorer areas all over the world. I could be seriously funding thousands and thousands to build wells, buildings, hospitals for people in Guatemala, the Philippines, etc... Provide medicine and food...

However, I would have to do it through Missionaries.

I agree with building wells, schools, hospitals. I do not agree with conversion, nor do I agree with taking people away from their culture and traditions, especially if that means loss of common knowledge and expertise of local medicines.

It would be possible to monitor the activities of the churches we would do this through, particularly their spending of money. However, at first, it would not be possible to monitor and regulate what the missionaries are doing once in the countries, be it helping or converting. It would be possible in time.

I have a chance of a lifetime, and much guidance is pointing toward this being a huge step in Project Cause. This will be done either way, and thankfully Guidance is not giving me clear pointers of my role in this - only that this is a huge break for the world. (I need to get my opinions straight before I am ready to accept Guidance on whether or not I should join my pioneering friends.)

What are your feelings on missionaries, missions trips, and the possible benefits and repercussions of them?

[Kystar]

You know, I've never really thought about it.

Though, I don't agree with forcing people to give up their culture and beliefs because yours are "right" or "better". Helping them move forward in stuff that's necessary for better quality of life is good idea...but what's the price? Their independence? Their centuries of knowledge and herbal wisdom? Their folklore and history?

And what about the charities to help with the homeless and destitute in my own country? Where are they? Why is it so hard to find those organizations? Or at least, find one that doesn't have CEO's skimming the funds?

Sorry, cynical moment.

Um...yeah...I think I'm shutting up now. I see a soapbox appearing under my feet. :/

[Bandersnatch]

Wow, hard question.

I would have to say providing the basics - food, water and shelter - outweigh the negative. If there is some control possible from your end, even if it does come a little late then that pushes the scales even more in favor.

In the end, if someone dies because of lack of the basic necessities then the ethics of conversion doesn't have much weight in the whole agruement.

[SageWolf]

My thoughts on this is its not an easy choice, I'd go help but hold firm on my beliefs, To make life better for a culture, What an opportunity, I'd go in a heartbeat, But the whole conversion thing would throw me, I'd actually get mad at the prospect, I'm one of those people who think culture and religion ANY religion is important to people To come into a 3rd world country and say we will help you build houses and dig wells and this and that only if you get babtised in the name of God is wrong,

The choice in the end of course is yours, I'd go to help, But you also have to take the pro and cons of it before you go and go in with your eyes wide open, the hardest thing to be able to do is to realize that no matter what you do you cannot stop the missionaries.


And always remember that if you go and you find it totally distasteful you can always leave. Or you can start teaching the natives your religion and give them the choice, then of course they will probally ask you to leave.

I don't know if I helped you or hindered you But I know I tried to help.

SageWolf

[Kitsune]

I refuse to work through Missionaries. Some can be quite good, but others won't offer the help that you paid for unless they've already converted.

Missionaries can be a good thing, but I don't think religion should come into at that stage at all. "I helped you, but only because my God loves you..."... It's a guilt trip conversion at best. Heck, if a Scientologist saved my life from destitute poorness, I'd probally check out Scientology at least for a while.

But you can't convert the masses that way, and they are wrong to offer aid, only in the name of their God. I find that people who send money in this way tend to think more about how it helps their faith, more than how it helps the poor. It puts me in mind of the Christians who honestly thought they were being religious and helping out their faith by going to see "Passion of the Christ" at the theatres.

I know I'm being harsh, but I've seen too many of these things gone wrong to trust in them.

If you know you can trust them and you really want to help, then go for it, but personally, I'll never use a missionary service. The "costs" are simply too high in my book.



Yeah, I'm going to step off the soapbox too... Damn, didn't know I'd borrowed Kystar's until that last moment.

[Kystar]

Yeah, I'm going to step off the soapbox too... Damn, didn't know I'd borrowed Kystar's until that last moment.

Does the silly thing have my NAME on it or something? I didn't realize that personalized soapboxes came with a registration to Pagan Library!

Hmm...and do they get bigger the longer you've been a member? Do you get glitter and gilt lettering if you become a mod?

Sorry...I just know I'm not the only one here to grandstand on the "IMHO" Platform!

[Crazy Healer Lady]

Thanks, all, for your opinions!

And I need soapboxes... I need to know what I am getting into. I would not be going to any countries, but basically all the funds toward missions would be going through me.

I donno... Still something I am thinking of and working on.

[Kitsune]

It's definately a noble cause, and if you feel that they are completely legit, then follow your heart.

Simply because a few of us have strong feelings about it, shouldn't stop you if you believe it's right.

I would suggest that you do all appropriate searching into it first, how long have they been running, do they have any "unsatisfied" members and if so, will they allow you to talk with them, How long have they been telling their donors that they will eventually get a greater control over how their money is spent? Questions like that would need to be fully answered before I'd personally even consider it.

[Ragnar]

I have a chance to change the world, to provide clean drinking water and shelter for poorer areas all over the world. I could be seriously funding thousands and thousands to build wells, buildings, hospitals for people in Guatemala, the Philippines, etc... Provide medicine and food...

However, I would have to do it through Missionaries.

There are better ways to help than by using these parasites on the backside of humanity as a middle person.

If it were not for these despicable pieces of pond slime then the people that are starving today would still be in their traditional tribal groups, living in harmony with their land, and having enough to eat and drink.

It is only because these "missionary" scum encourage the destruction of the tribal group, and that they all go to live near the only place left that CAN feed them, ie the "church", that these people are in trouble in the first place.

These scumbag maggot "missionaries" have learned well from Hitler;

"Create a problem, create a public outcry to that problem, create the cure for the problem".

Ie Split up the self supporting tribal groupings, then make sure the only possibility of saving/supporting themselves is controlled by ....you guessed it MISSIONARIES.

I would have nothing to do with them that did not involve an oxyacetylene cutting torch and their eye balls.

[FyreGarnet]

Now Ragnar, tell us how you really feel.

I personally would not join their organization. I just can't do the christian thing no matter what. I worked for a telemarketing company for only like two days, and I was selling this awful christian TV show thing. I didn't stick around long. How can you tell someone you would watch this ing thing, when you wouldn't. They were selling christian ideals and morals to children and teenagers and expecting me to do anything to sell these shows.

I've learned time and again that the christian organizations truly seek wealth and power, no matter what they tell people they are doing for the greater good. It's very unfortunate that I've never run into an organization that is truly trying to help. I'm sure there must be at least one out there.

Notice, I only spoke of the organizations. I've met many a christian who has been willing to help others out. I'm marrying into a family of them

FyreGarnet

[Crazy Healer Lady]

I would have nothing to do with them that did not involve an oxyacetylene cutting torch and their eye balls.

Thank you ^_^ This is what I needed to hear. I have a much better view of the whole now.

Thank you to all for your opinions and advice.