Serious question

[malaise]

What are all those American missionaries doing in Haiti?

[Robb]

1. The same thing they do anywhere else, I expect.

Feed some folks, teach some English, dig a latrine or two and pass out bibles.

[Violet_Crumble]

3. Doing the bible-thumping is the top priority... n/t

[arthritisR_US]

4. you forgot about spying for the CIA ;-) n/t

[Robb]

5. LOL. Yeah, that too. nt

[midnight]

2. Are you talking about the 100 catholic priests??? I think they were described

as being on a retreat...

[malaise]

6. I'm talking about all of them

including all these volunteers from the Fundie 'fake' universities

[patrice]

8. And, of course, that is an impossibility as far as a lot of people are concerned.

So let's hear your theory for why one might think it something other than what was "described".

[patrice]

7. Like more than just a few missions anywhere: It's a tax deductible vacation and holier-than-thou

bragging rights.

[Dappleganger]

20. If you think that going to Haiti is a vacation

I've got a beach resort in Alaska to sell you.

[patrice]

23. All definitions are relative; that includes the word "vacation".

[malaise]

21. Sounds like we have a winner here

:D

[elocs]

9. You seriously do not know, because that is kind of what Christianity does.

You'll no doubt find missionaries from all denominations from Catholic and Lutheran to Baptist and Pentecostal and you cannot label them with a one-size-fits-all because some are there to spread the gospel as they believe they were commanded to do and some are really there to help the poor as they also believe they were commanded to do. I don't imagine that the poor who are clothed and fed and sheltered are real concerned at to their exact motives.

The son of a Lutheran bishop from my area was killed in the quake. He went to the same high school as I did, but we were years apart. I think I could guarantee that he was not down there doing any Christian right wing fundamentalist work, but there to spread the gospel and to help the poor.

[TheMadMonk]

24. Yes you can label them with one size fits all. Because however pure the motives...

...of the individual, and I will acknowledge that some do do a great deal of good, their collective behaviour is about as far from "Christian" as you can get.

Your schoolmate, I am sure, was perfectly aware of individuals who abuse children; others who withheld critical services without conversion; the liars who claim condoms are ineffective disease barriers; and many other nasties that get a regular airing here on DU and other progressive boards. But because he knew that speaking out would result in his being prevented from doing whatever good he can manage, he kept his head down and concentrated on doing what little good he could, whilst allowing the greater evils to carry on unacknowledged about him.

[Libertas1776]

10. Many if not most

are doing genuine humanitarian work while some others are there to simply proselytize their fundie BS .

[SoCalDem]

11. recruiting for Jesus, and procuring adoptable children

:(

[ddeclue]

12. trying to help the poor while trying to convert them from Catholic to Protestant..mostly.

[muffin1]

17. Ding-ding!

We have a winner! Why the f#@k can't we help anyone without trying to lead them to Jeebus?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

13. Converting them from their heathen religions too good proper Christianity.

[Jennicut]

14. The pastor of our church went to Haiti two years ago to set up wells for Water For Life

So some religious people there may do some good. Our Pastor is not very political but believes health care is a right and some other things that tend to be viewed as more liberal.
Haiti is 80% Catholic to begin with and I don't think they are going to change so he didn't do any proselytizing to get them to change to the Lutheran Church, it was just to help. If only more religious people could be like that.

[malaise]

15. I guess some are doing good

It's the others that bother me

[Jennicut]

22. Yes, the ones that only want to provide help if you listen to and believe in their particular

religion. My husband works as a church organist at this same church so we are very involved in it. But we have met some kooky people along the way that think religion is more about converting people then helping them. Not very Christian but many in the Christian religion are hypocrites.

[Texasgal]

16. Many of them feed the poor

provide medical assistance and education.

[Dappleganger]

18. Many of them have been there for over 30 years.

Through multiple leaders, coups, etc. They feed and clothe the poor, run orphanages, schools and medical clinics. There are secular agencies as well who do this.

[Little Star]

19. They are doing some good while fulfilling their

main mission of trying to convert people to their own form of Christianity.

[Blue-Jay]

25. ?