Missionaries

Superman · Post by **Superman** » 2003-05-15 05:21pm

I am watching a "John Walsh" episode that features one of the missionaries that had been captured in the Phil. Her husband dies by execution.

Now, as sorry as I feel for them, I also have to wonder why the fuck they have to go to these volatile countries to try to convert them. If you are a missionary, and you don't want to die, STAY THE FUCK OUT of hostile places! Especially if you are trying to preach!

Faram · Post by **Faram** » 2003-05-15 05:28pm

Have to agree there.

Don't they think they get status as Matyrs(sp?) or somthing.

Fuck I wish it was legal to make matyrs of the damned JHW that knocks on the door early sat morning when I have a hangower.

Ted C · Post by **Ted C** » 2003-05-15 05:36pm

Remember aid workers who were arrested by the Taliban for proselytizing Christianity in Afghanistan? They claimed they were innocent for months while in custody, and were finally rescued by US armed forces during the war there.

And what did we find out when they were interviewed after their rescue? They admitted that they had been sharing the gospel with native Afghans who visited their office. In other words, they were guilty as charged.

They should consider themselves lucky that the Taliban thought they would be more useful as bargaining chips than as lessons in Sharia (sp?) law enforcement.

Superman · Post by **Superman** » 2003-05-15 05:39pm

Those Christians were trying to proselytize? *gasp* What the hell, they never do that!

Stupid Christians; if you go to another country to preach, and get punished for it, then you deserve what you get.

RedImperator · Post by **RedImperator** » 2003-05-15 05:42pm

Superman wrote:Those Christians were trying to proselytize? *gasp* What the hell, they never do that!

Stupid Christians; if you go to another country to preach, and get punished for it, then you deserve what you get.

Bullshit. Freedom to belive as one choses, and to try to convince others to see things your way, is a fundamental human right. They might have been dumb for preaching the Gospels in Afghanistan, but they didn't deserve to get punished for exercising a basic human freedom.

Superman · Post by **Superman** » 2003-05-15 05:46pm

If they preach in another country, where not everyone has those freedoms under their laws, then they DO deserve what they get.

GC · Post by GC » 2003-05-15 05:50pm

Missionaries know the risks when they go - yet they go anyway.

Do you have anything you believe in enough you are willing to risk your life for it?

If not, you can't possibly understand.

If so, then you should be able to relate to the action if not the motivation.

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2003-05-15 05:53pm

Superman, there should be a distinction between deserve and should expect.
Did those women in Afganistan deserve what they got?
No.
Should they have expected it?
Yes.

Ted C · Post by **Ted C** » 2003-05-15 05:53pm

RedImperator wrote:
Superman wrote:Those Christians were trying to proselytize? *gasp* What the hell, they never do that!

Stupid Christians; if you go to another country to preach, and get punished for it, then you deserve what you get.
Bullshit. Freedom to belive as one choses, and to try to convince others to see things your way, is a fundamental human right. They might have been dumb for preaching the Gospels in Afghanistan, but they didn't deserve to get punished for exercising a basic human freedom.

While I don't believe they deserved a death sentence, I think it was awfully hypocritical of them to go into Afghanistan knowing that the local laws forbade proselytizing, say that they wouldn't proselytize, do it anyway, and then lie again by denying what they'd done.

If they'd been whipped and then expelled I wouldn't say they'd been excessively mistreated; aren't Christians supposed to get off on religious persecution? Some of them seem to think everyone else does.

NapoleonGH · Post by **NapoleonGH** » 2003-05-15 05:54pm

i most certainly have something i believe in that i would put my life on the line for, however it happens to be a real world existant thing, and not something which has just as high as probability of being a delusion as of being real.

Wicked Pilot · Post by **Wicked Pilot** » 2003-05-15 06:15pm

Why can't those Islamic fucks just do what we do and simply laugh at proselytizers or debate them into the ground? I can't believe it's 2003 and people are still killing people because their imaginary friend isn't someone else's imaginary friend. What the fuck is wrong with some people?

Darth Servo · Post by **Darth Servo** » 2003-05-15 06:18pm

Wicked Pilot wrote:Why can't those Islamic fucks just do what we do and simply laugh at proselytizers or debate them into the ground?

Because fundie Muslims are just as irrational as fundie Christians. They CAN'T ignore a heathen because their religion tells them to and their idea of a "debate" is to simply quote scripture at your opponent.

Superman · Post by **Superman** » 2003-05-15 06:32pm

The way I see, those missionaries must go through something like this...

Missionary: "Come on kids, let's go spread the word... What, this country's official religion is not Christianity? Ok then! Oh, and you mean the people there cut the heads off of people that are guilty of crimes? Ok, that's fine, and the official religion there is anti-Christian? Well, ok, we can go anyway..."

GC · Post by GC » 2003-05-15 07:10pm

NapoleonGH wrote:i most certainly have something i believe in that i would put my life on the line for, however it happens to be a real world existant thing, and not something which has just as high as probability of being a delusion as of being real.

The expression "To each his own" leaps instantly to mind.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2003-05-15 11:19pm

GC wrote:Missionaries know the risks when they go - yet they go anyway.

Do you have anything you believe in enough you are willing to risk your life for it?

If not, you can't possibly understand.

If so, then you should be able to relate to the action if not the motivation.

Missionaries are willing to risk their lives to propagate a belief system. This means that they consider their belief system to be just as important as life itself, if not more so.

'Tis a dangerous mentality to elevate something as ephemeral as a belief system above the sanctity of human life. If you think it outweighs your own life, what's to stop you from believing that it outweighs the lives of others as well? Do unto others as you would have them do unto you? If you would give up your own life for the belief system ...

Starscream · Post by **Starscream** » 2003-05-15 11:23pm

Ted C wrote:Remember aid workers who were arrested by the Taliban for proselytizing Christianity in Afghanistan? They claimed they were innocent for months while in custody, and were finally rescued by US armed forces during the war there.

And what did we find out when they were interviewed after their rescue? They admitted that they had been sharing the gospel with native Afghans who visited their office. In other words, they were guilty as charged.

They should consider themselves lucky that the Taliban thought they would be more useful as bargaining chips than as lessons in Sharia (sp?) law enforcement.

So did they go to the Afgans or did the Afgans go to them asking about it?

DarthBlight · Post by **DarthBlight** » 2003-05-15 11:34pm

From what I understand, the Afghans came to them, but I think there was some Mother Theresa "bait-and-switch" going on. Don't hold me to that, I'm a bit hazy on the specifics and I was just too riled up over the Dateline report of it and the brain-dead missionary they were interviewing. While I hold no ill will for those that seek to help others in the name of God/Allah/Buddha/IPU, I do have a problem with those that LIE about what they're doing and it can affect the honest ones. If the Taliban were still in charge now, do you think they are going to take aid workers at their word? If aid workers aren't allowed in and the Taliban can't take care of the local population, it's the population that suffers.

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2003-05-15 11:35pm

If a missionary is presenting an idea and making it available to a new population, I have respect for that.

There are few things I find more distasteful than the missionary that aggressively tries to convert.

Joe Momma · Post by **Joe Momma** » 2003-05-16 03:29am

GC wrote:Missionaries know the risks when they go - yet they go anyway.

Do you have anything you believe in enough you are willing to risk your life for it?.

Yes, but I missed my flight so my terrorist cell had to forego crashing the 747 into the Statue of liberty. But I was willing to give my life for the cause!

GC wrote:If not, you can't possibly understand.

If so, then you should be able to relate to the action if not the motivation.

Oh, certainly. I've always admired the Klan for keeping the mud people down even though they risk getting shot by angry minorities. I'm glad somebody's making a stand for something! Who cares why or what for?

-- Joe Momma