Jyhwkmama Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 (edited) nm Edited November 21, 2018 by Jyhwkmama 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 24 minutes ago, Jyhwkmama said: What hubris you must have to think "oh, they will like me. It's ok" https://www.npr.org/2018/11/21/669909594/american-reportedly-killed-in-flurry-of-arrows-as-tribe-defends-its-island-off-i?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=2050 I bet he was a missionary. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 5 minutes ago, Katy said: I bet he was a missionary. This article says that he was 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 Yes, he was a missionary. I don't know details. Was he with an organization? Mission board? Church? This is not the way most mission agencies operate these days.....one person going in, going in without advanced prep, etc.....so I wonder what is missing from the story. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 1 hour ago, DawnM said: Yes, he was a missionary. I don't know details. Was he with an organization? Mission board? Church? This is not the way most mission agencies operate these days.....one person going in, going in without advanced prep, etc.....so I wonder what is missing from the story. My guess? The conviction that Jesus won't return until the gospel is shared there too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corraleno Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 I read another article that said people were assuming he was a missionary because he was very religious, but that he was not there on any official type of mission, just as an individual. There are other reports that he was an avid traveller and adventurer and liked visiting unusual and exotic locales. The whole story is really bizarre because that island is strictly off limits to outsiders, and the inhabitants are known to be extremely hostile to any attempts at contact. Andaman islanders were nearly wiped out by Western contact at the turn of the century (and some tribes actually were), so the Sentinelese have good reason for resisting further contact. One of the reports I read said that the fishermen who illegally took Chau there (and have now been arrested for it) stayed well out of arrow range while Chau went to shore by canoe. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bibiche Posted November 22, 2018 Share Posted November 22, 2018 (edited) His friends are reporting that he went to proselytize and are calling him a martyr. 🙄 Let's hope he didn't transmit any diseases in his entirely selfish "mission." And I hope his fate dissuades rather than encourages others. Tosser. https://www-m.cnn.com/2018/11/21/us/missionary-john-chau/index.html?r=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F Edited November 22, 2018 by bibiche 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted November 22, 2018 Share Posted November 22, 2018 he got what he deserved by his completely selfish actions. a shame other areas in the world didn't defend their area so vigorously from "missionaries" 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted November 22, 2018 Share Posted November 22, 2018 (edited) I’m really bothered by this on so many levels. Even if he were just an adventure traveler, it’s still despicable. He put far more people than himself at risk. He bribed a group of people with a large sum of money to do something illegal and dangerous, and now they’re in serious trouble. He put the lives of the Sentinelese at risk. This is unjustifiable. Edited November 22, 2018 by Amira 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted November 22, 2018 Share Posted November 22, 2018 According to his journal, excerpts of which have been printed by the Washington Post, he did at least get to holler - his words, not mine! - "Jesus loves you!" at these people before they killed him. Except that nobody knows how to speak their language but them, so the odds of them understanding his words, much less his meaning, are approximately nil. Also, he spent some time writing about how kind he'd been to them (!) and how he didn't understand why they were mean to him. I don't want to speak ill of the dead, but let's face it, that doesn't leave me with much left to say. Even if I agreed with his motives - which I don't! - he doesn't seem to have had a plan or any grasp of the situation at all. And the fallout from his careless actions could still leave many more people dead. Let's only hope he wasn't carrying anything contagious when he went. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted November 22, 2018 Share Posted November 22, 2018 3 hours ago, Tanaqui said: According to his journal, excerpts of which have been printed by the Washington Post, he did at least get to holler - his words, not mine! - "Jesus loves you!" at these people before they killed him. Except that nobody knows how to speak their language but them, so the odds of them understanding his words, much less his meaning, are approximately nil. Also, he spent some time writing about how kind he'd been to them (!) and how he didn't understand why they were mean to him. I don't want to speak ill of the dead, but let's face it, that doesn't leave me with much left to say. Even if I agreed with his motives - which I don't! - he doesn't seem to have had a plan or any grasp of the situation at all. And the fallout from his careless actions could still leave many more people dead. Let's only hope he wasn't carrying anything contagious when he went. I read a little of his journal entries and the letter that he wrote to his family and it left me wondering about his mental state. He seemed pretty delusional. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted November 22, 2018 Share Posted November 22, 2018 9 hours ago, bibiche said: His friends are reporting that he went to proselytize and are calling him a martyr. 🙄 Let's hope he didn't transmit any diseases in his entirely selfish "mission." And I hope his fate dissuades rather than encourages others. Tosser. https://www-m.cnn.com/2018/11/21/us/missionary-john-chau/index.html?r=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F 3 hours ago, Tanaqui said: According to his journal, excerpts of which have been printed by the Washington Post, he did at least get to holler - his words, not mine! - "Jesus loves you!" at these people before they killed him. Except that nobody knows how to speak their language but them, so the odds of them understanding his words, much less his meaning, are approximately nil. Also, he spent some time writing about how kind he'd been to them (!) and how he didn't understand why they were mean to him. I don't want to speak ill of the dead, but let's face it, that doesn't leave me with much left to say. Even if I agreed with his motives - which I don't! - he doesn't seem to have had a plan or any grasp of the situation at all. And the fallout from his careless actions could still leave many more people dead. Let's only hope he wasn't carrying anything contagious when he went. I just finished reading these links. What a selfish jerk! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daria Posted November 22, 2018 Share Posted November 22, 2018 I find the way this is being reported in the American media fascinating and horrifying. CNN, a source I don't usually consider to have a strong pro-Christian bias has basically eulogized him with pretty pictures, and quotes about his soccer coaching and hiking. He's consistently referred to as an "adventurer", "missionary", or "tourist". He committed visa fraud, violated Indian law, and risked both the lives of an entire community of people, and the existence of a culture, language and way of life. If he had done that in the name of any other religion, we'd be calling him what he was which was a "terrorist". 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faith-manor Posted November 22, 2018 Share Posted November 22, 2018 I agree with the label terrorist. His presence on that island was not fundamentally different from colonial invaders gifting small pox infested blankets. It is very disturbing to me that this is being couched as some sort of "martyrdom for the faith" kind of crap, with American media playing along. Let's call a spade a spade. And yes, under the guise of any other religion this outcry would be extreme. For those that pray, all we can do is pray that he was perfectly healthy at the time. Even the "common cold" could kill them all. Sigh...... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted November 22, 2018 Share Posted November 22, 2018 Huh, well, he really shouldn't have gone there. He sounds foolish, possibly a few cans short of a two-four. I am not, however, a big proponent of shooting people on spec. Whether that's your cultural norm or not. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted November 22, 2018 Share Posted November 22, 2018 (edited) nm Edited November 23, 2018 by MercyA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2scouts Posted November 22, 2018 Share Posted November 22, 2018 This story reminded me of the story of Nate Saint who was killed the same way while trying to evangelize a remote group. Years later, his son went back to the group, became friends with the man who'd shot his father with an arrow, and did convert some of them. I wonder if this man had heard about Nate Saint and decided to try something similar. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted November 23, 2018 Share Posted November 23, 2018 15 hours ago, Melissa in Australia said: he got what he deserved by his completely selfish actions. a shame other areas in the world didn't defend their area so vigorously from "missionaries" My home country was a British colony until 1959 and we had Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe for 10th grade literature exam in the 80s. Many of my age peers back home is condemning his actions as egoistic/pompous and a disgrace to his parents (because he is chinese so the entire family’s reputation gets drag down). 1 hour ago, mom2scouts said: I wonder if this man had heard about Nate Saint and decided to try something similar. From BBC https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46293221 “He said he was inspired by the Victorian explorer and missionary David Livingston and Jesus.” 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted November 23, 2018 Share Posted November 23, 2018 On 11/21/2018 at 1:30 PM, Katy said: My guess? The conviction that Jesus won't return until the gospel is shared there too. That wasn't my question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted November 23, 2018 Share Posted November 23, 2018 On 11/21/2018 at 1:48 PM, Corraleno said: I read another article that said people were assuming he was a missionary because he was very religious, but that he was not there on any official type of mission, just as an individual. There are other reports that he was an avid traveller and adventurer and liked visiting unusual and exotic locales. The whole story is really bizarre because that island is strictly off limits to outsiders, and the inhabitants are known to be extremely hostile to any attempts at contact. Andaman islanders were nearly wiped out by Western contact at the turn of the century (and some tribes actually were), so the Sentinelese have good reason for resisting further contact. One of the reports I read said that the fishermen who illegally took Chau there (and have now been arrested for it) stayed well out of arrow range while Chau went to shore by canoe. This makes a lot more sense to me. Most mission boards would not sanction this type of activity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted November 23, 2018 Share Posted November 23, 2018 1 hour ago, mom2scouts said: This story reminded me of the story of Nate Saint who was killed the same way while trying to evangelize a remote group. Years later, his son went back to the group, became friends with the man who'd shot his father with an arrow, and did convert some of them. I wonder if this man had heard about Nate Saint and decided to try something similar. I worked with Becky Masters for a while. Her father was Phil Masters, he died in a similar way. In fact, she told me that for many years they were told the people had eaten her father. It turns out that wasn't true, but she had some stories! http://iagenweb.org/monona/Honorees/Masters/MastersPhilip.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faith-manor Posted November 23, 2018 Share Posted November 23, 2018 5 hours ago, Bluegoat said: Huh, well, he really shouldn't have gone there. He sounds foolish, possibly a few cans short of a two-four. I am not, however, a big proponent of shooting people on spec. Whether that's your cultural norm or not. His journal records that they didn't kill him outright. He had been there before, and noted their hostility. He received a warning shot and retreated, but then paid the fishermen to take him back yet again. He wasn't shot on spec. https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/slain-us-missionarys-crazy-plan-to-convert-worlds-most-reclusive-tribe/news-story/7b757c2dd05a93cbf38970fe39b76af9 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted November 23, 2018 Share Posted November 23, 2018 Most of you already know about the other thread but I'm linking it here so anyone who doesn't know can continue the conversation there if they prefer. The title makes it easier to know what the subject is about. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted November 23, 2018 Share Posted November 23, 2018 13 hours ago, Faith-manor said: His journal records that they didn't kill him outright. He had been there before, and noted their hostility. He received a warning shot and retreated, but then paid the fishermen to take him back yet again. He wasn't shot on spec. https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/slain-us-missionarys-crazy-plan-to-convert-worlds-most-reclusive-tribe/news-story/7b757c2dd05a93cbf38970fe39b76af9 That's maybe a matter of definition. I don't really care whether he was there before or not, I don't think shooting people is right, even if you think they might be dangerous in some way. I don't think you should shoot a guy who breaks into your house unless they offer violence, I don't think you should shoot a guy who ends up on your island, or lands on a plane in your country, or anything else - even if you think he might carry a disease. I think non-violence and also hospitality are fairly basic and important principles. I understand how people would feel otherwise. I am sympathetic in general to people who worry about health issues or cultural issues - even in places like Canada or the UK or the USA, and on tiny remote islands. But I am not particularly flexible on those basic principles, I think they are fairly fundamental ethical truths. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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