beansprouts Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 (edited) We buy candy from neighbor kids who come knocking (at least one) because it takes guts to ask. However, my cousin is going on a missionary trip and raising money. I had to decline, because the whole purpose of the trip is to build a church. I completely understand why this cause would not be meaningful for you. I feel strongly that you should have the right to choose which causes are worth supporting and which are not. Isn't it much nicer to have that liberty than to have your money taken forcibly and redistributed according to the judgement of people who do not understand or share your values?? Edited February 21, 2009 by beansprouts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 I completely understand why this cause would not be meaningful for you. I feel strongly that you should have the right to choose which causes are worth supporting and which are not. Isn't it much nicer to have that liberty than to have your money taken forcibly and redistributed according to the judgement of people who do not understand or share your values?? Absolutely. Great post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 In fact, this was a fascinating article that I read about a month ago which was written about church work in Africa. I loved loved loved reading this article!! Esp. this bit: "Christianity, post-Reformation and post-Luther, with its teaching of a direct, personal, two-way link between the individual and God, unmediated by the collective, and unsubordinate to any other human being, smashes straight through the philosphical/spiritual framework I've just described. It offers something to hold on to to those anxious to cast off a crushing tribal groupthink. That is why and how it liberates. Those who want Africa to walk tall amid 21st-century global competition must not kid themselves that providing the material means or even the knowhow that accompanies what we call development will make the change. A whole belief system must first be supplanted. And I'm afraid it has to be supplanted by another. Removing Christian evangelism from the African equation may leave the continent at the mercy of a malign fusion of Nike, the witch doctor, the mobile phone and the machete." It talks about Africa, but I think this quote could apply elsewhere, too. Missionary Don Richardson, who wrote Lords of the Earth and Peace Child, has also described missionary activities in areas and in living conditions in which most of us would shudder to imagine. This guy spoke at our small, local missions conference a couple of years ago and I really enjoyed listening to him!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hannah Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 I loved loved loved reading this article!! I agree. It's a great article and very insightful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelli in TN Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 I find it disgusting that the church would be the most well-built structure in a villiage where most don't have running water and live with dirt floors. I believe that the church they build is often a similar structure to the buildings around it. I don't believe that most of the groups are building church buildings like we see here in the US. The buildings can double as community centers and schools as well, becoming a central point to the community. They often do other work on the side while building the church, whether it be construction or bringing health care workers with them or digging a well. Often the trip to construct the church is one trip in a series of trips to do many projects in the community. My church has ongoing relationships with locals in the Philipines, Kenya and Costa Rica. Someday maybe our church will send a mission group to build a church, but I feel good about this because our church has already sent laborers to build other things to benefit the community. Of course it is good that you support those things that line up with your value system, I just wanted to say that I don't think the majority of these short term missionaries are going in and building a church and ignoring the needs of the community. Just another perspective.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philothea Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 All the structures that most of us live in are palaces compared to homes in third world countries. It doesn't mean that all of us are a bunch of hypocrites who do not care about others. I don't think it is very opened minded or tolerant to pick on the priorities of others. If missionaries or poor villagers choose to build a magnificent place to worship God while they live in shanty, it is a testament to their faith. This is something beautiful and inspiring, why make it into anything else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CLHCO Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 I completely understand why this cause would not be meaningful for you. I feel strongly that you should have the right to choose which causes are worth supporting and which are not. Isn't it much nicer to have that liberty than to have your money taken forcibly and redistributed according to the judgment of people who do not understand or share your values?? :iagree: :cheers2: I also could not agree more with the article posted above. I admit it used to confuse me, when I was an agnostic, why we would assume anyone should mess with another culture's beliefs anyway. I feel so differently now with a more honest look at so many of the cultures out there, ancient and modern, who are literally trapped in generations of damage. Think of the generational damage that occurs even in our own culture regarding child abuse, divorce, etc. Some of these things have engulfed some groups for centuries. Sometimes a change in the spirit is as important than the clean water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 I don't give if I don't know exactly what I'm giving to, and how the $ will be designated. I am careful about short-term missions trips -some ARE glorified vacations (dh has been a youth minister and has seen enough;)) However, many short-term mission trips are intense physical work designed to serve the LONG-TERM missionaries there serving the community. They do things that they (the long-term missionaries) can't easily/safely do on their own; form bulding houses to surveying the people in countries where known Christains are persecuted. I agree that we should start at home, esp with youth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 I completely understand why this cause would not be meaningful for you. I feel strongly that you should have the right to choose which causes are worth supporting and which are not. Isn't it much nicer to have that liberty than to have your money taken forcibly and redistributed according to the judgement of people who do not understand or share your values?? :iagree: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeanestMomInMidwest Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 point---in fact, I almost always buy candy and other fundraising items from kids, and I do weigh carefully letters that arrive in the mail asking for donations for specific missions trips. However, I don't see any evidence for your latter point. Can you cite specific examples in which a church has gone into an area, built a great building while at the same time ignoring the living conditions of the villages? Churches throughout the ages have indeed gone into poor areas and generally-speaking have built fairly simple, functional structures. They don't usually build structures like the Crystal Cathedral. The first work of the church is preaching the Gospel. However, most churches quickly look to satisfy the needs of the local population by building schools, hospitals, improving drinking water, etc. In fact, this was a fascinating article that I read about a month ago which was written about church work in Africa. I can think of example after example in history where the church has done great good. Catholic monasteries throughout the ages have built small, simple churches and then have immediately begun to tend to the needs of their flocks. The same was true in the New World when Spanish (and French) Jesuit and Franciscan priests came to the Americas. Simple church structures were built, and then these men lived a life of voluntary poverty in order to meet the needs of the locals. This is still happening today. Bruce Olson (from Minnesota), whose missions work is explained in the book Bruchko, has literally spent his life to meet the needs of the Motilone Indians in the rainforests of South America. Missionary Don Richardson, who wrote Lords of the Earth and Peace Child, has also described missionary activities in areas and in living conditions in which most of us would shudder to imagine. Those missionary activities included a great degree of practical help; I can't think of one instance in which a fancy building was built while at the same time ignoring the practical, physical needs of the people. Actually, I was specifically speaking of the missions trip my cousin is going on. After I got the letter, I called him. He personally told me that most people in the villiage live with dirt floors and that there is no running water in the entire villiage (they do, however have a community well). I cannot speak to anything beyond this particular instance and regret if I worded my post so as to imply that I thought this was happening across the board. I made no mention of a palace or "crystal cathedral." I mistakenly thought that it would go without saying that I cannot speak to situations about which I have no knowledge. It does not surprise me that many have taken offense where none was intended, however I do regret the general "walking on eggshells" environment that seems to prevail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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