tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33241741.post7303859533948445060..comments2023-09-24T07:53:50.826-05:00Comments on The Atheist Experience™: Faith and...uh...charity?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33241741.post-85809000428950551282009-01-03T12:31:00.000-06:002009-01-03T12:31:00.000-06:00...and the minister was heard, muttering "Let the ......and the minister was heard, muttering "Let the eat cake...." as he jackbooted the last dirty starving child out the chapel doors...Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14168969281371246061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33241741.post-63156521252494001642009-01-02T14:00:00.000-06:002009-01-02T14:00:00.000-06:00I also agree with what Improbable Joe was saying, ...I also agree with what Improbable Joe was saying, although semantically I think the term should be something other than "spiritual exploitation", as this implies it is something spiritual that is being exploited. Although, I will admit there is something about the two words spiritual and exploitation together that somehow has a beautiful poetic ring. In fact though what you want to be saying is that people in a weakened state are being exploited.<BR/><BR/>What this really shows is that missioning can and is often done for a selfish reason alone, that selfish reason being taking advantage of the weak and poor to increase the population of the flock. Its one thing if the mission is just to help people survive, but wholly another when the true mission in indoctrination. I also have to wonder how many of these missionary indoctrinators return home and cry about the American Culture War, while ignoring the cultures they are themselves intentionally changing abroad. And I don't think calling such people selfish does complete justice in attacking their ways, as selfishness isn't necessarily a bad thing in all cases. Rather, its that they are completely ethnocentric. They can't seem to see beyond themselves. Well, I can't broadly say this is the case with all missionaries, but on the other hand, you know what they say about one bad apple.Ai Denghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12141023502945802293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33241741.post-58538374901808593732009-01-01T04:12:00.000-06:002009-01-01T04:12:00.000-06:00Nothing in this life is free huhNothing in this life is free huhSean Wrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14485575602984697926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33241741.post-11775834629929208402009-01-01T01:18:00.000-06:002009-01-01T01:18:00.000-06:00Mm.Christianity.Mm.<BR/><BR/>Christianity.-Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07423776253697799481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33241741.post-1896007644657421232008-12-31T18:52:00.000-06:002008-12-31T18:52:00.000-06:00I would guess that from a Christian's perspective,...I would guess that from a Christian's perspective, if one legitimately believes that adopting his or her belief system is necessary for properly reordering the charity seeker's priorities, then it is justified to have such strings attached.Tommykeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14751182125861177379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33241741.post-35766248325025969352008-12-31T13:53:00.000-06:002008-12-31T13:53:00.000-06:00I agree with Improbable Joe's sentiment about char...I agree with Improbable Joe's sentiment about charity being corrupted by having "strings attached". It isn't even that I personally have a problem with the proselytizing, but there have to be nicer ways to do it. Invite people in to eat, and lead them in a prayer before the meal, then let them enjoy the meal. Sure it's still a little bit of a "strings attached" type thing, but at least the people receiving the food would get what they need as soon as possible, and wouldn't be being treated like prospective timeshare customers.Sparrowhawkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16520765821903563677noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33241741.post-77470754754149769642008-12-31T09:23:00.000-06:002008-12-31T09:23:00.000-06:00Religious people claim that religion is what makes...Religious people claim that religion is what makes people do good things. What I think is that people are naturally wired to do good. Religion hijacks that urge, twists and corrupts it, and then takes credit for it. <BR/><BR/>Giving people food out of the kindness of your heart is a good thing. Using someone's need in order to commit some sort of "spiritual exploitation" is evil. When you attach strings to a thing that is given, it is no longer a gift at all.Improbable Joehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00388199130147075176noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33241741.post-67901981179356579312008-12-31T06:39:00.000-06:002008-12-31T06:39:00.000-06:00Well I can just imagine the Church's dilemma.What ...Well I can just imagine the Church's dilemma.<BR/><BR/>What do we do? Do we save the peoples' souls just in case they die of starvation (after all we don't want the poor people to go off to their final reward unprepared)?<BR/><BR/>Or, do we give them a nice dinner so they're more likely to not die of starvation? Decisions decisions.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17142793989742296001noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33241741.post-15429381595844602852008-12-31T05:32:00.000-06:002008-12-31T05:32:00.000-06:00Ouch! Harsh, but true. At one point I benefited fr...Ouch! Harsh, but true. At one point I benefited from a soup kitchen run in a church basement that eventually was asked to move its operation, apparently the homeless were getting in the way of what they REALLY wanted to do with the place and were giving the church a bad image. <BR/><BR/>Crazy, I know.<BR/><BR/>Best part is that it was a private citizen group that got together. Even though I'm sure members of the group were religious it was nice to see a non-religious secular group made up of all members of society step up to the plate when the church flat out dropped the ball.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10819757765321213151noreply@blogger.com