Missionary to....

[Munjibunga]

I don't want to make a political argument in here, but I just have to say one thing. I don't have respect for missionaries (of any religion). I find what they do unethical and a waste of their time. I don't want to personally offend anyone. It's just my opinion. Maybe I'm ignorant.

The biggest problem is with the missionaries going ignorantly into a country whose culture is completely incompatible with Christianity. For example, the Christian missionaries who go into Iraq or other Arabic countries to "save" the population. Excuse me, folks, but the Muslims hate Christians for what you did to them during the crusades. You'll be lucky to come back with a head on the end of your neck if you end up in the Middle East.

I would agree that it's a waste of time and the epitome of arrogance to think that your particular superstition is superior to that of a culture that has harbored a different one for thousands of years.

That said, Jesus needs good bass players for the myriad praise bands around the country. Further, god would only want you to play his praise on the finest of gear. I'd say a Fodera/Eden rig is in order, and let the heathens play Wishbass and Rogue.

 

[popinfresh]

Just don't do a bono

 

[popinfresh]

May I just ask.. Who is an atheist?

I don't know any relegion at all really, as I think it's a crock (we won't go into that though).

 

[Peter McFerrin]

I recall there having been a very violent Buddhist emperor of India in the second or third century BC(E). Exception to the rule, maybe.

 

[Munjibunga]

May I just ask.. Who is an atheist?

I don't know any relegion at all really, as I think it's a crock (we won't go into that though).

Oh, come on, go into it!

 

[gsys]

Oh, and don't even get me started on the Crusades.

There's a large group at Iowa State University called "Campus Crusade for Christ". I'm guessing that if somebody started a club called "Campus Intifada for Allah" or "Horde Holocaust for Hitler" people would speak up, but not "Campus Crusade for Christ".

 

[beaglesandbass]

actually, i am planning on doing something like that for a class in the future, about the hitler thing. to observe peoples' reactions and comments

 

[Peter McFerrin]

Well, think about the Children's Crusade, or the Poor People's Crusade.

"Crusade" is a loaded word, but it's ultimately just a word. Actions are where it counts.

 

[plexibass]

my question is, as an athiest, why dont christians, jews, muslims and whatever else, just keep your religion and your beliefs to yourself? worry about you and your family and how to provide for them. this world would be a lot better off if everyone would just mind their own business. dont worry about me, dont worry about if i'm going to hell or not. to quote one of my favorite elvis presley songs,"clean up your own backyard." i was a staunch supporter of bush until the religious right started flapping about morality and all that crapola. dont get me wrong i still like bush but if he could just tell the religious right to shut the f up, this would be a far superior country to live in. my experience in life is the more that someone professes to be a christian and has christian values, the more they have to hide. my idiotic boss says to me,"you know that youre going to hell because of your beliefs right?" wow, so the fact that i have put my life on hold to help my 78 year old widower father out because none of my brothers and sisters can or want to doesnt account for anything? the fact that i would take a bullet for anyone of my friends and at the drop of a hat would help them however i could doesnt account for anything? the fact that i am the most dependable person on the planet and a snappy dresser, ok the 2nd part of that isnt true, and the fact that i try to live my life based on the morals and ethics that were instilled in me by my PARENTS, not some invisible man in the sky, that doesnt account for anything? so my question is this, if everyone is a sinner anyway, why try anymore? can i be sinner, but still believe in god? what if i believe in god but i'm a to everyone i know? what if i'm spreading the word of god and i have my hand in your pocket at the same time? what if i believe in a god but i dont do anything to make my family or friends better off by trying to be good to them?..........wow, i think i'll just be an athiest, a friend, son, and a pretty decent guy without all the hypocricy of religion to go with it!!!!!

 

[plexibass]

actually, i am planning on doing something like that for a class in the future, about the thing. to observe peoples' reactions and comments

i did my senior thesis paper in high school on john lennon. the entire 12 page paper was about his comment that "right now, the beatles are more popular than jesus christ." i found interviews and doucumentation that at that time, 1966, a lot of people including clergy agreed with it. i got a b+ on the paper. my teacher kept the paper she liked it so much. i wish i would have kept it though.

 

[Tom Crofts]

my question is, as an athiest, why dont christians, jews, muslims and whatever else, just keep your religion and your beliefs to yourself? worry about you and your family and how to provide for them. this world would be a lot better off if everyone would just mind their own business. dont worry about me, dont worry about if i'm going to hell or not. to quote one of my favorite elvis presley songs,"clean up your own backyard." i was a staunch supporter of bush until the religious right started flapping about morality and all that crapola. dont get me wrong i still like bush but if he could just tell the religious right to shut the f up, this would be a far superior country to live in. my experience in life is the more that someone professes to be a christian and has christian values, the more they have to hide. my idiotic boss says to me,"you know that youre going to hell because of your beliefs right?" wow, so the fact that i have put my life on hold to help my 78 year old widower father out because none of my brothers and sisters can or want to doesnt account for anything? the fact that i would take a bullet for anyone of my friends and at the drop of a hat would help them however i could doesnt account for anything? the fact that i am the most dependable person on the planet and a snappy dresser, ok the 2nd part of that isnt true, and the fact that i try to live my life based on the morals and ethics that were instilled in me by my PARENTS, not some invisible man in the sky, that doesnt account for anything? so my question is this, if everyone is a sinner anyway, why try anymore? can i be sinner, but still believe in god? what if i believe in god but i'm a to everyone i know? what if i'm spreading the word of god and i have my hand in your pocket at the same time? what if i believe in a god but i dont do anything to make my family or friends better off by trying to be good to them?..........wow, i think i'll just be an athiest, a friend, son, and a pretty decent guy without all the hypocricy of religion to go with it!!!!!

Not so sure about bush, but the stuff to do with religion; agreed.

I'd much rather be a good person off my own back than because I was afraid of what would happen after this life. In my opinion, when we die, that's it. We stop existing. This is the one chance we've got at life, might as well just be a great guy because I want to be.

 

[Moe Hickey]

Canadianbass. Go for it and don't look back. I hope your mission is the greatest event of your life. It's an opportunity to serve and to "get out of yourself" Keep a journal. Take lots of pictures. Make sure you get good addresses from the people you keep in contact with and then try and keep in touch the rest of your life with them.

 

[Munjibunga]

my question is, as an athiest, why dont christians, jews, muslims and whatever else, just keep your religion and your beliefs to yourself? worry about you and your family and how to provide for them. this world would be a lot better off if everyone would just mind their own business. dont worry about me, dont worry about if i'm going to hell or not. to quote one of my favorite elvis presley songs,"clean up your own backyard." i was a staunch supporter of bush until the religious right started flapping about morality and all that crapola. dont get me wrong i still like bush but if he could just tell the religious right to shut the f up, this would be a far superior country to live in. my experience in life is the more that someone professes to be a christian and has christian values, the more they have to hide. my idiotic boss says to me,"you know that youre going to hell because of your beliefs right?" wow, so the fact that i have put my life on hold to help my 78 year old widower father out because none of my brothers and sisters can or want to doesnt account for anything? the fact that i would take a bullet for anyone of my friends and at the drop of a hat would help them however i could doesnt account for anything? the fact that i am the most dependable person on the planet and a snappy dresser, ok the 2nd part of that isnt true, and the fact that i try to live my life based on the morals and ethics that were instilled in me by my PARENTS, not some invisible man in the sky, that doesnt account for anything? so my question is this, if everyone is a sinner anyway, why try anymore? can i be sinner, but still believe in god? what if i believe in god but i'm a to everyone i know? what if i'm spreading the word of god and i have my hand in your pocket at the same time? what if i believe in a god but i dont do anything to make my family or friends better off by trying to be good to them?..........wow, i think i'll just be an athiest, a friend, son, and a pretty decent guy without all the hypocricy of religion to go with it!!!!!

You know, atheism is just another religion. If you were being intellectually honest, you'd be an agnostic.

 

[Munjibunga]

actually, i am planning on doing something like that for a class in the future, about the hitler thing. to observe peoples' reactions and comments

Yeah, that's real smart. Original, too.

 

[CBRStingray]

...The first world war started for numerous reasons, it didn't start because atheists decided to go out and kill people who believed in a higher power. It happened for numerous political and economical reasons and was directly triggered by the assassination of archduke Franz Ferdinand...

It was caused by reasons unrelated to religion, by people who weren't religious. Does that mean all non-religious people are violent and their ideas not worthy of our time or consideration? According to the logic of some of the people in here, yes.

 

[plexibass]

You know, atheism is just another religion. If you were being intellectually honest, you'd be an agnostic.

i can understand your point, however, i'm not one of those people who complains about the word "god" on our money or the ten commandments in our court houses. i simply do not care. it does not affect me in any way shape or form. i also understand that this country was founded on christian values. it's not christianity that irks me, it's the hypocrits who claim to practice it. no not everyone is a hypocrit who is a christian.

 

[Torch7]

First I want to congratulate, you on the decision to follow your heart, and do what makes you happy...

Secondly, missionary work is not evil, you have the right to reject whatever a missionary of any religion comes to you stating as fact.

I personally think that if someone holds the Christian beliefs to heart, then it would be a greater crime to keep you mouth shut. Remember Christians believe that Jesus is the way to eternal life, and that not believing in him, is detrimental. So they believe they have a moral responsibility to tell you "the Truth", and most Christians don't think it any different than telling a man that he is about to walk off a cliff. So if a missionary speaks to you, and you don't wanna hear it, then tell em to go away. But I have heard stories about people who were feeling rejected and about to give up on life, and a missionary spoke to them, and now they are Christians, and happy about it, so great for them.

Thirdly, just because a religion has a violent part in its history, doesn't mean the premise of the religion is evil. Evil men use relgion to gain what they want, but fundamentally that religion may not be evil. Last I checked Jesus was being crucified by the Roman government and Prayed for those who was killing him, while they were killing him. So I think at its core Christianity doesn't promote violence.

Lastly, The Crusades was a horrible situation, where Christians get a black eye, however some historians will say "the INITIAL Crusades to the East were in every way defensive wars. They were a direct response to Muslim aggression—an attempt to turn back or defend against Muslim conquests of Christian lands."

So lets not down what he feels so strongly about, If you don't agree with it, that's fine. But to say that what he is doing is as wrong as me saying "White People" are evil because of their past towards "Slaves" or Germans are Evil because of Hitler... Sure groups from periods of history, have caused millions to die, but it shouldn't mar all goups that are similar that come afterwards.

And in conclusion, I don't think any less of anyone because they believe in a God, or because they spend the day preaching in a third world country... people are people, and I reserve judgement of their character on a case by case basis...

 

[Tom Crofts]

It was caused by reasons unrelated to religion, by people who weren't religious. Does that mean all non-religious people are violent and their ideas not worthy of our time or consideration? According to the logic of some of the people in here, yes.

World War One was caused by a series of events that actually happened in real life. It wasn't because a holy book told them that their way of life was right and another was wrong, when we are in fact all humans and should treat each other with respect whatever race or religion we are. I think war is a pretty stupid thing to do anyway, but they based the decision to go to war upon political reasons (treaties etc), economical reasons within their own countries and the actions of other nations and individuals such as Gavrilo Princip killing Archduke Ferdinand. This was entirely due to circumstances in real life, not because your mythical guy in the sky is better than another country's.

I don't believe that all religious people are violent, I do however, feel that people's beliefs can be twisted and their faith used against them, as we have seen with the Taliban for instance, where a religion is turned into something which it was never meant to be. When these religious leaders speak of Jihad then some (not all, nowhere near) will answer that call and cause problems which otherwise would not have arisen.


I don't think anyone in this thread has said that every religious person is violent. What people may be objecting to is having religious people tell them that they are in the wrong for NOT believing in God. You can tell me your ideas about religion but I do not feel it necessary to believe in God. I can tell you that I don't believe in a higher power and you can ignore me, it's your choice.

 

[jive1]

Usually, I read the entire thread, but I didn't on this one because I'm not in the mood to for a religious/political arguement. Maybe when I'm feeling feistier.
But I do want to wish Canuckbass blessings on his endeavor.

As far as where to go?
God will lead you. But maybe spend some time at Wycliffe to get some training and focus?

As far as what to do?
1. Make yourself welcome
2. Heal the sick
3. Share the Gospel
Do it in that order. Don't do number 2 until you've done #1, and don't do #3 until you've done #1 and #2.

 

[CBRStingray]

World War One was caused by a series of events that actually happened in real life. It wasn't because a holy book told them that their way of life was right and another was wrong, when we are in fact all humans and should treat each other with respect whatever race or religion we are. I think war is a pretty stupid thing to do anyway, but they based the decision to go to war upon political reasons (treaties etc), economical reasons within their own countries and the actions of other nations and individuals such as Gavrilo Princip killing Archduke Ferdinand. This was entirely due to circumstances in real life, not because your mythical guy in the sky is better than another country's.

Oh, so starting a war for political or economic reasons is acceptable, but starting them for religious reasons is not? That's ludicrous.

My point is that we shouldn't all judge each other on actions that took place in the past by people who claimed to believe what we believe. Which is what most athiest people do when referring to the crusades. Religion may have played a part in the crusades, but many, many more people have died in the last 100 years in wars started by non-religious people over non-religious matters - like economics or politics. Should we all decide then that economics has become so 'twisted', or politics become so corrupted that both serve no use to mankind because wars started as a result of them? No. Of course people's "beliefs can be twisted and their faith used against them". Especially when they believe things like the power of economy and place their faith in things like governments.

Religion is only one of many ideas that has been used to justifiy war in the past. Why people speak as though it is the only one is beyond me. I think perhaps people with an anti-religion agenda choose to ignore economics, greed, politics, and the other issues that have caused man to war in order to make religion look bad. A smear campaign if you will.