Religion

Eugene

(62,749 posts) Wed Nov 28, 2018, 11:13 AM Nov 2018

John Allen Chau: Do missionaries help or harm? [View all]

Source: BBC

John Allen Chau: Do missionaries help or harm?

By Toby Luckhurst
BBC News

28 November 2018

-snip-

While he was not himself a missionary, Chau did say that his aim was to bring the gospel to the tribe.

And his attempts to do so have brought into focus the hundreds of thousands of Christians around the world spreading their faith.

But who are these missionaries? What do they hope to achieve? And are they a positive force around the world, or an unwelcome presence?

What is a missionary?

While other religions have sent missionaries around the world, none are more widespread or well-known than Christian missionaries.

Missionaries of all Christian creeds cite a passage in the Bible, the most famous of which appears in the Book of Matthew, in which Jesus asks his followers to "make disciples of all nations".

-snip-

20 replies

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John Allen Chau: Do missionaries help or harm? [View all] Eugene Nov 2018 OP

Those missionaries bring disease as well as "the Bible" dawg day Nov 2018 #1

harm. handmade34 Nov 2018 #2

Why are we even having this discussion? Act_of_Reparation Nov 2018 #3

The arrogance, the hubris, the presumption is amazing isn't it. Thomas Hurt Nov 2018 #4

The case of Chau is an excellent example of boundless stupidity of missionary work Major Nikon Nov 2018 #5

Harm. RockRaven Nov 2018 #6

Harm. Missionaries have a sense of religious entitlement from the get-go pandr32 Nov 2018 #7

What they bring is change. Whether that is beneficial or harmful MineralMan Nov 2018 #8

... Major Nikon Nov 2018 #10

Exactly. They promise to save your soul. MineralMan Nov 2018 #11

Proselytizing is presumptuous and arrogant. 3catwoman3 Nov 2018 #9

Can they not do both? guillaumeb Nov 2018 #12

Please provide examples of good results. MineralMan Nov 2018 #13

You are welcome... guillaumeb Nov 2018 #14

I see. I did provide examples from history. MineralMan Nov 2018 #15

You mean like the history of the US? Major Nikon Nov 2018 #16

Perhaps Guy is not familiar with history. MineralMan Nov 2018 #19

As are you. Act_of_Reparation Nov 2018 #17

Too much bother, I expect. MineralMan Nov 2018 #18

Shouldn't be too difficult. Act_of_Reparation Nov 2018 #20