This is just flat wrong.?

I know an individual who is leaving on a mission trip to a third world crisis zone next week. This person is a RN, who is an excellent medical caretaker.

I asked them, "So, this is a medical mission trip, right?" They said, "no". Are you bringing vaccines? No. Medical equipment? No. Food? No. Water? No. Clothes? No. AIDS and sex education? No.

Are you building infrastructure, and helping the people help themselves? No.

So what ARE you doing? Preaching.

These people are starving. Dying. For lack of clean food and water, and immunizations and medical care, and you're bringing them CHICK PUBLICATIONS!?!?!

What kind of mindset makes people think this is OK?

How can anyone be so naive/arrogant to think that their particular brand of religion is more important than saving human lives? They need food and medicine, but give the Jesus? And that's IT?

This is sick.

I am NOT making this up. I assure you. This person is a relative of mine. I told them that their money would be better spent donating to Doctors Without Borders or PeaceCorps, but they ignored me. :-(

She could reach a lot more people by using her skills as an RN to heal and provide a good example by doing, not preaching. The "sermon" should be good works, which will get the attention and earn the respect of those cared for so much more effectively than a Chick Tract, which is just a scare tactic. Chick might have an effect in a world without major life or death strife, but I can't see it working on someone whose main concern is getting food day-to-day and fighting just to stay alive. Convince her to take medical supplies if you can. Maybe her nurse instinct will kick in.

What a waste of time and money.

And if the shoe were on the other foot, they'd be screaming bloody murder too.

Truly sad if truly true.

I honestly believe that most of these people are only doing it to assure their own salvation.

Why not take the money in the collection plates and help with food and bills for people? Not use it to create their own crusades.

In my opinion that is pretty shitty.

Isn't it mind boggling?

They seem to think that those people are getting AIDS left and right, not going to school, starving to death, and doing without clean drinking water because they need Jebus.

They're doing that stuff because they live in a third world country and they need help with making changes from people like us who CAN help them!!11111111 Argh.

If I could give a thumbs down to the person I would, or a frying pan to the head to get them to wake up.

Wow, thats really disgusting. Im sure the preching will help with the whole starving/sick problem. Thats just insane to me

Katiee are you crazy???!! religion is just as important as food?
Do you really believe that starving people and children give a damn about god? Do you really think you would be concerned about god if you had no food?
Thats just absurd and if you really believe that you should be institutionalized

Tigris is absolutely right. Maslows Hierarchy of needs. Your basic needs (i.e food, shelter, safety) Must be met before you can focus on things like religion

Jebus said if you see someone who hungers, thirsts, ect. you have to tend to their needs or you'll be condemned. I guess they missed that part in the bible.

rebel very valid q
it's the reverse of food for thought.
it's thought for food.

I can not explain to you how much I agree with you. It's disgusting. While their intent may be to bring some good, it is obvious there are much more important things to these people then just "god."

Just as Plato taught, we should learn to care for human beings, before we worry how to care for the "gods."

I am a Christian, and I find that sick. How can she, as an RN, go with nothing to help ease suffering! Tell her I don't think she is a Christian. Remind her that she is commanded to feed the poor.

That is wrong and wasteful and just.. wow.

There is the idea in education that people have no attention to spare if their basic needs aren't met. At least physiological and safety needs have to be met before anybody will be ready for education or religion.
Guess they missed this class.
I've been taught it even as a volunteer tour guide in a museum: don't try to educate people who mainly want to know where they can right now find the next bathroom.

While I would have to class your question as a "rant," it is a pretty good one.

Stupidity is encouraged within these religious organizations.
Expect more of it.

Allow me to explain how medical missions work. The medical team goes there and runs immunization clinics, provides primary care, emergency treatment, etc. In the course of that, they also share the Gospel. They cannot acknowledge these missionary works because most of the countries where they do this, it is illegal and can land the missionary in prison or dead in a ditch someplace. It has happened many times in the past.

Yes, they are going to provide care, but they are going there because they care about the people鈥檚 souls, not just their physical bodies. My church has sent several medical missions out to places like Myanmar, Peru, and sub-Saharan Africa. They risk their lives to bring healthcare and the Gospel to people.

Oh, it gets worse. In India, for instance, the vast majority of Christian churches take advantage of the poverty by paying people to come on Sundays. Many devout Hindus make more money taking their family to church (every person gets payed) than they do during the week. The mindset is that saving the soul is the only real priority. my friends in India do their Puja, then go to church and sleep.

I remember a scene from an old movie I saw as a kid that really made an impression on my young mind. It was James Michener's Hawaii, and it involved missionaries coming to the islands. I can't recall the details, but there was a scene where a native girl died, but her life could have been saved by the head of the missionaries, who had failed to convert her. His wife complained that he had not saved her, and he was only upset that he hadn't saved her soul.

There's very little you can do to make people who think this way see clearly. As long as they think that there's a life after this one which is more important than this one, they won't care as much about what happens while people are actually alive.

There was a great South Park episode about just this. The natives would ask something in their native tongue, and the person would respond "No food, bible...bi-ble. First Jesus, then food." So the natives would all pretend to be interested in the bible because they thought that is what they needed to do for the person to give them food. Then the preacher said they had a present. And that natives would again ask something and the response was "no, no water, cross." And they would give them a cross on a necklace.

It was hilariously sad.

Your friend needs to read 'The Poisonwood Bible'.

It is a really good story about a guy who is an overzealous catholic missionary who drags his entire family along on an extended mission trip to Africa.

It shows how people who assume that they have everything all figured out will always be proven wrong when they step outside of their comfort zone and are confronted with reality.

This is a new trend in traveling I call the "feel good vacation." Spreading the word my ***. More like seeing the sights, stuffing yourself at the hotel, and then praying with some starving kids for that uplifting feeling. Well, at least their tourist dollars get spent there and that is probably needed.

Sounds like this person needs a copy of Mazlow's Hierarchy of Needs.

My husband has been on several mission trips, all to run medical/dental clinics in remote areas. They are not ashamed to say they share Christ with the people they help. In our way of thinking, and perhaps your friend's, to help a person's body will do a little temporary good, while helping their soul will do eternal good. Which is more important?

However, what you've described really puzzles me. The mission trips we've been involved with have invested heavily in food/clothing/medical aid. The resources are given freely whether the people accept the religious message or not. To alleviate suffering is part of the gospel.

Of course, people fly off on vacations all the time when they could stay home and give their travel money to help people in 3rd world countries. They don't seem to think it's arrogant or sick to spend plane fare on themselves when people are dying. I guess it's all in one's perspective.

Add--For the record, I believe you. It bothers me they are doing this kind of trip, but I don't doubt it. But I still wonder, of all those who are criticizing in their answers, how many are going to join the Peace Corps or stop traveling so they can support Doctors without Borders? Or is it easier to just criticize?

Give me a break, you made that up. No one goes on a mission like that just to preach.

no its not, religion is really important.
sure food and medicine would be good also.
but religion is just as important.

Jesus is the bread of life , The bible says once you drink from the water Jesus gives you will never thirst again. Jesus is the best gift you can give anyone .

The religion is saving lives. People who just get medicince will still die and go to Hell if they don't have Jesus. But if they accept Christ, then they have everlasting life with the Father in Heaven, reguardless when they die.

oh stop MAKING STORIES UP, it's so obvious it's pathetic!!

**edit** oh she's ASSuring us it's true folks, I suppose now we have no choice but to believe

*EDIT2** THAN PRINT THIS PAGE OUT AS EVIDENCE OF WHAT PEOPLE THINK, STOP WHINING TO US AND TALK TO HER ABOUT IT!!!!

Oh please. Christians feed lots and clothe lots and lots of people, dig wells, ect. But the primary mission of the church is to preach the gospel.

Why are all of your posts Christian bashing? That is sick.