Haiti's Voodoo priest claims discrimination !

[SteamWake]

Haiti's voodoo high priest has claimed believers have been discriminated against by evangelical Christians who are monopolising aid sent to the earthquake-stricken country.


Isnt the voodoo culture a bit sepratist to begin with?

I say send in the Scientoligists ! :salute: That will cure em !

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/centralamericaandthecaribbean/haiti/7119572/Haiti-earthquake-voodoo-high-priest-claims-aid-monopolised-by-Christians.html

[NeonSamurai]

Its an old problem with religious charity and missionary groups. They tend to only help others of their own faith, or insist on conversion or 'religious education' of the people in exchange for the help.

[August]

Its an old problem with religious charity and missionary groups. They tend to only help others of their own faith, or insist on conversion or 'religious education' of the people in exchange for the help.

So what is the answer to this "problem"?

[Snestorm]

So what is the answer to this "problem"?

There is none.
People are free to help whom they choose.

[NeonSamurai]

Ultimately yep that's the way it works. This is why I refuse on principle to donate to or aid any charities that have a religious orientation. I don't believe it is at all proper to discriminate based on religion when it comes to offering aid and support in a crisis situation.

Imagine you were put into that position. Your life and everything you own is destroyed, your starving, and have no shelter or anything else. An aid group comes along and offers to help, but they will only help you if you believe what they do, or convert to believing what they do. How would you feel about that? To be forced into the position of choosing to receive aid and give up what you believed in your whole life. Frankly I find such an idea abhorent and utterly immoral. It is not right to force your religious views down the throats of others who are not in a position to defend themselves or refuse it.

[Skybird]

That's why I am strictly against religious missionaries doing aid work. But I am also against wasting ressources, time and energy for taking care or religious animosities of the natives while lives are at risk. They take the aid the raches them, or they refuse to accept it. If the latter, the convoy immediately moves on to the next adress - but it does not stay for hours and days and blocks transport capacity while elsewhere people are in danger of dying.

Ah, religion. I looove it so.

[SteamWake]

Lets not knock missionarys doing aid work now.

Not all are just out to convert and many do fine work that no one else will.

[Skybird]

If you want to aid people, do it for the sake of the people. Not for your beliefs. That simple. In case of the first, you are a helpful person, in case of the latter you are a moralist. Giving a starving victim bread to eat, is the logical, the self-recommending, the humane thing to do. If you need a lifting explanation why you should do it, something is ticking wrong in you.

P.S. When I said "missionary" in the first post, I just meant that: missionary in the sense of missionising persons. That is what a missonary does, by intentiin or by deed or by both. If he does not, he is no missionary in my book - just a person who helps other people and keeping his beliefs private. But the help must focus on the peoples' needs, not on what the helper feels motivated - or demanded - by his religion to give them.