this post was submitted on 25 May 2024
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[–] [email protected] 41 points 5 months ago (6 children)

This is terrible but I don't understand why these missionaries go to violent war zones or areas in a state of anarchy.

[–] [email protected] 32 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Same reason missionaries went to dangerous places in past centuries, I imagine. There are people in need to convert, and the risks aren't all that meaningful if you honestly believe in your message. What's the worst someone can do, kill you? You're in heaven then. It's life that's the difficult and painful period to get through, not what comes afterwards.

[–] [email protected] 33 points 5 months ago

They go to those places because the poor and downtrodden tend to have a higher propensity to want to believe in something that will improve their life. It’s the best place to get converts

[–] [email protected] 8 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

There is something extremely depressing about that. Knowing that their beliefs aren't real, it is incredibly sad to see two people in their early 20's die for what they believe in. Their one and only life is over because they couldn't mind their own business. There is no heaven, there is no reward. They spread a fairy tale and got murdered, that's the summary of their existence.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

Check out the story of John Chau. He spent a year planning and preparing to be the first missionary to visit the North Sentinelese, a virtually uncontacted people. During his first couple (illegal) attempts, they shot arrows at him. He visited again and they killed him.

[–] [email protected] 27 points 5 months ago (4 children)

The real question here is why American missionaries did it in a country, Haiti, that's over 93% Christian. The U.S. is only 63% Christian.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 months ago

Because Haiti is mostly Black and therefore can't be Christian. It must be full of heathens.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I guess maybe they were there more for the humanitarian rather than the religious?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

I seriously doubt it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

Because people in the US aren't as desperate and likely to believe in some whacky religious stories.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Haiti is about 70% Catholic, 30% protestant (mostly Pentecoastal), and 100% Voodoo. Which, to US missionaries, means 70% heathens and 30% heretics.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

Sure, but the U.S. is 23% Catholic and 37% non-Christian, which makes 60% heathens. It still seems like starting at home first would be the right move.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 5 months ago

To shove the bible down people's throats, which they insist resolves all earthly issues.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

They were already there. “They made the decision to remain even when it got worse because they felt like if they left, then those kids would have no where to go" Source

They were ambushed by gang members, after helping orphans at a church, in an attempted robbery. They were leaving the church and got attacked on their way home.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Damn, so genuinely good people caught in the crossfire. I don't like how so many commenters are shitting all over them here.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago

Because even if they are doing charity work, the real reason they're there is to spread the colonizer's religion and ideas.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago

Vulnerable people are easy to recruit.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 5 months ago (2 children)

What a waste. The two of them could have just helped people in need in a safer place instead of going to a place where people were most vulnerable and try to covert them. They likely would have lead long productive lives. But instead, they were sacrificed by thier families and religion for the sole purpose of trying to grow the religion so that the people in power of that religion can have more power.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 months ago

People who aren't in vulnerable situations are less likely to believe in religion

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

To be fair, don’t people need help in the most dangerous areas? Missionaries mainly spread religion but they also offer aid

[–] [email protected] 14 points 5 months ago

People need help everywhere. These two are unlikely to have been trained or prepared to work in that kind of dangerous area.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 5 months ago

Don't spread the word of god, kids.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

They didn't pray hard enough, probably.

Sucks for the family.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 5 months ago

Thoughts and prayers 😞🙏

[–] [email protected] 14 points 5 months ago (1 children)

People try to free themselves from your colonization

Go to their country

Wololo.mp4

Get shot

[–] [email protected] 11 points 5 months ago

Tale as old as time

[–] [email protected] 13 points 5 months ago

Missionaries are colonizers, let them die