I posted a thread about Christian Missionaries going to Iraq and Afghanistan my quest

[truthseeker63]

I posted a thread about Christian Missionaries going to Iraq and Afghanistan my question is is the first time that Christians have done this when the British Empire ruled these lands did they send Missionaries ?

[Ramadhan]

I don't know about British empire and afghanistan, but when the dutch colonised Indonesia, they certainly did send numerous missionaries to christianize Indonesia.
They could not succeed in areas where the locales were already muslims even though they did try hard even to the extent some orientalists and missionaries pretended to be muslims and to divide the muslims and convert them, but they were able to chirstianize parts of eastern Indonesia where the population were still animists and/or followed their tribal/ethnic spiritual identities.

[Tyrion]

I don't know about British empire and afghanistan, but when the dutch colonised Indonesia, they certainly did send numerous missionaries to christianize Indonesia.
They could not succeed in areas where the locales were already muslims even though they did try hard even to the extent some orientalists and missionaries pretended to be muslims and to divide the muslims and convert them, but they were able to chirstianize parts of eastern Indonesia where the population were still animists and/or followed their tribal/ethnic spiritual identities.

Bah, whenever I hear about those Christians who try and convert vulnerable/needy people, my blood boils. My dad hears stories of missionaries going over to Afghanistan to "help"/convert the people there, and it annoys him even more than it annoys me. They take advantage of the people's situation, as well as their ignorance concerning Islam instead of actually having them think about and choose a religion for themselves... It's pretty pathetic.

[Zafran]

salaam

India, china and Jesuit in Japan athough the Jesuit have nothing to do with British empire.

peace

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[Pygoscelis]

Bah, whenever I hear about those Christians who try and convert vulnerable/needy people, my blood boils.

Mine too. And it is one major reason why I do not give to religious based charities. These people are more concerned with "saving souls" than saving lives. It disgusts me. It still happens in north america too. I have friends who live in Nunuvut (Canadian north) and missionaries try to convert them away from their native traditions and are quite rude about it. They tried to convert an 8 year old child right in front of his parents.

[May Ayob]

Salaam

It was far before , I think in the time of colonization they sent missionaries to every country they colonized, Especially in Africa they have made great effort into converting people from eastern/western and Parts of North African countries of course they took advantage of them being uneducated and facing poverty.. They come with food and money to "Give" or "help" with but they take their faith in return.
It isn't something new, One has to be careful in donating any financial support to these funds and organizations they are most likely to use it in Missionary things.

Salaam

[Trumble]

Much the same reply as in the other thread. 'They' (as in the British Empire) didn't 'send' missionaries anywhere, the missionaries sent themselves financed either by themselves, their church or assorted private patrons. Hard as it may be to believe, they actually went through extreme hardship at times doing what they believed was the Will of God. They took no more 'advantage' of the levels of education and poverty of the locals than muslims did throughout many centuries of spreading Islam, also doing what they believed was the Will of God. Heck, considering the number of people tramping about with bayonets rather than Bibles (some things never change), let alone the slavers of not long before, I would have thought missionaries were the last people to demonize.

[Predator]

Bah, whenever I hear about those Christians who try and convert vulnerable/needy people, my blood boils.

Not just vulnerable people . They even target kids and thats even more pathetic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jmrjfuv6E10
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNH-ISz5gGc

[Ramadhan]

Much the same reply as in the other thread. 'They' (as in the British Empire) didn't 'send' missionaries anywhere, the missionaries sent themselves financed either by themselves, their church or assorted private patrons. Hard as it may be to believe, they actually went through extreme hardship at times doing what they believed was the Will of God. They took no more 'advantage' of the levels of education and poverty of the locals than muslims did throughout many centuries of spreading Islam, also doing what they believed was the Will of God. Heck, considering the number of people tramping about with bayonets rather than Bibles (some things never change), let alone the slavers of not long before, I would have thought missionaries were the last people to demonize.

So do you basically agree that it is acceptable that missionaries withheld instant noodles for the poor unless they convert to christianity?
Isn't it against buddha teaching? I am very confused with many of your stances on humanity often expressed here, which I'd thought were against buddhism, but maybe not.

Also, please give evidence how muslims blackmail non-muslims, withholding food for their conversion to Islam throughout many centuries.

[SFatima]

The British send many missionaries (mainly clandestine to avoid suspicion) To India, Afghanistan, Iraq, Even Saudi Arabia and the Arab states. The proof of their deception and control is evident from the fact that the only people they were able to convert were the very poorest of them, and were given incentives that no man poor can say no to. If you trace back the religion of these people, their ancestors were mostly hindus and some muslims.( in the sub -continent) In Afghanistan, they are still being sent with a mission to spread christianity on the mere promises of food, water, shelter and goodies : P

[Ramadhan]

Even The International Crisis Group (ICG) a think tank based in Brussel, who have been making a lot of money selling anti-islam fears in Indonesia to western governments, finally had to mildly write about the aggressive practices of missionaries -and this does not even scratch the surface- in Indonesia in their report about "kristenisasi" in Indonesia:

On the Christian side, several evangelical organisations committed to converting Muslims have also set up shop in Bekasi, some funded internationally, others purely home-grown. Yayasan Mahanaim, one of the wealthiest and most active, is particularly loathed by the Islamist community because of its programs targeting the Muslim poor. Another, Yayasan Bethmidrash Talmiddin, run by a Muslim convert to Christianity, uses Arabic calligraphy on the cover of its booklets, suggesting they are Islamic in content, and requires every student at its school as a graduation requirement to convert five people.

http://www.crisisgroup.org/en/region...tolerance.aspx

[Trumble]

So do you basically agree that it is acceptable that missionaries withheld instant noodles for the poor unless they convert to christianity?
Isn't it against buddha teaching? I am very confused with many of your stances on humanity often expressed here, which I'd thought were against buddhism, but maybe not.

Your confusion might be somewhat lessened if you bothered to read the original post, which talks about the British Empire. You would then grasp that my reply referred to people now long dead who, as far as I'm aware, were not in the food aid business.

If you now wander over to the other thread you will see that I 'basically agree' no such thing, although I would still suggest these people actually believe they are doing God's will and not that of the mysterious and shady 'them'.

Also, please give evidence how muslims blackmail non-muslims, withholding food for their conversion to Islam throughout many centuries.

Also, please stop wasting my time. I made no claim about 'blackmail' or 'withholding food'.

[Pygoscelis]

I would still suggest these people actually believe they are doing God's will and not that of the mysterious and shady 'them'.

Does it matter though? I don't care what their motivation is, they are exploiting the poor conditions people are in to spread their religion. They are taking somebody who is down and lifting them up in conjunction with a message. The only difference between this and brainwashing is that they didn't break the people down.

I find it deplorable, wether its a Christian, Muslim, or anybody else.

This is why I never give to religious or ideological charities. Charity should be done for charity's sake.

[Trumble]

Does it matter though? I don't care what their motivation is, they are exploiting the poor conditions people are in to spread their religion.

I think their motives matter to some extent, yes. That doesn't mean they can be used as a general excuse.

They are taking somebody who is down and lifting them up in conjunction with a message. The only difference between this and brainwashing is that they didn't break the people down

.

That's absurd. All the great Prophets and religious leaders made a habit of "taking somebody who is down and lifting them up in conjunction with a message", and nobody accuses them of 'brainwashing'. If Jesus returned to Earth today you would find Him in a 'third world' shanty-town somewhere talking to just those people, not in the clubhouse at Pebble Beach.

Extreme care is needed to avoid both stereotyping and jumping to general conclusions. Nobody seems to have even considered, for example, that the people most sympathetic to an 'alternative' message, be it either religious or political - from Moses to Marx - are always going to be those who are hardest done by under the existing regime, i.e the poorest and the most oppressed. No 'blackmail', 'brainwashing' nor 'withholding' anything is necessary to get the best results in that section of the population, the paradigmatic example being that Christians, Buddhists AND muslims have always had many more converts from the Dalits in India than other classes who did much better out of the status quo.

[truthseeker63]

Thank You for all your repies.