I'll take Opportunistic Religious Assholes for a Thousand, Alex

[yendi]

mactavish pointed out this article, about a chaplain who has a horde of water, and trades it to sweaty American GIs in Iraq (who haven't bathed in weeks), as long as he can baptize them. And he's also holding a stash of fruit and other stuff for the same purpose.

Glad to see folks who regress to the old missionary ways. As if baptism without intent means anything.

What a fucking asshole. People like this give religion a bad worse name.

Comments

[mfree.livejournal.com]

New meaning to the term "filthy heathen"?

[ariedana.livejournal.com]

What's weird about it is, most Protestant religions with adult baptisms require the adult to be educated as to what the baptism stands for and committed to make a lifelong commitment to the faith. It's not a "dunk and be saved" philosophy. So by him bribing soldiers to be baptized, he's actually going against what baptism is supposed to stand for.

I really hate the philosophy of religious missionaries. I grew up in a church who sent missionaries to India and China, where they'd teach the natives in schools, fix up their towns and then basically force them into conversion.

[yendi]

That's part of what really bothers me about this -- most religions should look down on this sort of behavior. Even the ones that actively seek converts are supposed to try to convince the people to convert based on faith, not body odor.

[kestral-laveau.livejournal.com]

I'm going to link to this in my journal, I hope you don't mind. I think people need to see what's going on. And how twisted it is.

[yendi]

I don't mind at all. :-)

[mendoza.livejournal.com]

The whole idea of being a missionary bothers me. It's one thing to be religiously motivated to go out and help people. I don't even mind that they feel the need to talk about their religion to people. Hell, I talk about gaming a lot and that's got to be at least as annoying.

What bothers me is the attitude that people must convert. I resent the assumption that their beliefs are superior to mine and they must pressure me into jumping on their bandwagon. If it's that great, can't you trust I may eventually figure it out on my own? Or that I may have found something equally good for myself? It's the arrogant condescending assumption that there is one right way and I'm lucky enough to have some canteen-wielding zealot bulldoze me into it.

[crowyhead.livejournal.com]

What bothers me is the attitude that people must convert. I resent the assumption that their beliefs are superior to mine and they must pressure me into jumping on their bandwagon. If it's that great, can't you trust I may eventually figure it out on my own? Or that I may have found something equally good for myself?

Yeah, it's annoying, but... it's built into the religion. I mean, part of being a Christian (for most denominations) is to proselytize. Yeah, it's a pain when Mormons show up at your door, but they're just doing what they believe they have to do.
*shrugs* Very few Christian denominations will admit that religions other than Christianity might still be "true" on some level. Individual Christians do, which is why you don't see say, my parents out knocking on doors or trying to convert Islamic co-workers.

That having been said, I think the things that have been perpetrated in the name of "converting the heathens" are disgusting, and this guy's no exception. I mean, preaching is one thing -- it tends to be part of the package. But coercion is another thing entirely.

[maneaterlad.livejournal.com]

Y'know, considering its wartime and all over there, I'm surprised some enterprising seargent hasn't ordered this asshole's stash seized and distributed.

[yendi]

Heh. I really hope this suggestion gets implemented. It'd serve the missionary right.

[unwilly.livejournal.com]

I came across that little story during my daily checking at commandpost blog.

I just don't like missionaries and evangelical movements. People pushing their beliefs on me seriously piss me off.

I think I would have told the padre he could duck his head under the water until the bubbles stopped coming up.

Unwilly

[thebaronofmspg.livejournal.com]

The man's a fucking loser, but he's a loser with something folks want I guess. At least the guys get to bathe. I guess they must be pretty fucking filthy to endure 2.5 hours of utter bullshit. Oh well.