I read the article “Interview of an Evangelist” today. It graphically illustrates the motives, techniques and billion dollar industry of Christian evangelists. The worst thing is many people donate money to charities thinking it is to help the poor rather than funding a divisive crusade. It is interesting that areas of India where missionaries are successful suffer increases in rates of AIDS, though perhaps not surprising given the “convert and you will be forgiven anything” message given by the Christian right.
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It’s worth keeping in mind this is a hypothetical interview.
That’s not to say it doesn’t happen. I have friends who have worked in India lambasting the efforts of evangelists whose only modus operandi is to “increase the headcount”.
But there are likewise many Christians working in India who are just there to help and actively avoid attempts at conversion. They live a life modelled on what Jesus Christ taught rather than teaching about it.
I don’t think the problem is Christians per se, probably more that *some* use it as a means to justify being control freaks!
Pete,
I agree that there are Christians who are there to help and avoid conversion. I don’t believe that they are in the majority. You can not ignore the pope’s call for mass conversion, nor that from many evangelic protestant groups. In the UK worldvision does not even say that it is a Christian organisation on its leaflets, and I made the mistake of donating money to them before I found out that it was being used for religious conversion. (see http://www.tehelka.com/story_main.asp?filename=ts013004shashi.asp&id=6). The fact that religious conversion is a billion dollar industry means that it has a momentum of its own.
I guess things are different in the US compared to Australia (where I am). Most Australian Catholics are happy to ignore the pope’s edicts regarding condoms and mass conversion!! I think Australians in general adopt a ‘live and let live’ attitude in most things, including their faith.
That’s not to say loud, evangelical Aussies don’t exist, but they are a minority.