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moose: i realize you weren't the one talking about missionary work in disguise. i was refering to the rst of the thread by that point. i am not really sure what you mean by the last paragraph of your last post, about God helping those people. you mean the poor people? or the easily manipulated?
i think that with my beliefs it is important for me to share with others. if they want it, i will sahre more. if they don't, i am not going to withdraw my support, or my humanity. i think everyone on this earth is my brother or sister, and deserves my compassion, independent on their beliefs and habits.
3 Shepards is just trying to make all Christians look bad apparently.
Would you like to tell me how I'm doing this??
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Would I volunteer at a Christian organization? Maybe, but not if it was a missionary. They are the picture of evil.
Oh, this is a real NICE positive statement!!!!
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Most charities and nonprofits that I know of are NOT Christian based. I don't know where you would come up with that.
I didn't say the were Christian based, I said Christians are the helpers. I was trying to bring in what other people of faith and Atheists do for the needy and less fortunate. I wasn't implying they "DID NOTHING". Some how ALL this was MISSED!!
This AMAZES me some of you are so wanting to BASH the Christians your not EVEN supporting your faith or NO faith it's just about bashing me.
When I was a Jehovah's Witness, we were told that the best thing we could do for anyone was give them hope for the future. That was why such a big emphasis on calling at peoples doors. If we discovered someone in need when in our work, we would help them, but the JWs didnt really see the point of getting involved too much in helping the needy. According to them, this world is passing away very soon, so focusing TOO much on charitable works, like the Salvation Army perhaps, is seen as cleaning the brass rails on a sinking ship, of no lasting benefit, and taking time away from the most important work Christ instructed his apostles to do...'Go and make disciples'...Matt 28:19,20.
moose: i realize you weren't the one talking about missionary work in disguise. i was refering to the rst of the thread by that point. i am not really sure what you mean by the last paragraph of your last post, about God helping those people. you mean the poor people? or the easily manipulated?
i think that with my beliefs it is important for me to share with others. if they want it, i will sahre more. if they don't, i am not going to withdraw my support, or my humanity. i think everyone on this earth is my brother or sister, and deserves my compassion, independent on their beliefs and habits.
I meant God should come to the people in those countries missionaries go to. I don't really understand why missionaries are necessary as I am constantly told by Christians that God speaks to them. Why shouldn't he speak to people in Laos and China without a go-between ? It makes no sense to me and has always baffled me.
If it such an important message you think all of God's children would have the same access to his word, naturally and as matter of course and not be reliant on missionary work ( and I do believe most missionaries are genuinely nice and decent people, some of my friends were Mormon missionaries).
It just puzzles me that there seems to be a kind of "discrimination" on his part if the majority of the world is not privvy to his views.
Actually it wasn't. It was founded based on the Swiss inspired International Red Cross Movement. The emblem was borrowed from the Swiss flag (with colors reversed) because of the historically neutral nature of the country. So it has always been secular.
Henri Dunant founded the Red Cross.
The Geneva household into which Henri Dunant was born was religious, humanitarian, and civic-minded. In the first part of his life Dunant engaged quite seriously in religious activities and for a while in full-time work as a representative of the Young Men's Christian Association
Dunant grew up during the period of religious awakening known as the Réveil, and at age eighteen he joined the Geneva Society for Alms giving. In the following year, together with friends, he founded the so-called "Thursday Association", a loose band of young men that met to study the Bible and help the poor, and he spent much of his free time engaged in prison visits and social work. On November 30, 1852, he founded the Geneva chapter of the YMCA and three years later he took part in the Paris meeting devoted to the founding of its international organization.
(In case you're wondering that YMCA chapter he started first stands for Young Men's Christian Association.)
I guess the fact that muslims took offense to the "cross" was imaginative so they made the "Red Cresent" on a "whim".
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Originally Posted by Haaziq
Nice job. Posting with no source. Now it's my turn.
The source is listed in the post. The American Heritage Dictionary.
Argue with the author of the dictionary. I simply quoted it. Sorry if that offends you.
Atheism is pessimistic by nature. You obviously can not distinguish individual identification from corporate definitive facts. What's the big deal to you?
I think, until data is shown otherwise, Christians have a case. Remember, it's not about politics.
I will grant you that there are many generous Christian conservatives and my own sister is one of the most generous ones I've encountered. When she found out a few students weren't eating well because their families were poor she started bringing them breakfast to the school even though she was pretty poor herself living on a teacher's salary. My only complaint is how we categorize and stereotype each other and I've always felt that you could take a random group of self proclaimed conservatives or liberals and put them in a room and start asking very specific questions about a wide variety of issues and you'd find that their opinions would vary greatly. I don't even know how I'd categorize myself. Of course I'm an atheist and that is part of the topic we're discussing but that's just one aspect of my belief system and I don't see myself as belonging to a particular group of like minded individuals because I truly make an effort to think for myself rather than wanting to belong to a group. I hope that makes sense. By the way, I love the Texas Hill Country, I see that's where you live.
The Geneva household into which Henri Dunant was born was religious, humanitarian, and civic-minded. In the first part of his life Dunant engaged quite seriously in religious activities and for a while in full-time work as a representative of the Young Men's Christian Association
Dunant grew up during the period of religious awakening known as the Réveil, and at age eighteen he joined the Geneva Society for Alms giving. In the following year, together with friends, he founded the so-called "Thursday Association", a loose band of young men that met to study the Bible and help the poor, and he spent much of his free time engaged in prison visits and social work. On November 30, 1852, he founded the Geneva chapter of the YMCA and three years later he took part in the Paris meeting devoted to the founding of its international organization.
(In case you're wondering that YMCA chapter he started first stands for Young Men's Christian Association.)
I guess the fact that muslims took offense to the "cross" was imaginative so they made the "Red Cresent" on a "whim".
What's the big deal to you?
you get this:
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Originally Posted by JViello
Yea forget that whole "cross" thing. Perhaps they are secular now, but the organization was started as a Christian based operation to bring relief to those suffering.
Sorry.. not buying it. Nothing concerning the International Red Cross Movement or the American Red Cross indicates it was "started as a Christian based operation..".
The fact that muslims took offense to it (I'm assuming you are correct here..) in no way bears any evidence that the IRCM or the ARC started as a "Christian based operation.."
Let me say that again a different way.
Just because Muslims were upset with the symbol does NOT mean that the IRCM or the ARC started as a "Christian based operation.."
So just to refresh. It started secular, has been secular, and will remain secular.
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Originally Posted by JViello
What's the big deal to you?
Oh I don't know. I just like people to know the facts..
I'm asking do you help? I'm not asking for Organizations that are secular. Does ANYONE non-Christian help out in any of these places? Do you have a story of YOU helping the unfortunate?
I'm an atheist and I have actively helped several charities and organizations over the years (I'm not listing this to toot my own horn, just want to give you an answer ):
Every year at Thanksgiving, my family and I put together complete Thanksgiving meals to donate to local food banks.
I call local animal shelters, ask what supplies are needed, purchase and deliver supplies.
During the holidays, we bought presents for a needy child in our town.
My family and I have collected pledges and walked in an AIDS awareness walk, participated in a walk to raise money for our local animal shelter 3 years in a row, etc.
There have been other instances of helping others, but I'll leave it at this. I would like to add that I truly believe that helping others is a natural human instinct. Just my 2 cents.
I'm an atheist and I have actively helped several charities and organizations over the years (I'm not listing this to toot my own horn, just want to give you an answer ):
Every year at Thanksgiving, my family and I put together complete Thanksgiving meals to donate to local food banks.
I call local animal shelters, ask what supplies are needed, purchase and deliver supplies.
During the holidays, we bought presents for a needy child in our town.
My family and I have collected pledges and walked in an AIDS awareness walk, participated in a walk to raise money for our local animal shelter 3 years in a row, etc.
There have been other instances of helping others, but I'll leave it at this. I would like to add that I truly believe that helping others is a natural human instinct. Just my 2 cents.
Thanks for your reply!!! I don't consider this bragging when your asked a direct question. I have seen on other sites and forums where Atheists and other faiths don't pull there share. There are others talking about this so I just wanted to bring it in for debate,not realizing how others would think I was attacking.
I don't think anyway that I worded it it would have made a difference and if so then I will try better next time!!
You do a lot, your one busy person and I'm sure you are appreciated by your community.
i am a christian. i have done missionary work. i have done charitable service. i remember the feeling of hoping to bring people to conversion. in some ways, i think it is natural, merely a desire to show people what you have and hope that they prescribe to the same way of thinking. i believe that i have seen that not just in religious groups and charities, but even in the secular ones. i think as i said that it is natural. but i also think that it needs to be monitored and controlled.
i try very hard to separate my charity from my desire for missionary opportunities. i think as i have gotten older that i have decided that the best way for me to be a missionary is to live my beliefs. if people notice and care, great. if not, still great.
anyway, i think that if people would recognize, and *respect* others despite their beliefs, creeds, superstitions, dogmas, nationalities, ancestral histories, and skin color, we would be happier ourselves, and would be able to work together for the common good of the millions--no, billions, out there that are struggling everyday for the basic comforts that we take for granted.
Then you are a rarity in my experience.
Again, you tried to convert others to your way of thinking. This is the reason why I refuse to donate to Christian charities. What’s the problem with respecting the beliefs/non-beliefs of others while lending a helping hand?
I think that the whole premise of the OP was to show how Christians are better than the rest of the world. It’s the same old troll question that we see over and over again.
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Originally Posted by 3~Shepherds
Nope,some are very far away from any Catholic belief.
Sorry fella, if it weren’t for Martin Luther, you’d probably still be a catholic. Catholics were the original Christians. Try looking at your religious history. The main catholic belief is that Jesus is god. Don’t you believe that? Hmmmm, what basic beliefs are different?
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