Missionaries should be banned

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a former Mormon, I served an 18-month mission, I 100% agree.

Can you tell us your experience? What turned you off to this practice?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I am from South East Asia and was born into one of the eastern religions. It absolutely enrages me to see western Christians come to third-world countries to convert us, trying to destroy our local practices, languages because they think they know better than us. The absolute disdain they have towards us brown people is disgusting. I think they should just be banned by all governments. Want to do humanitarian work - enroll with non-religious AID organizations. Keep your bible and your prejudice to yourself.

Are you okay with Eastern Christians coming to those areas, because there are some of us? We don't mind brown people; they look like us. And no, all of us didn't get converted because we were preached to by whites.

If you are referring to India, it's on a dangerous track. One religion being promoted at the expense of all the other ones is not the way to democracy. Shutting down free speech and the people's right to choose their religion (because of course anyone who would convert, must have been fooled because they are so uneducated.)

Those of you who aren't from that area. Those who are doing the biggest complaining (like OP) are usually the ones who are highest on the pecking order.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I am from South East Asia and was born into one of the eastern religions. It absolutely enrages me to see western Christians come to third-world countries to convert us, trying to destroy our local practices, languages because they think they know better than us. The absolute disdain they have towards us brown people is disgusting. I think they should just be banned by all governments. Want to do humanitarian work - enroll with non-religious AID organizations. Keep your bible and your prejudice to yourself.

Most people who agree to get "converted" in this way merely graft their existing religions and beliefs onto Christianity, and take the food, the dental care etc, but go ahead and believe what they want. For all the money they spend, I don't think the missionaries are very successful.

[Anonymous]

A psychotic, judgmental born-again virgin (at least 4x) college roommate of mine is now a missionary. Her social media posts give off creepy vibes as exploiting the children she’s “helping”and shaming their single moms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A psychotic, judgmental born-again virgin (at least 4x) college roommate of mine is now a missionary. Her social media posts give off creepy vibes as exploiting the children she’s “helping”and shaming their single moms.

what part of the world is she doing this? In person?

[Anonymous]

Not condoning it, but "conquering armies" in Africa and South America (think Spain, Portugal, France, England, Holland) always brought their religion with them as part of colonization.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not condoning it, but "conquering armies" in Africa and South America (think Spain, Portugal, France, England, Holland) always brought their religion with them as part of colonization.

Indeed, that was the very purpose - that and finding gold.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I am from South East Asia and was born into one of the eastern religions. It absolutely enrages me to see western Christians come to third-world countries to convert us, trying to destroy our local practices, languages because they think they know better than us. The absolute disdain they have towards us brown people is disgusting. I think they should just be banned by all governments. Want to do humanitarian work - enroll with non-religious AID organizations. Keep your bible and your prejudice to yourself.

Are you okay with Eastern Christians coming to those areas, because there are some of us? We don't mind brown people; they look like us. And no, all of us didn't get converted because we were preached to by whites.

If you are referring to India, it's on a dangerous track. One religion being promoted at the expense of all the other ones is not the way to democracy. Shutting down free speech and the people's right to choose their religion (because of course anyone who would convert, must have been fooled because they are so uneducated.)

Those of you who aren't from that area. Those who are doing the biggest complaining (like OP) are usually the ones who are highest on the pecking order.

OP here. Two wrongs don't make a right - there's is no denying that India is on a dangerous path. Hindutva ideology is taking reigns in everyday life - it is heartbreaking and terrifying to watch this descent!

Where did I say all Christians are forced to convert? Christianity came to India via the coasts of Kerala and has thousands of years of history in the sub-continent. I just think the western Christian missionary organizations that use their money and power to exploit people should be banned. They pretend to do humanitarian work when they are literally using food and shelter to force people to "accept Jesus". Case in point - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/03/john-chau-christian-missionary-death-sentinelese

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a former Mormon, I served an 18-month mission, I 100% agree.

Can you tell us your experience? What turned you off to this practice?

Sure, and I'll try to be brief. Also I'm not editing so apologizes in advance if this isn't clear.

Mormonism strongly believes that they are the only true church in the world, and the religion entwined in a very distinct culture. That culture is almost cookie cutter 1950s-60s white conservative America (there are interesting reasons for why this happened that I won't get into). As a missionary I was taught that not only did people need to change their beliefs, but their culture as well.

So I knocked on peoples' doors, told them about my little religion and how it was truer than what they believed, and that if they wanted to go to heaven, they needed to basically become like white Americans in the 1960s (with modified beliefs). This meant everything from changing the beverages they offered guests to how they interacted with their friends and families to changing their facial hair to what they should do in their spare time. And of course give the Mormon church 10% of their already meager incomes.

The people who typically changed were people who were missing something in their lives, usually because of a lack of money or other difficult life circumstances. We were taking advantage of the vunerable and in doing so robbing them of their beloved ancestral culture. The change was distressing for many but they were convinced it was the only way.

And then if they changed their minds or wavered, they got an earful about how still God loved them, but they were making a choice that was robbing them of eternal salvation. Even if it was just about not being able to afford tithing, or feeling like they shouldn't have to give up coffee, or deciding they didn't want to believe that Joseph Smith's polygamy was divinely inspired. If they stopped going, Mormon friends tended to fall away, but their connections in their Orthodox and family communities had been disturbed so sometimes it was difficult to re-build a community.

Coming around to the idea that it's wrong to go on missions was a slow process, but I think what really solidified it was learning about White colonization. A few years after my mission, I realized that that's exactly what I was doing on my mission. Destroying a culture to replace it with mine.

I suppose banning missionaries outright might be a problem (even though I'd like it to happen), but our activities could have been fairly restricted. Maybe we should have been forbidden to knock on the doors of peoples' homes, maybe our street efforts could be restricted to certain areas, maybe they could cap numbers and require permits. I don't know. Freedom of speech in the US and other solidly democratic countries isn't unrestricted, so it's unreasonable to think that missionaries who are doing so much harm should get lots of free speech.

And another note: I think that missions are bad for missionaries either. It was basically brainwashing. Very little individuality is allowed. We were literally compared to soldiers in an army. You got sent home if you disobeyed, which can have pretty severe social consequences in Mormon communities (like if you get sent home early, that's a strike against you when you're looking for a spouse, and for a mormon getting married is literally your most important goal in life. So it's fall in line or suffer severe penalties).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a former Mormon, I served an 18-month mission, I 100% agree.

Can you tell us your experience? What turned you off to this practice?

Sure, and I'll try to be brief. Also I'm not editing so apologizes in advance if this isn't clear.

Mormonism strongly believes that they are the only true church in the world, and the religion entwined in a very distinct culture. That culture is almost cookie cutter 1950s-60s white conservative America (there are interesting reasons for why this happened that I won't get into). As a missionary I was taught that not only did people need to change their beliefs, but their culture as well.

So I knocked on peoples' doors, told them about my little religion and how it was truer than what they believed, and that if they wanted to go to heaven, they needed to basically become like white Americans in the 1960s (with modified beliefs). This meant everything from changing the beverages they offered guests to how they interacted with their friends and families to changing their facial hair to what they should do in their spare time. And of course give the Mormon church 10% of their already meager incomes.

The people who typically changed were people who were missing something in their lives, usually because of a lack of money or other difficult life circumstances. We were taking advantage of the vunerable and in doing so robbing them of their beloved ancestral culture. The change was distressing for many but they were convinced it was the only way.

And then if they changed their minds or wavered, they got an earful about how still God loved them, but they were making a choice that was robbing them of eternal salvation. Even if it was just about not being able to afford tithing, or feeling like they shouldn't have to give up coffee, or deciding they didn't want to believe that Joseph Smith's polygamy was divinely inspired. If they stopped going, Mormon friends tended to fall away, but their connections in their Orthodox and family communities had been disturbed so sometimes it was difficult to re-build a community.

Coming around to the idea that it's wrong to go on missions was a slow process, but I think what really solidified it was learning about White colonization. A few years after my mission, I realized that that's exactly what I was doing on my mission. Destroying a culture to replace it with mine.

I suppose banning missionaries outright might be a problem (even though I'd like it to happen), but our activities could have been fairly restricted. Maybe we should have been forbidden to knock on the doors of peoples' homes, maybe our street efforts could be restricted to certain areas, maybe they could cap numbers and require permits. I don't know. Freedom of speech in the US and other solidly democratic countries isn't unrestricted, so it's unreasonable to think that missionaries who are doing so much harm should get lots of free speech.

And another note: I think that missions are bad for missionaries either. It was basically brainwashing. Very little individuality is allowed. We were literally compared to soldiers in an army. You got sent home if you disobeyed, which can have pretty severe social consequences in Mormon communities (like if you get sent home early, that's a strike against you when you're looking for a spouse, and for a mormon getting married is literally your most important goal in life. So it's fall in line or suffer severe penalties).

^ Thank you. Absolutely one of the most informative posts I've read on the religion forum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's what Jesus wanted. Matthew 28:

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

I understand this. However it's 2022 time to realize that there is not just one belief system. Just like Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses knocking on doors. No thank you. Underprivileged people.ecan have the assistance they need without being preached at. On a lot of these missions building schools, working on wells etc. are considered secondary to the real purpose: leading people to God. Whether that is what they believe or not.

[Anonymous]

Totally agree that missionary tourism is the worst. My church growing up (southern baptist) was really into this, and even my devout parents rolled their eyes and never encourage me to participate. My favorite was when they went to Mexico (to...convert the already Christian population to a different kind of Christianity?)

There might be a handful of cases though where I'm thinking that converting a local population was a good thing. I'm thinking of those limited times and places where local religions included practices like child sacrifices, etc.

[Anonymous]

I see, it’s evil, hateful, wrong, exploitative and every other badness for people to travel to share what they believe is good news, but it’s perfectly OK for you to denounce and defame generations of people from countless denominations because you disagree with them.

IME, people are most often threatened by a message that makes them suspect that what they insist they believe is not true, so they get aggressively defensive. When people think what they’re being told is silly, they more often ignore and/or laugh it off.

When the missionaries leave, should they take their schools, colleges, hospitals, water programs and everything else they brought with them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I am from South East Asia and was born into one of the eastern religions. It absolutely enrages me to see western Christians come to third-world countries to convert us, trying to destroy our local practices, languages because they think they know better than us. The absolute disdain they have towards us brown people is disgusting. I think they should just be banned by all governments. Want to do humanitarian work - enroll with non-religious AID organizations. Keep your bible and your prejudice to yourself.

But, but.... they won't go to heaven if they don't spread the word!!

I agree with you OP. I've had a xoup,e of people sk me to support their missionary trip financially. NOPE.

Non religious aid organizations OR religious ones that do not evangelize. I work for one of the latter and have no affiliation to the faith as most colleagues do not either. And in the field most people don't know it's a religious org. But the unrestricted money is really helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I am from South East Asia and was born into one of the eastern religions. It absolutely enrages me to see western Christians come to third-world countries to convert us, trying to destroy our local practices, languages because they think they know better than us. The absolute disdain they have towards us brown people is disgusting. I think they should just be banned by all governments. Want to do humanitarian work - enroll with non-religious AID organizations. Keep your bible and your prejudice to yourself.

You couldn't be more wrong. Christian missionaries shouldn't be destroying "local practices, languages". They're trying to spread the good new of Jesus Christ, and if they're doing more than that, then shame on them. But don't dismiss all missionaries because of a few bad apples.