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mithridates
Joined: 03 Mar 2003
Location: President's office, Korean Space Agency
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 Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 6:18 pm Post subject: Let's Stop Stereotyping Evangelicals |
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/07/AR2006110701228.html
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Evangelical megachurches, virtually unheard of 30 years ago, are now vital sources of social welfare in urban America. African American congregations such as the Potter's House in Dallas, founded by Bishop T.D. Jakes, can engage a volunteer army of 28,000 believers in ministries ranging from literacy to drug rehabilitation. Rick Warren, author of "The Purpose-Driven Life," has organized a vast network of churches to confront the issue of AIDS. "Because of their longevity and trust in the community," Warren has said, "churches can actually do a better job long-term than either governments or" nongovernmental organizations in tackling the pandemic.
Whether or not that's true, these evangelicals -- Bible-believing and socially conservative -- are redefining social justice. They're mindful of the material conditions that breed poverty and despair, but they emphasize spiritual rebirth. Though willing to partner with government agencies, they prefer to work at the grass roots, one family at a time.
Meanwhile, churches and faith-based organizations are growing enormously in their international outreach. Groups such as World Vision are often the first responders to natural disasters. The Association of Evangelical Relief and Development Organizations, founded in 1978, now boasts 47 member groups in dozens of countries. As anyone familiar with these organizations knows, they help people regardless of creed, race or sexual orientation -- another democratic (and evangelical) ideal.
It is surely no thirst for theocracy but rather a love for their neighbor that sends American evangelicals into harm's way: into refugee camps in Sudan; into AIDS clinics in Somalia, South Africa and Uganda; into brothels to help women forced into sexual slavery; and into prisons and courts to advocate for the victims of political and religious repression.
Indeed, probably no other religious community in the United States is more connected to the poverty and suffering of people in Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Walter Russell Mead of the Council on Foreign Relations argues that evangelicals offer moral ballast to American foreign policy. "[E]vangelicals who began by opposing Sudanese violence and slave raids against Christians in southern Sudan," he wrote recently in Foreign Affairs, "have gone on to broaden the coalition working to protect Muslims in Darfur."
Of course it's true that a handful of Christian figures reinforce the worst stereotypes of the movement. Their loopy and triumphalist claims are seized upon by lazy journalists and the direct-mail operatives of political opponents. |
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laogaiguk
Joined: 06 Dec 2005
Location: somewhere in Korea
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| Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 6:39 pm Post subject: |
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No, I won't. If they are just being good and giving money or time, with no title's behind it (a lot like Bill Gates), I would. But the mere name "Evangelical" is what I oppose. Anyone who calls themselves that is giving with an ulterior motive (ie conversion or something else). I don't stereotype religious people who give. But like I said, the word evangelical in itself is the problem.
There are lots of religious and non-religious people and charities giving money. If either does it for any reason other than the giving, I will blast them. So the answer is no, I will not stop stereotyping anyone who calls themselves that. But if athiest charities starting giving for any reason than the giving, I would do the exact same.
In the future, you will see most of this stuff replaced by secular groups and people, funded by the religious and non-religious together. I know people don't believe that, but it's already growing, they don't have the backing and history the church has yet. A lot of people in the world need help, they don't need Christianity. |
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gang ah jee
Joined: 14 Jan 2003
Location: city of paper
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| Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 8:03 pm Post subject: Re: Let's Stop Stereotyping Evangelicals |
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| mithridates wrote: |
| Of course it's true that a handful of Christian figures reinforce the worst stereotypes of the movement. Their loopy and triumphalist claims are seized upon by lazy journalists and the direct-mail operatives of political opponents. |
Sound like anyone we know? |
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Hater Depot
Joined: 29 Mar 2005
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| Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 9:58 pm Post subject: |
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| I remember reading that due to some grassroots push to strengthen marriages, part of which was sex education, self-identified evangelical women have the most orgasms of any other female demographic group in the US. |
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ED209
Joined: 17 Oct 2006
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| Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 10:06 pm Post subject: |
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| Hater Depot wrote: |
| I remember reading that due to some grassroots push to strengthen marriages, part of which was sex education, self-identified evangelical women have the most orgasms of any other female demographic group in the US. |
God...yes! yes... yes,...God..yes!  |
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Meegook
Joined: 12 Oct 2006
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| Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 10:17 pm Post subject: |
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| Anyone who calls themselves that is giving with an ulterior motive (ie conversion or something else). |
That is a text book example of judging others, judging their motives.
Also, notice the use of the word 'anyone.'
Anyone who considers themselves evangelical and gives is giving due to an ulterior motive?
Hardly.
You don't know their heart. You don't know why they are giving.
And maybe they give because God gave to them and they are doing what God asks them to do, give unto others. And some people give because it is better to give than to receive.
Whenever I'm feeling down, I go find someone to give something to. I feel better almost instantly.
That thinking of yours has a name - bigotry. |
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Meegook
Joined: 12 Oct 2006
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| Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 10:26 pm Post subject: |
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1. YMCAs in the United States
2. Catholic Charities
3. Salvation Army
4. American Red Cross
Two of the top four American charities are Christian, and one is a 'Christian' based religion.
Christianity is batting .750 in this category.
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A lot of people in the world need help, they don't need Christianity. |
You tell 'em. |
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Gopher
Joined: 04 Jun 2005
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| Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 10:31 pm Post subject: |
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| Meegook wrote: |
| Whenever I'm feeling down, I go find someone to give something to. I feel better almost instantly. |
But this is exactly the problem with missionaries and evangelicals.
You think nothing at all about the sometimes annoyed people who involuntarily find themselves on the receiving end of your "charity" and other good work. Instead, you only think about what you want to accomplish as a Christian or your own, personal needs to instantly feel better.
I know little about what "a lot of people in the world" need or do not need. I do know that not a few of us prefer to be left in peace, however.
So is it too much to ask that you keep your religious views to yourself? That is, if you and all the other religious fundamentalists or whatever you want to call yourselves really want to give something back to the world, try this (quoting Lloyd Dobber): "You must chill! You must chill!" |
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Meegook
Joined: 12 Oct 2006
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| Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 10:49 pm Post subject: |
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| You think nothing at all about the sometimes annoyed people who involuntarily find themselves on the receiving end of your "charity" and other good work. Instead, you only think about what you want to accomplish as a Christian or your own, personal needs to instantly feel better. |
Another judging of motives. That's not the only reason we give.
I also pointed out that the Bible says, "it is more blessed to give than receive."
I also said that "they give because God gave to them and they are doing what God asks them to do, give unto others."
You completely passed over that and read into the post only what you wanted to and judged me in the doing of it.
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So is it too much to ask that you keep your religious views to yourself? |
But's it's okay for you to give us your views here? Why don't you keep those views to yourself?
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| You think nothing at all about the sometimes annoyed people who involuntarily find themselves on the receiving end of your "charity" and other good work. |
In all my years of giving, I have yet had one person express annoyance at my giving. Some have been thankful but no one has ever said 'Get the f*ck outta here, we don't want your help." |
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Kuros
Joined: 27 Apr 2004
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| Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 10:56 pm Post subject: |
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Hear, Hear, OP.
Evangelicals are hedging their bets
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Almost a third of white evangelicals voted for Democrats in today's election, according to early exit polls reported by The Associated Press. Most of them cited corruption as an important factor in their decision.
That's a change from the 2004 presidential election when 78 percent of white evangelicals voted for Bush and 21 percent voted for Kerry. That was a recent peak in evangelical attachment to Republicans. |
Those of us who are members of the reality-based community do need to acknowledge the facts. However, Evangelicals are still predominantly Republican, and it wasn't always this way.
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| Back in 1987, [Evangelicals] split their partisan attachments almost evenly, with 34 percent identifying as Republicans and 29 percent as Democrats, according to surveys by the Pew Research Center. |
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laogaiguk
Joined: 06 Dec 2005
Location: somewhere in Korea
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| Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 11:43 pm Post subject: |
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If a bunch of democrat gay-pride evangelicals came to my door and asked me to start being gay, I would blow them off the same as the Christians. And if they started bothering the hell out of me, and banning heterosexual sex, and saying I can't marry a woman, etc etc, I would be fighting them just as much. But funny how athiest, gay or whatever haven't tried that yet.
Also, evangelicals might be helping in the short term, but are spreading 2000 year old ignorance and superstition (worse for the human race as a whole). |
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Hater Depot
Joined: 29 Mar 2005
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| Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 12:15 am Post subject: |
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| Hater Depot wrote: |
| I remember reading that due to some grassroots push to strengthen marriages, part of which was sex education, self-identified evangelical women have the most orgasms of any other female demographic group in the US. |
That is, outside of my ex-girlfriends, who weren't surveyed.
I can't believe nobody said that yet. Tsk, etc. |
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seoulunitarian
Joined: 06 Jul 2004
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| Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 12:35 am Post subject: re: |
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| Meegook wrote: |
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| Anyone who calls themselves that is giving with an ulterior motive (ie conversion or something else). |
That is a text book example of judging others, judging their motives.
Also, notice the use of the word 'anyone.'
Anyone who considers themselves evangelical and gives is giving due to an ulterior motive?
Hardly.
You don't know their heart. You don't know why they are giving.
And maybe they give because God gave to them and they are doing what God asks them to do, give unto others. And some people give because it is better to give than to receive.
Whenever I'm feeling down, I go find someone to give something to. I feel better almost instantly.
That thinking of yours has a name - bigotry. |
Next time you're feeling down, PM me for my bank account number.
Peace |
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khyber
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Compunction Junction
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| Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 12:47 am Post subject: |
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I always think it's so freakin lame that people will say that the relief work my parents have done for that last 6 years is somehow less valuable, or less worthy of praise because they HAPPEN to be christian.
I mean, my folks are STILL making the decision of their own free will. |
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Satori
Joined: 09 Dec 2005
Location: Above it all
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| Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 12:49 am Post subject: |
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| That thinking of yours has a name - bigotry. |
If you`re an evangelical I wouldnt be throwing that word around if I were you, you guys virtually have a patent on it these days... |
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