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Missionary work, proselytizing
July 30, 2021 at 1:59 pm
Being so far removed from religion makes you forget that this crap is still happening across the globe.
I fell down a rabbit hole after reading an article in the NY Times of a woman (Greene) in Utah who regrets not getting herself (and husband - who is currently in the ICU) vaccinated. I had a sneaking suspicion she was a LDS member, so I tracked her down on FB. Some of the comments on her pro-vaccination post are what you would expect. But one, in particular, made me angry. This other woman (LDS) basically said she was sorry Greene trusted doctors over GOD. Well, of course I had to go to this woman's FB page.
She has 6 children, all fully-indoctrinated. One of her sons is currently in Paraguay giving out plates of food (basically in exchange for conversion.)
This woman (who again, has 6 children) is currently touring Italy (alone). I have no idea how people with 6 children manage a month-long vacation by themselves, but that's another quandary...
Her posts are about meeting people and speaking to them about the wonders of god. In hostels, on tours, at restaurants. Can you imagine running into this woman who represents America? She's also a Brietbart/right wing nut job, according to her likes. Holy shit, people of Italy. I am truly sorry.
This got long, sorry. It just makes me so angry that rich people go to poor countries and offer "redemption" under the guise of religion in exchange for bare necessities. The pictures of her missionary son make me stabby. Imagine a rich 18 year old boy telling you IN YOUR OWN COUNTRY that your life is wrong, has no value, unless you convert to his religion. Oh, and here's this plate of food for letting me brainwash you 
Illegitimi non carborundum
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RE: Missionary work, proselytizing
July 30, 2021 at 2:03 pm
(This post was last modified: July 30, 2021 at 2:04 pm by purplepurpose.)
Its bad. But I think there is much worse shit in the world, then people using food as bait to preach. Like rape, murder, theft.
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RE: Missionary work, proselytizing
July 30, 2021 at 2:04 pm
That's pretty bad, on account of how they're going to starve. 
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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RE: Missionary work, proselytizing
July 30, 2021 at 2:13 pm
If I were starving - really, truly, legitimately starving - I can’t imagine a religious belief I WOULDN’T profess in exchange for a ham sandwich.
And it wouldn’t need to be particularly good ham, either.
Boru
‘I can’t be having with this.’ - Esmeralda Weatherwax
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RE: Missionary work, proselytizing
July 30, 2021 at 2:20 pm
Agree, that aspect of proselytizing makes me angry, especially the manipulative nature of it. I'm going to try to dig up a talk by one of the seventies where he talks about the temples in Africa and the sacrifices LDS members make in order to travel to the temple once a year. It is seen as a story of great commitment and a show of strong faith but considering the origins of Mormonism being a provable scam, it is extremely exploitative and heartbreaking.
By the by, the actual long term conversion rate of LDS missionaries is so low that in the ex-Mo community, it is theorized that missionary work is not actually about converting outsiders but in further indoctrination of young men. The youth are falling away from the LDS church at a rapid rate, and young men are pressured to serve a two year mission. Before they go off to school, before they get married, everything has to be put on hold to serve the church for two years. It is essentially like the military or a monk lifestyle; the missionaries cannot read, watch, listen to music, anything that isn't officially put out by the LDS church. They cannot date on their mission, they have to remain physically pure the whole time(so, no "self-help"). They cannot play games or sports. They have to live and breathe the scriptures, service for others, and teaching/preaching the gospel. They get one day off a week, but what that is is not an actual day off from the repressive requirements of the mission itself. It's just a day where they don't have to spend every moment tracting. And they also cannot spend a moment alone. Missionaries are sent out in pairs and cannot be out of sight of their companion for too long(it is to keep the young men from masturbating; there are tons of stories of missionaries reportinga companion for spending too long in the shower out of suspicion of being impure).
So, they are immersed in the gospel and told to sell, sell, sell, in a high pressure environment away from home for two years, often in another country. It is about breaking down the last defenses and bringing home young men who are more committed to the church through trauma and indoctrination.
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RE: Missionary work, proselytizing
July 30, 2021 at 7:32 pm
(July 30, 2021 at 2:13 pm)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote: If I were starving - really, truly, legitimately starving - I can’t imagine a religious belief I WOULDN’T profess in exchange for a ham sandwich.
And it wouldn’t need to be particularly good ham, either.
Boru
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RE: Missionary work, proselytizing
July 30, 2021 at 7:43 pm
(July 30, 2021 at 1:59 pm)Figbash Wrote: Being so far removed from religion makes you forget that this crap is still happening across the globe.
I fell down a rabbit hole after reading an article in the NY Times of a woman (Greene) in Utah who regrets not getting herself (and husband - who is currently in the ICU) vaccinated. I had a sneaking suspicion she was a LDS member, so I tracked her down on FB. Some of the comments on her pro-vaccination post are what you would expect. But one, in particular, made me angry. This other woman (LDS) basically said she was sorry Greene trusted doctors over GOD. Well, of course I had to go to this woman's FB page.
She has 6 children, all fully-indoctrinated. One of her sons is currently in Paraguay giving out plates of food (basically in exchange for conversion.)
This woman (who again, has 6 children) is currently touring Italy (alone). I have no idea how people with 6 children manage a month-long vacation by themselves, but that's another quandary...
Her posts are about meeting people and speaking to them about the wonders of god. In hostels, on tours, at restaurants. Can you imagine running into this woman who represents America? She's also a Brietbart/right wing nut job, according to her likes. Holy shit, people of Italy. I am truly sorry.
This got long, sorry. It just makes me so angry that rich people go to poor countries and offer "redemption" under the guise of religion in exchange for bare necessities. The pictures of her missionary son make me stabby. Imagine a rich 18 year old boy telling you IN YOUR OWN COUNTRY that your life is wrong, has no value, unless you convert to his religion. Oh, and here's this plate of food for letting me brainwash you
Indoctrination is far easier for powers to scare people into following. But I would not always claim it is about wealth.
Jim Jones was by no means at the same wealth as Bin Laden.
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