Why Christianity is so Persistant

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Schism!

Okay I'm getting really confused on where everyone stands on this issue. Either one way or the other folks.

Bland said

The aid, I'm afraid, is merely cosmetic and designed to draw attention from the theft of third world resources and destruction of third world societies for the profit of multinational big business.

For example, the American and European agriculture industries are encouraged to overproduce, and between them receive subsidies which are six times higher than total foreign aid. The surplus product is then dumped on poor countries at uneconomic prices, driving millions of poor peasants and farmers out of business and into destitution. Ghana produced almost all the rice it needed until the late 80's, when it was forced by the IMF to stop subsidising its rice producers. Now two thirds of rice sold in Ghana is American, grown with US government subsidy in defiance of world trade agreements and dumped at giveaway prices. Half a million small scale rice producers and their families have lost their livelihood as a result. And 400,000 Ghanaian chicken producers and their families have been thrown out of business and into poverty as a result of unfair competition from subsidised European chicken products. Millions of people's lives disrupted, the whole rural society of Ghana thrown into chaos for the enrichment of the rich, who at the other end of the operation are screwing small farmers in the US and underpaid, largely immigrant, labour in European chicken factories.

Most loans to poor countries are actually for the benefit of the companies in rich countries that make high tech products, in particular military equipment, which are so often foisted inappropriately on countries which don't need them and can't afford them. Most loans are counted as development aid, and the US has consistently given the lowest of all the rich nations in terms of percentage of national income. In 1970, the developed countries pledged to give 0.7% of income as development aid. Some European countries have exceeded this figure - in 2004, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. The European average, however, was still only 0.35%. The figure for the USA was a shocking and shameful 0.17% of national income of the richest and meanest country in the world.

Three reasons why aid to the poorest countries should be generous: their problems today are from three primary causes - economic and social disruption caused by "free trade" which is only free for the rich, warfare fuelled by arms made for the profit of the rich, and climate change caused by atmospheric pollution created by the rich.

As for American missionaries, some have given great service. Others, like the infamous New Tribes Mission, have destroyed cultures thousands of years old, bringing people who were leading happy, productive, meaningful lives into poverty and slavery in the names of Christ and the Coca Cola cash economy.

Sources: < Ghana > < US aid > < New Tribes Mission >
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"The judges are, in theory, rendered absolutely incorruptible by their psychological conditioning"

TigerFire wrote: Okay I'm getting really confused on where everyone stands on this issue. Either one way or the other folks.


We are just joking around a bit, Tiger. Having some fun with Men in Skirts. (yeah, you too, Peter)

I am with you, Tiger. (theologically, that is) I am a traditional Christian but I can appreciate intelligence (even when it is misguided) and great humour when I see it.

I can't help it that these guys are hilarious, even though we are diametrically opposed religiously and politically.

Parts wrote: Bland I don't agree with many of your points but this one is great The only problem is that they would have enough money to buy a new one unlike the others displaced.


I am honored, Parts.

Okay I'm glad that you're on my side.

Judge_Red, thanks for the enlightenment. I do not mean to imply that America is perfect and the kind universal benefactor. I just don't think that the bashing is necessary, nor the negation and ommission of everything positive about America. I think that the hostitlity towards the U.S. is mostly unwarranted and is also not reciprocated. I believe that the rage towards America that I hear really is propaganda and it disturbs me. Either people expect the U.S. to be the savior of all so they are disappointed or they want the U.S. to be "just one of the boys" and downplay it's role in the world. Either way, dissatisfaction is the result.

I don't know how valid NTM or Eco... are. But are you proposing that it's better to leave underdeveloped cultures alone? Don't you know that we're not talking about congenial people here? Some of these tribes are barbaric and kill one another for superstitious reasons. (read about the Aucas of Ecuador) Missionaries bring in medicines that prevent death and disease. As far as the "Coca-Cola" scandal I think that bringing some cases of Coke to some tribal people is not necessarily so henious. Missionaries believe that they are helping these cultures through education, food, goods and medicines. I think it is only fair to ask the converted peoples if they think the missionaries are in the wrong. We do live in a global society now. When organizations criticise missions and want to leave these cultures to their own devices I have to wonder about their credibility. It's not as if these tribes are thriving. Most of them are dying out and they have to learn how to function in our changing world because the world is steadily advancing towards them even if the missionaries don't get to them first. (Does any of this make sense? I'm very tired today. I hope I've said what I meant to say!)

PMSL. \then remembers i have nothing on under my skirt.

Ah you have nothing but your privates showing! LOL.

I was sure i turned my webcam off before we started our correspondence.

Contrary to popular belief, Bland isnt a man, though she's definately a faithful backer of "the man"

Oh really well I guess things are working in my favor.

The "bible" (of which there are countless versions) was plagerized from older Summarian monotheistic myths. These pre-date the bible by a thousand years.

Eamonn wrote: Contrary to popular belief, Bland isnt a man, though she's definately a faithful backer of "the man"


You caught that? I just let it go. I don't know why some people think I'm a guy. I take it as a compliment from men: an insult from women.
And all this time PeterM must've thought we were gay!! ! That's a crack-up!

My husband says I'm a homosexual male trapped in a woman's body. What a dilemma!

Back in topic now I don't know just how persistant it is. The Jews have been around longer many of the pagan religions chritainity replaced or took over for where around longer I belive. I think the questions should be why religion in general is so persistant. Lots of people feel the need to belive in something and this is what they where brought up with complacency thats it. Misssionaries helped a lot and the urge to win the world over to christianty. Lot of people wouldn't lift a finger to help someone unless they got something out of it ie heaven. I don't Know why they feel the need to have some reason to be nice to other people just being nice should be reward enough.

Im a bisexual woman trapped in a dog's body (to be fair male and female dog's look the same so why discriminate). Life's confusing.