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Post by chonies on Jun 29, 2015 9:46:58 GMT -4
I did a Catholic mission trip to Mexico over spring break my freshman year, and it had a big effect on me. We travelled to villages and delivered clothes, food, toiletries, and medical supplies to people. We didn't preach, but there was a priest along with us who would say mass in these remote places that didn't have a regular parish. I know several people who do regular missionary work, but their trips are more like vacations where they go to church with the locals(that's what it looks like to me by the pics they post on Facebook). They've been to Guatemala, China, Kenya, and Uganda. My cousin went with a group to Haiti where they provided people with eyeglasses and a heavy dose of preaching. I think there are a lot of well-intentioned people who aren't fully aware of the cultural implications beyond saving souls. I hope my trip didn't have an adverse impact. That mission had been there for 50 years, so it was a pretty well established center of social welfare in the region. Aside from the missionary aspect, I think it's VERY good for Americans to have the experience of traveling abroad. I hope the best for them. Thanks for posting this, ladybug. I think your experience illustrates the good kind of works. I also agree Americans should travel abroad more, if it's possible, but it's also important to not become blinded to the fact that the same issues that missionaries go abroad to help with exist in many parts of the US. And seriously, I don't mean to irritate everyone in this thread--for background, I've been tasked with reading a book about this sort of thing, and it's working my damn nerves because it's all about how wonderfully fulfilling it was for Mr Benefactor, rather than taking a hard look at the roots and causes of things. Topic: I have nothing.
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Post by Sunnyhorse on Jun 29, 2015 10:40:38 GMT -4
What's wrong with missionary trips? Because missionaries annoy the ever-loving fuck out of me when they come to my door unsolicited to tell me that I'm doing life wrong, and I hate to see the same nonsense inflicted on other people in faraway places. ETA: Ladybug, it sounds like your group was doing it right—if people were already practicing Catholicism there, the locals likely enjoyed having a priest perform a Mass. I'd see your trip, religiously speaking, as being more along the lines of the tours I used to go on with my church's youth choir when I was a teenager. We visited and performed at other churches in our denomination, and the other churches would put us up in their basements or members' homes and feed us. My mother reciprocates by taking care of kids from other choir groups now. It's when, as Chonies noted, there are big strings attached to a group's good works that I get pissed off. If you have to hold Jesus over your head like a cudgel, your theology isn't offering much.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 29, 2015 11:55:32 GMT -4
The anti-Duggar FB page is speculating that they're heading to Central America, not Nepal, for this mission trip, and that it might be a mission funded by JimBob for an organization whose actual mission is to usurp the Catholic church's influence in that region by replacing it with the oh so much better! fundie flavor of Christianity. The FB post said that the Duggars are headed to Central America as a group in July, which is coincidentally the same time that Jill and Derick are set to leave the country, and that the Duggars do their mission work through SOS Ministries. This is quid pro quo "charity" -- before we provide you with charity, you have to believe what we want you to. This organization appears to be comfortably funded, and pretty much all of the funds go towards making life easier for their missionaries while abroad. Here is what they tell their missionaries to expect during their trip: LINK They are doing the bare minimum when it comes to actually helping the community, and are actively seeking to scoop up orphaned children, brainwash them, and bring them back to the US. When Ben and Jessa said they were interested in adoption, this is probably what they were referring to. If Jill and Derick are going on a typical mission trip with the family and then staying on to start a ministry with the ample help of SOS Ministries, that would be pretty deceptive. They asked for donations but didn't specify where they were going. At the same time the media is using info from "sources" and creating the narrative that Jill and Derick are heading off on their own and seeking time away from the Duggar family, which would encourage people outside of their fanbase to donate to them as well. If this is what they are up to, it's a pretty crafty and selfish move. If Jill and Derick are going off on their own to Nepal, I'll be pleasantly surprised. I guess we'll find out what's really going on in a few weeks.
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Post by azaleaqueen on Jun 29, 2015 14:38:04 GMT -4
My church had a minister at one time who was mission happy. That's all he cared about. He organized a mission trip the first year he was there which featured 12 unnamed people and one man, a dentist, who was. Dr. Mademuchof was quite plainly the star of the show. Made me a bit ill.
On a slightly different note, isn't Anna due any day now?
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Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2015 9:42:47 GMT -4
This is one of the things that really bugged me about Jill and Jessa's interview. When asked about forgiveness and then specifically about the other victim ( 18:25), they decided to speak on the other victim's behalf. They were briefly caught in an "oh shit, I don't know what to say" moment before the brainwashing kicked back in. It doesn't even matter if the other victim stated to them that she has forgiven Josh. The Duggars don't have the right to express her thoughts and feelings on national TV without her consent. I'm speaking in moral terms. I don't know if that would be a valid legal issue.
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Post by prisma on Jul 1, 2015 10:05:41 GMT -4
I hope it happens and I hope she wins something. The attitude that "all is forgiven and the girls were sleeping and didn't realize anything happened" is revolting. And TLC *still* has not cancelled this show.
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Post by Mugsy on Jul 1, 2015 10:44:55 GMT -4
I still don't understand why the Duggars ever had a babysitter. Isn't the point of having all those kids and the buddy system that you take care of each other? And if there was a circumstance where the parents and all the kids over 14 were away, wouldn't that leave way too many young kids for one babysitter? And if Josh was present, why wasn't he babysitting? How old was he? Do you get a babysitter for a 15 year old? So odd.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2015 11:05:15 GMT -4
It's odd because it's likely not true. It was originally stated that the other victim was the daughter of a family friend, which makes more sense, especially in the context of sexual abuse. Jim Bob is the one who consistently referred to the victim as the babysitter, which might be why Jessa looked caught off guard with the specific question about a babysitter. My theory is that the other victim was also quite young and Jim Bob decided to refer to her as a babysitter so people would assume she was closer to Josh's age in a further attempt to downplay his actions.
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Post by chonies on Jul 1, 2015 11:07:03 GMT -4
I agree with highondegrassi--the police report gave a different impression and "baby sitter" was probably also easier to remember in the brainwashing/message cohesion process.
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Post by Baby Fish Mouth on Jul 1, 2015 15:01:03 GMT -4
I hope it happens and I hope she wins something. The attitude that "all is forgiven and the girls were sleeping and didn't realize anything happened" is revolting. And TLC *still* has not cancelled this show. Well there goes the Duggars' argument that everyone involved is fine and dandy. Although I have to wonder why the fifth victim waited until now to file a civil action. Perhaps she didn't think she had a viable case until public reaction convinced her otherwise.
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