[Madidus_Scientia (OP)]

I think this is deplorable:

http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/earthquake-survivors-get-solar-powered-bibles/story-e6frfku0-1225821184929

Imagine you're in Haiti, you're starving, have no water, in need of wound dressings, anti-biotics etc. And someone comes along and gives you a bible, what use is that going to be? And not a normal bible, at least you could use that to start a fire or something, but a dirty great solar powered audio bible capable of preaching to 300 people, so it must have a reasonably hefty speaker, and therefore an expensive solar panel. It disgusts me that some people think religion is more important than immediate welfare needs.

[geo driver]

hear hear body and health first soul after plenty of time to repent after the body is healed

[Don_1]

What a waste of time, effort and money.

These people need water, medicines, food and shelter.

Stick your bible where the sun doesn't shine and do something USEFUL!

[BenV]

I suspect the more enterprising amongst them will quickly be tearing the e-bibles apart and wiring the solar panels up to other devises.  I doubt that's what the church had in mind.

[geo driver]

its a bit like giving a glass of water to a drowning man

[Bored chemist]

Is it just me or is it (at best) the height of poor taste to say "Come and worship the ever loving God! i.e. the entity that just wiped out about quarter of a million of your friends and neighbours"?


Lets face it, if there's a God then He just showed that he holds people in utter contempt.
God could have saved them, but He failed. It's the turn of us other humans to try to help . We might lack God's miracles; but at least we exist.

[Geezer]

I'll be happy to drop some of these "good people" off in the middle of the Sahara desert with nothing but one of their bibles. It should work quite well there, so I'm sure they'd do just fine. Maybe Pat Robertson would like to go along with them?

[Madidus_Scientia (OP)]

It reminds me of the episode of South Park where christians raise enough money to build an interstellar spaceship to spread the world of god to Marklar

[Geezer]

Sadly, there are many churches of all denominations who really are trying to help the people of Haiti with their real and urgent needs. These imbeciles with their "Electrobible" should be universally condemned by all churches. I'm not a religious person, but I do know many who are, and I will bring this to their attention.

[Bored chemist]

While you are at it, could you ask them why they think it's aporopriate to worship an entity that capriciously decides to wipe out all those people and condemn many others to untold misery?
No doubt they will have a stock answer- it's hardly a new question.

[Geezer]

Well I could, but I think it's better to fight one battle at a time.

[Make it Lady]

I have mixed feelings about this. When the victims of this earthquake were pulled out of the rubble of their homes and places of work, what did most of them do? They sang hymns. They are quite a religious nation. The trapped people drew the strength to survive from their faith. I think that some of them may need the crutch that religion offers at this time.
I can't see that this particular object (solar bible) would be useful to them as I'm sure people can still come together and practise their religion without it. I doubt it would be allowed into the aerport as a priority.
What I do object to is the religious groups that get people to donate cash or shoeboxes of items to help the victims and then add bibles and evangelical materials. These boxes are then sent to all people of all religions, in order to recruit new Christians. This really shows a lack of respect for those peoples beliefs. I know that operation Christmas child (Samaritans purse) do this at Christmas time. They also force recipients to attend bible rallies. They never mention this in their literature. Charity with hidden ends....terrible.

[glovesforfoxes]

I can't believe that people are reacting so harshly towards this.. Aid is aid. I think it's a case of "this would be useless to me in this situation, so it's useless in this situation!" here.

[Make it Lady]

I can't believe that people are reacting so harshly towards this.. Aid is aid. I think it's a case of "this would be useless to me in this situation, so it's useless in this situation!" here.

I didn't say that!

[glovesforfoxes]

Nah, I didn't really mean you Make it Lady.

As for recruiting more people, how exactly can any religion ever be successful if you don't talk to people about it? Religion is a bit like capitalism in this respect; yes, the top companies may do some pretty unethical things if it benefits them, but they will benefit from it greatly, as will the consumer (or so called victim of religion) because often, unethical things are cheaper: look at fairtrade food. I also disagree that sending these bibles is even doing that in the first place; according to wiki around 95% of them are some form of Christian, so..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Haiti

The title is such a ridiculously loaded question. Let's turn the tables here.

Say a scientific organisation is sending science books to Haiti. A Christian forum sees the news; posts a thread with the topic title: "You're in Haiti, starving, thirsty. Will a science book help?"

Kinda missing the point of sending the aid, isn't it? Both science books & bibles would be useful to the Haitians & would no doubt be appreciated - people do what they can. If this group are doing what they can, good for them!

[Geezer]

By definition, Christians are supposed to "peddle" their faith.  Haiti is a horribly backward country with over 200,000 child slaves and half the country practicing voodoo.  Something is terribly wrong there, and it's not the hurricanes or the earthquakes.  They share their island with the Dominicans who are a world apart from Haitians.  The Haitian society is badly broken. [:0] [:0]

Haiti does have its problems. So what? Are the Haitian people to be punished?

[Geezer]

The title is such a ridiculously loaded question. Let's turn the tables here.

Say a scientific organisation is sending science books to Haiti. A Christian forum sees the news; posts a thread with the topic title: "You're in Haiti, starving, thirsty. Will a science book help?"

Kinda missing the point of sending the aid, isn't it? Both science books & bibles would be useful to the Haitians & would no doubt be appreciated - people do what they can. If this group are doing what they can, good for them!

GFF - If you think that is true, I suggest we try an experiment.

Let's suppose we drop you off in the middle of a desert without any water or food. We leave you there for a bit, then, we fly a plane over you and drop off some supplies. If the plane can only drop off one type of supply at a time, how would you prioritize this list of supplies?

Water
Food
Medical Supplies
Heat/Cool
Shelter
Personal hygiene products
Something to sleep on
Clean clothes
Security
Bibles
Science books

[glovesforfoxes]

I agree that fresh clean water food shelter is a much more immediate issue than faith. However, a Christian group won't be able to send the equivalent of USS Carl Vinson, will they?

It's a disanalogy Geezer - the aid to Haiti doesn't come one drip at a time. Also, there isn't just one aircraft dropping in that aid.

Look, I'm not saying it's what I would have done. It is better that they have sent these bibles than not - therefore they deserve praise, not ridicule.

[Don_1]

If there were the capacity to handle these Bibles, then fair enough, send them by all means. It is a fact that many people do find comfort and solice (and even direction) through religion. I would not wish to deny believers their right to 'turn to God'. Equally, I would not use the opportunity to say 'if there is a God, then it is He who has brought this pain and suffering upon you'.

But the fact is there is not the capacity to deal with even the more immediate requirements of these unfortunate people as it is. A shipment of Bibles getting in the way can only serve to hamper the aid mission and prolong the suffering.

Yes, people have been thanking God for their survival and praying to Him. Does this fact not show that the believers do not need Bibles? They have their faith. What they need now are the material necessities for survival.

Even if I were a believer, I would have the same opinion, in fact, perhaps more so. Perhaps in 6 or 12 months time, when I begin to question why God had sent such punishment upon me and my already impoverished countryfolk, my faith being tested to the extreme, a Bible might help to reinforce my faith.

[Geezer]

I think it's simply a question of priorities. I have no objection to the folks in NM sending bibles to Haiti once the basic needs of the people have been taken care of. Also, if the Haitians had been crying out for bibles, then let then have bibles. But I think they were crying out for clean water, medical aid, and food, and they still are.