More to missions
(In response to Austin Yost’s Feb. 25 column, “Missionary works double sided.”)
The close-minded opinion you expressed can only be described as fallacious at best. You propose that missionaries’ work regarding charitable acts should not be glorified as altruistic since their agenda is to propagate their religious message, yet this is a skewed perception of the work they do.
Missionaries could very well just spread their gospel and be off to the next salvation destination, but they choose to also aid the people of the area they are servicing. It is not part of their job to act as a charity, they do this in addition to their directive to serve as a religious witness.
Imagine being sent to a destitute country for your job — it could be any job, not just missionary work— and in the course of your duties, you come across countless people in need. Wouldn’t it be logical to assume that you’d be moved to help them, regardless of your job position?
Although it is true that many missionaries come prepared with charitable goods to distribute to their targeted populace, it does not mean that their altruism is fueled by a drive to convert. It is simply out of the goodness of their hearts that they act charitably. Although it is also common sense that their gospel itself molds their morality to be altruistic, the same can be said of our societal expectations. I doubt that a bowl of rice and a set of clothes will seal the deal for any on-the-fence converts.
Brett Summers Undergraduate
