Misplaced Good.
I like those who do good for good’s sake.
I am troubled by those who do good work for an agenda’s sake and the sought after conversion of the vulnerable. When people are down and out, Faith-based charities move in to help and proselytize the needy.
Missionaries do aid the needy, but they also have an agenda.
For example, read what a popular redbubble.com missionary had to say about the recovery of a sick African girl:
“…five days later and God completely healed her. Now as you see, Susan is completely healed”
One can then look at their photo as evidence of this “miracle.”
Show me a ‘miracle’ story, and I will show you one hundred hungry mouths.
Many people in the cyber community are online because they can afford to be. They have money and are not hungry. Some people in this community, however, live overseas amongst the impoverished. These few see many eye-opening events, and, as photographers, tell stories using pictures. Hopefully they provide audiences with a sense of awe or wonderment with beautiful faces, poverty, cultural differences, and empathetic human emotion. However, to simply say God is taking care of it — is ignorant and naïve. I see this as a form of cultural imperialism, and it is simply not fair.
According to the BBC (Oct. 14, 2009) UN food agencies announced that global hunger is at an all-time high. Approximately one billion people are clinging to life while “god sits in the wings.” Just last year, a medically fragile eleven-year old child named Madeline Kara Neumann died because her parents prayed instead of seeking medical care. God did not provide the answers or save this little girl, and the same goes for missionary work. The missionary who comes from a fortunate nation and gives the famished food, water, shelter, love is doing the saving not God.
I do have hope and think our world is beautiful. Photography is a wonderful art which allows me to capture this beauty. That is why I get so aggravated when I see people using it to evangelize. Do these pictures do anything to help the subjects, or simply elicit donations to support the mission?
Do good for goodness sake.
Look into the eyes of a hungry child. Isn’t that enough?
Misplaced Good. by Colinizing Photography with Colin Bo...
Look into the eyes of a hungry child. Isn’t that enough?
Comments
Meanwhile one is beleiving that one “has” a “personal” God. to bargain or contract with, will find that the charity actions are ostly a “security fee” for the soul. And as we are living in a “blame complex” society, the distortion of realitiy with the needs is a misery to the world.
But there is some change in it. We have passed from “christianizing” souls, and so then providing for the welfare for our benefit and afterwards give way to exploitation…to simply cry a little bit, et moved or give some regular money to some organizations. Now there are a lot of non.profit and not biased by religions ONGs….where still… there are great chances to help but have a salary and work under a conctract as well….it is like that. I know … and souls starve for lack of food, but also by an ingent quantity of disharmonies, coming from their education, their tendencies to get into trouble..so…a hungry child is a blow into the stomach…and yes….we must admit that if I am here writing to you…it is under really comfortable circumstances, well fed, well dressed, and with a gorgeous computer and ASL line that it costs me the salary of three families in a year. And that for hearing your voice…which I feel glad. Compassion is good…and even just the echo would get to our ears…well..I bet, something will be achieved.
Thanks.
Rosa
thanks for reading Rosa. All the best.
– Colinizing Photography with Colin Boyd Shafer
I understand exactly what you are saying Colin – however, I’m not sure this sort of (justified) criticism applies to, or is deserved by, all faith based charity organisations. I am involved with a faith based organisation working with disadvantaged people in my own affluent country. We do not trumpet our faith – we do not ask or care about the religion of the people we seek to assist, and we do not talk about religion with them – our faith rather serves to motivate us to be involved and to treat those people as our brothers or sisters.
If that is your personal driving force and nothing is expected of those recieving your kindness than I completely hear what you are saying.
All the best.
– Colinizing Photography with Colin Boyd Shafer
nothing is expected! – we do have hopes they might better their lives, but that has nothing to do with what, if anything, they chose to believe in. All the best in your work!
Very naive analysis. Faith based organizations have saved more starving people than all the secular liberal navel gazers combined. Do good in your own way for your own reasons….
“secular liberal navel gazers” – not sure what you mean by this.
Not once in this article did I mention anything about faith-based charities NOT doing any good.
My problem is with the ‘agenda’.
– Colinizing Photography with Colin Boyd Shafer
A kind response from a good friend working at a school for Sudanese Refugees in Kenya.
Great piece! We’ve had this conversation many times, but I feel you’re here with me in Kenya, and where I just returned from, Southern Sudan! As a non-missionary doing development work in Africa, I am confronted with this issue daily, and I have to say that I find some organizations near-criminal in their 2-handed aid- in one hand some rice… Read More, in the other, a bible and all the restrictions, stories and false promises that come with it. They are told that if they worship their false gods, they will remain poor- if they accept Jesus, he will bear them many gifts. I’ve seen these people who’ve embraced their “saviour”. They’re still dying. They’re still poor. They’re still hungry, and there’s still a drought devastating Africa and pushing millions towards the brink of death. Most of these areas have been colonized & evangelized, and they’re waiting for those promised gifts, for Jesus to “bless” them. Unfortunately, gifts only come when people do, to bring them goods from abroad, to teach them the positive ways of the developed world and to understand them from their own culture’s perspective- to work within their community and traditions, not from outside of it. The shocked look on foreigners faces here when I tell them I’m not with a church still boggles my mind- my response is always, can’t a non-Christian be inspired by impoverished people themselves to help, aid and assist their development? Their response is usually, you’re a missionary, even if you don’t call it that. You’re doing God’s work, even if you don’t yet realize it. It’s that condescending attitude that will eventually do these types of organizations (and they people the seek to indoctrinate) a disservice. To the desperately poor, Jesus is secondary, but survival is essential.
Thank you for spelling this out.
Well done.
Thank you for reading :)
– Colinizing Photography with Colin Boyd Shafer
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Thanks a lot Sally
– Colinizing Photography with Colin Boyd Shafer
Very enlighthened article ….but do understand that all of us do not share the same experience in life , many of us are not brought up the same way and are not exposed to same sort of things in life …thus there are bound to be differences in opinion ..some are even so blinded that they cannot accept the fact that there is more than one truth , there are more than one way and they cannot have any discussion with an open and clear mind…
Indeed there are ‘some’ faith-based charitable organisation that are out there doing what they believe is ‘their God’s work’ and beneath a slice of bread laced with a hidden agenda …within a bowl of rice hides the true intention …that is to spread their religion and to convert this poor people ..so that they so called charitable people will get more brownie points and god-willing will secure a VIP ticket to heaven….But can we actually blame them ? Perhaps they are also a victim themselve without knowing it ?
while there are groups who wanted to extend their religious agenda …there are also groups or individual who wanted to increase their popularity via charity …but let us not forget that there are some who just do charity for charity sake …who do it for the pure joy of knowing that they help put a smile on the face of the less fortunate …
may one day some will realise…will wake up and help for the sake of helping with no hidden intention or hope for something in return …
I wrote a few poems on religions, heaven & earth , karma and helping people …as they are intertwined in a way …have a read when you are free and keep up the photos and writing ;-)
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/4b8c5/#TL
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/4ed04/#TL
It is humbling, and everyone who has a home and food to eat is truly blessed. While it is true, I have not seen the impoverished and the dying of those who live in third world countries, we have alot of poverty and homelessness here in the states. The “Agenda”, I’m not sure what you mean. But I believe God uses the pockets of the rich, or those with an agenda to do good. God Bless you in your work, and in teaching those who are blessed about those who are poor and in need of our help. Thank-you for your wonderful piece. God Bless You and Happy New Year! God willing more will be done for our poor in the world. matty