Christian Missionary killed by tribe on north sentinel island

Started by Munch, November 24, 2018, 11:29:32 AM

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Gawdzilla Sama

I never feel sorry for idiots. Back in '71 a skypilot told me that "God is watching out for you." After the number of body bags I'd seen leaving our base I didn't care much for that shit. And I told him so. After a bit of spirited debate he offered to prove that God was "with us" and he'd prove it. We left on patrol with about 200 pounds of bullshit sitting on the stern and radiating confidence. To make a long story short there was one more body bag on the helos that night.
We 'new atheists' have a reputation for being militant, but make no mistake  we didn't start this war. If you want to place blame put it on the the religious zealots who have been poisoning the minds of the  young for a long long time."
PZ Myers

Mike Cl

Quote from: Hydra009 on November 25, 2018, 01:17:53 AM
I wasn't going to talk about this, cause I don't want to seem callous about someone's death or worse, cheer about it when that person wasn't a mass murderer or anything particularly heinous.

But god damn, this guy was told not to go there, had to evade naval patrols designed to stop him from getting there, got shot at before that fatal day, etc.  All the warning signs were there.

And the cherry on top is that he likely knew that this isolated tribe does NOT have any resistance to foreign diseases.  So all it takes is one cough - one sneeze - one handshake - and they're all toast.  That's incredibly irresponsible.  Even the rare visits by anthropologists take great care to minimize any health risks to the natives - limiting their visit time, staying away if they show the slightest symptoms of even a mild cold, etc.

Then I read about how the victim's family "forgives" their son's killers and I think to myself, did the Sentinelese actually commit a crime, either morally or legally?  From their perspective, they're just defending themselves from foreign intrusion.  The person who should've been asking for forgiveness is the missionary, who trespassed and ignored mortal peril in the arrogant belief that he was under some sort of divine protection and guidance.  That's who should've asked for forgiveness.  Of course, that's impossible now.

And then I read about how the victim's family "doesn't seek justice" in this case.  Well, I should hope not!  First off, India's laws don't apply to the Sentinelese.  And besides, what are Indian authorities supposed to do, launch a police raid and round up natives for trial?  Would any accused natives even understand the court proceedings?  And the purpose of laws from their very first inception is to protect people.  That protection is provided by warning people away from the island - ignoring those warnings and doing whatever you want anyway is basically the same as walking around Chernobyl or jumping in a tiger enclosure.  You violated the law.  You took the risk.  Whatever happens is your fault, you can't pass the blame.

The sheer arrogance and entitlement of this whole thing really annoys me.  Just because you purport a holy cause doesn't mean you can ignore the law, endanger the lives of yourself and other people, ignore the wishes of the people you're "helping", and trespass on land that doesn't belong to you.  This is the same sort of mentality that ruined the lives of a bunch of natives in the past.  Must we repeat these mistakes?

................But God.................
The hubris of shit like this just makes me furious!  I feel as you do.........
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?<br />Then he is not omnipotent,<br />Is he able but not willing?<br />Then whence cometh evil?<br />Is he neither able or willing?<br />Then why call him god?

Baruch

Quote from: pr126 on November 25, 2018, 05:40:21 AM
But not you supposed to eat them

Eating Gentiles isn't kosher, I am not sure about eating Jews ;-)
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

Baruch

Quote from: SGOS on November 25, 2018, 07:46:47 AM
The arrogance of the whole thing has bothered me from the start.  I feel bad that the guy was killed, but that kind of arrogance is exactly the kind of thing that gets people into trouble.  He was at fault.  Granted, he didn't realize he would likely be killed because he believed his opinion was so important.  Such is the power of opinion carried to extreme.
That adds another layer of arrogance on top of the original.  I'm sorry for the family.  Maybe they can use the experience to understand why medaling in the lives of others is not as glorious as they believe.  They won't of course.

Ah, but the arrogance and entitlement of socialist drug addicts is fine (not accusing you)?  Yes, hubris is bad.  But it is more than just brain dead evangelism.
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

Gawdzilla Sama

If you don't do drugs I'm at a total loss to explain your posts.
We 'new atheists' have a reputation for being militant, but make no mistake  we didn't start this war. If you want to place blame put it on the the religious zealots who have been poisoning the minds of the  young for a long long time."
PZ Myers

Baruch

Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on November 25, 2018, 12:12:44 PM
If you don't do drugs I'm at a total loss to explain your posts.

H2O is a molecule.  An overdose will kill you.

You probably know, that all addictions are actually about brain chemicals, and that all sorts of things, both molecules and behavior patterns stimulate that joy ride.  Yeah, I have my own addictions.  So I won't give people too much trouble for what they imbibe or smoke, other than counseling moderation in all things.
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

Unbeliever

One less God-bothering brain-dead faith-head on the planet is fine by me.
God Not Found
"There is a sucker born-again every minute." - C. Spellman

Baruch

Quote from: Unbeliever on November 25, 2018, 05:27:11 PM
One less God-bothering brain-dead faith-head on the planet is fine by me.

Cruel?  Well Satan approves then.
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

Shiranu

Quote from: Baruch on November 25, 2018, 01:32:43 PM
H2O is a molecule.  An overdose will kill you.

You probably know, that all addictions are actually about brain chemicals, and that all sorts of things, both molecules and behavior patterns stimulate that joy ride.  Yeah, I have my own addictions.  So I won't give people too much trouble for what they imbibe or smoke, other than counseling moderation in all things.

I'm not going to lie Baruch, I honestly have had a hard time understanding some of your posts lately. I don't know if that's an intentional perplexity or not, but I have noticed it lately.
"A little science distances you from God, but a lot of science brings you nearer to Him." - Louis Pasteur

Hydra009

One thing I found out after reading more about this:  the missionary went to Oral Roberts University.  In response to the incident, they had this to say:

"Oral Roberts University alumni have gone to the uttermost bounds of the earth for the last 50 years bringing hope and healing to millions"

There's a curious lack of caution or admonishment that missionaries should heed the wishes of the people they're trying to "bring hope and healing" to.  Instead, they're extolling the virtues of their missionaries going to "the uttermost bounds of the earth" - places like North Sentinel Island.

Hmmm...it almost seems as if this wasn't wholly his idea...

Baruch

Quote from: Shiranu on November 26, 2018, 06:54:10 AM
I'm not going to lie Baruch, I honestly have had a hard time understanding some of your posts lately. I don't know if that's an intentional perplexity or not, but I have noticed it lately.

Not intentional.
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

Baruch

Quote from: Hydra009 on November 26, 2018, 12:13:22 PM
One thing I found out after reading more about this:  the missionary went to Oral Roberts University.  In response to the incident, they had this to say:

"Oral Roberts University alumni have gone to the uttermost bounds of the earth for the last 50 years bringing hope and healing to millions"

There's a curious lack of caution or admonishment that missionaries should heed the wishes of the people they're trying to "bring hope and healing" to.  Instead, they're extolling the virtues of their missionaries going to "the uttermost bounds of the earth" - places like North Sentinel Island.

Hmmm...it almost seems as if this wasn't wholly his idea...

There is a false messianic notion, that once the last non-Christian hears the Gospel, then the world will come to an end.  It has only been kept going by G-d, because that hasn't been accomplished yet.  A bit like the Arthur C Clarke story, The Nine Billions Names of God.
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

SGOS

Quote from: Hydra009 on November 26, 2018, 12:13:22 PM
One thing I found out after reading more about this:  the missionary went to Oral Roberts University.  In response to the incident, they had this to say:

"Oral Roberts University alumni have gone to the uttermost bounds of the earth for the last 50 years bringing hope and healing to millions"

There's a curious lack of caution or admonishment that missionaries should heed the wishes of the people they're trying to "bring hope and healing" to.  Instead, they're extolling the virtues of their missionaries going to "the uttermost bounds of the earth" - places like North Sentinel Island.

Hmmm...it almost seems as if this wasn't wholly his idea...
I'm sure he had help.  It's not like people live in a vacuum and come up with these ideas all by themselves.

_Xenu_

I don't understand why they are trying to recover the body. Even he said not to do that.
Click this link once a day to feed shelter animals. Its free.

http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/ars/home

Unbeliever

Maybe they believe that without a Christian burial he won't go to Heaven?

But that makes no sense, since he would presumably have met their other criteria for inclusion among "the saved."

But then, very few of their beliefs make sense.
God Not Found
"There is a sucker born-again every minute." - C. Spellman