As international aid agencies rush food, water and medicine to Haiti’s earthquake victims, a U.S. faith-based group is sending Bibles to Haitians in their hour of need.
Not any Bible. These are solar-powered audible Bibles that can broadcast the holy scriptures in Haitian Creole to 300 people at a time.
Called the “Proclaimer,” the audio Bible delivers “digital quality” and is designed for “poor and illiterate people,” the Faith Comes By Hearing group said. It added 600 of the devices were already on their way to Haiti.
The Albuquerque-based organization said it was responding to the Haitian crisis by “providing faith, hope and love through God’s Word in audio.”
Providing sectarian evangelism to a people struggling through enormous natural disaster – is not civilized disaster aid.
For the last time they are sending more food and water than they are sending Bibles. Why are you all focusing on what is probably less than five percent of the supplies they are sending?
From their website.: “Convoy of Hope has people positioned on the ground to receive containers of food, clothing and supplies that are being sent to Haiti. They are partnering with churches in Haiti that are ministering to those left in the aftermath of this deadly earthquake. Pastors will receive the Proclaimer units and will use them to minister to groups of hurting and wounded people who need the Word of God in their heart language.”
#31, Benjamin, that 5% of cargo space is far better off being used by things that people can actually use, like water and food and medical supplies, not propaganda.
#24-fpp2002-There is no middle man.
The web site in question is clintonbushhaitifund.org where funds are received by the William J. Clinton Foundation and the Communities Foundation of Texas.
That would be middle men.
%100 of the supplies in that cargo space are things they didn’t have to give at all. Would you think that nothing would better than getting Bibles in with their food and water? I think some of the posters on this blog wouldn’t care if the people in Haiti went hungry or had no water as long as it would stop the Bibles from getting to them.
Tide has an ad about how they went to help Katrina victims by bringing a laundromat truck in. I think those people would be better off with food and water than have the ability to clean their clothes, but the Katrina victims appreciated having clean clothes.
How is that different? Feeding and giving water to the hungry is important, but so is making them feel better. The Bible makes some people feel better. So does having clean clothes.
#32 fpp2002 said, on January 19th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
“#31, Benjamin, that 5% of cargo space is far better off being used by things that people can actually use, like water and food and medical supplies, not propaganda.”
#34, you’re not seriously comparing the Tide laundromat with bibles? At least the laundromat accomplished something useful! And making people feel better should be accomplished by taking the money that it cost to purchase those bibles and put it towards something that people can really use, like shelter. “Awwww, you lost your home and your family? Here’s a bible to make you feel better!” Fuck that.
#35 Fine. They could have sent nothing at all. Instead they sent food, water, supplies, and Bibles. I really do think you would rather they sent nothing at all as long as they didn’t send Bibles. You don’t care about the people of Haiti. Your biggest fear is that someone might get saved by reading the Bible. Satan is at work in your heart.
Are these audio bibles in French and/or Creole?
If not, they will probably just be noise. Not everyone speaks English.
I gather Solar Powered Bibles ranks just below a shoe horn in necessity.
Sigh.
Well, I meant to post a picture above, but that didn’t work. Here’s the link:
Jesus Facepalm
#36, Benjamin: no, I wish they had sent ALL practical supplies. That they sent food and water is great, they just should have not sent propaganda that isn’t going to do ANYTHING, except convince people to spend their time reading ancient literature that tells them everything is really in the control of a make believe friend in the sky, who, although he just killed thousands of people, LOVES YOU!
Reading the bible is just like praying: it accomplishes nothing, but gives people false hope that everything is really going to be OK, as long as you pray hard enough.
From this story which we are all commenting on: “Not any Bible. These are solar-powered audible Bibles that can broadcast the holy scriptures in Haitian Creole to 300 people at a time.”
I think it is safe to assume that the people understand the Haitian Creole language. People spend a great deal of time translating the Bible to other languages to reach people of all backgrounds.
# 37 rickem said, on January 19th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
Are these audio bibles in French and/or Creole?
If not, they will probably just be noise. Not everyone speaks English.
You are kind of condescending. Christians are commanded to share the gospel and feed the hungry. That is why charity exists.
And you are trying to have it both ways. You are saying God caused the tragedy in Haiti, yet you claim He doesn’t exist. Which is it?
fpp2002 said, on January 19th, 2010 at 2:47 pm
“reading ancient literature that tells them everything is really in the control of a make believe friend in the sky, who, although he just killed thousands of people, LOVES YOU!”
#43, Benjamin: I never claimed god caused the earthquake. I said that the bible preaches that god is the cause of everything, including horrible tragedies, and yet he loves you.
YOU can’t have it both ways, ignoring all the bad parts of the bible and focus only on the parts where it says to spread love. That’s what religious people do, they cherry pick from the bible, and conveniently ignore the racist, sexist, violent parts, and most of all, blindly ignore the contradictions.
Benjamin: you are missing the point. Feeding the hungry and clothing the needy is actually useful, as it keeps people alive, possibly long enough to heal their wounds. A paper Bible in this situation is at least useful to perhaps tear out pages to use as compresses.
On the other hand, a Bible iPod that they can’t load up with their favorite tunes is worthless to them.
Many Haitians are baptized Catholic already, and probably aren’t too interested in the King James version of a book that many of them can’t even read.
The Us is sending them tv coverage.. aid, and help, bibles..
what hope you going to give them fool?
Athiest don’t do any good.. research that
Until the Haitians start complaining about getting the bibles, we should all just STFU. k?
#32 fpp2002:
“that 5% of cargo space is far better off being used by things that people can actually use, like water and food and medical supplies, not propaganda.”
You’re a fucking idiot.
If these people are ALREADY Christian, then the bible is NOT propaganda to them!
Get your head out of your ass.
#48, so the posters, flags, etc that the Nazi produced weren’t propaganda?
Is that the best argument you’ve got? That bibles are OK because they aren’t propaganda?
Interesting to know there are actually people who would deny some comfort to 96% of the Haitians who are Christians. Instead explain to them they haven’t a hope because that isn’t quantifiable science. I’ll remember that next time you’re laying bleeding on the side of the road.
RBG
Wow, these guys really know how to market their religion.
Give that dysentery is a threat in Haiti right now, I’d have through a paper bible would have been far, far more useful. Especially those soft, strong and absorbent bibles.
#46, very cheeky…atheists don’t do any good?
These atheists groups are all giving aid:
randi.org
skeptic.com
Richard Dawkins Foundation
SHARE thru the Center for Inquiry
I didn’t check a whole bunch of others…this is a small sampling.
Yeah, I guess you didn’t do any research yourself, did ya bucko?
People People please, I’m sure they can take apart the bibles and make something cool out of them like a spaceship or a green powered boat the get off the island. If the professor and skipper only had a pallet of those bibles they could have gotten off the island way faster.
#34 said, “Would you think that nothing would better than getting Bibles in with their food and water?”
Certainly! I’d rather starve to death than be bored to death.
#47 said, “Until the Haitians start complaining about getting the bibles, we should all just STFU. k?”
Right now they have no avenue to complain so we are doing it for them. Just WTF do you expect these people to do? Look around at all the death and destruction and say, “thank you Jesus?”
#56:
“Just WTF do you expect these people to do?”
I expect that they’re praying. But everyone here is such a jaded asshole that they can’t believe this is a possibility.
Here’s a clue for all you moron atheists:
people like to practice their religion, and they tend to do it more in crises. Sending these people a few bibles is certainly a huge comfort.
ps: I’m an atheist.
#57 – Let’s just send them pictures of Jesus on toast, at least they can eat it.
It looks like Muslim based agencies are outpacing Christian based agencies worldwide.
It seems a little ironic that the one true god, Apollo, is providing the solar power to help spread the religion of a false god. But as long as the Christians serve up food and water along with their generous side dish of irony, the suffering Haitians will no doubt be very grateful.
Apollo has a sense of humor, and finds the solar-powered Bibles amusing.