Billy Graham’s Proselytizing Vultures Swoop in after Tornadoes

[cleanhippie]

John D. Rockefeller once said that he always tried to turn every disaster into an opportunity. Billy Graham’s cultists sure take that to heart!

As Midwesterners try to dig out from the devastating tornadoes of last week, Billy Graham’s Rapid Response Team sees in the shredded homes, flattened trees, and devastated lives not a disaster, but an opportunity.

Opportunity to gain converts, that is.

Mere hours after tornadoes cut swaths of death and destruction across Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio and Alabama, Franklin Graham’s Samaritan’s Purse team — which does actual work, like helping cut up downed trees — had arrived, with the “Rapid Response Team” in tow. Their job? To proselytize to traumatized people while they’re vulnerable. Like con men showing up at funerals seeking wealthy widows, they’re after the easy marks.

"We are seeing where they are in their struggles, we are letting them know that we care about them, and that Jesus loves them. We want to help them get through the struggle – we are there to pray for them, to minister to them, and help them if they need to contact a church or other support networks in the area . . .”

[T]he response chaplains generally get is that people start looking at life from a different perspective – an eternal one."Where they were previously caught up in the business of daily life, living life day by day with no thought of eternity – now they have been faced with the fragility of life, and how life can be turned in a moment," Stiles commented.

Stiles continued, "A lot of the times we go in expecting people to be angry, and asking why God allowed this, or why didn’t God stop this – but we really don’t get that a lot . . . We are finding people who are searching.

"It gives us an opportunity to explain how much God loves them, how much God cares and has a plan for their life. It allows them to loosen the grip on this life and look to the promises the Lord has made to them."

http://www.secularnewsdaily.com/2012/03/09/billy-grahams-proselytizing-vultures-swoop-in-after-tornadoes/

[Archae]

1. I'm not suprised in the least.

I just posted an article about how that "KONY 2012" group is an evangelizing front.

[jwirr]

21. So that whole thing on the news is fake?

[cleanhippie]

23. No, the Kony 2012 video is as real as real gets. What is fake is the group, Invisible Children...

that is behind the video.

[jwirr]

26. Okay, that is different.

[billybob537]

2. God loves you

Thats why he destroyed your neighborhood and killed your friends????

[cleanhippie]

4. Yes, apparently so.

[SDjack]

9. And, signed 'em up to pay Rev. Billy 10% of their income for life. n/t

[hifiguy]

3. If I had just lost my home and one of those assholes

came up to me telling me how much gawd and jeebus loved me I would kick them in the balls so hard they'd have to undo their tie to take a leak for the next year. And then punch them square in the face for good measure.

[cleanhippie]

5. But, but, but...That is not showing respect for their deeply held religious beliefs.

Many, some even right here on DU, would label you as "militant", "intolerant", and even "bigoted" for your comments.

[hobbit709]

6. My attitude about religious freedom is.

"Your religious freedom ends about a foot in front of your nose. Poke it any closer to mine and don't be surprised at what happens next."

[hifiguy]

10. Bingo.

These idjits should either pitch in and do something useful to help the disaster victims or disappear, and pronto. If religious folks want to be of aid and assistance I have no problem with that. Using a disaster and the ensuing human misery as an opportunity for proselytyzing traumatized people is morally revolting on a molecular level.

[Archae]

7. Cults love using disasters...

To recruit or preach.

The Phelps brood.

Scientologists.

Etc...

[gratuitous]

8. And what else would Secular News Daily report on?

I'm sure they'll do a follow up report that analyzes the work of (just one example out of many) Brethren Disaster Relief just any time now, right?

Oooh listen! Crickets!

There's a word for this sort of reportage, but I'm not allowed to call it what it is according to our faultless DU juries.

[sudopod]

11. lol, don't be mad. nt

[gratuitous]

13. You're right

It's really quite nice to hear carping from know-nothing, do-nothing blockheads. The fact that they don't lift a finger to help folks who are spending their own time and money to provide relief makes it all the better when they focus on one small group and impute their behavior to all the people of faith helping out in the area.

Secular News Daily really puts 'em in their place, by golly! I'm sure it's a great comfort to the victims.

[sudopod]

15. Edit: Whoops! Mixed up threads! Was replying to that Kony 2012 stuff. nt

[gratuitous]

17. I guess we've been doing it all wrong, then

Here we've been, donating money, sending people to Haiti, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and Wisconsin to provide child care services, rebuild houses, prepare and serve food, and support others doing likewise. Are you saying that, like the folks at Secular Daily News we could have just bought bracelets? And complaining about people who are actually on the scene must be like at least a 5x multiplier!

Wait 'til I tell the people at church, in the District and on Standing Committee! That fraud Jesus clearly had it all wrong (Matthew 23:4). I can't say WHAT we were thinking.

[sudopod]

18. Edit: Same as above. However, with respect to the topic at hand...

I don't really blame the missionaries all that much. Successful memes want to spread, and they do best when their potential hosts are in a transitional phase of their life. That's why recruiters for various religions and movements hang out at airports and bus stations. I don't see how criticizing this activity takes away from the good work that the people do; after all, the organization itself will tell you that the two activities are entirely separate.

Also, I imagine that this feeling isn't limited to the godless. One imagines that people of other faiths would also have an equally unhappy view.

[sudopod]

16. Edit: Same as above! Sorry! nt

[libtodeath]

12. Nothing has done more

damage to or is a greater danger to this country then these fundy terrorist assholes.
The only part of their fairy tale I would hope is true is hell so they can burn in it.

[nanabugg]

14. Frankly (not a pun) I don't have a problem with this. This is what professing Christians ought to

do. If they gain some converts, so what, as long as people are being helped physically and emotionally. It's much more helpful that sitting behind a computer screen typing critical messages of those who are actually doing something...and that includes me.

[ncteechur]

19. First, don't necessarily lump franklin graham with his father, Billy. Franklin is not anywhere

as great as his father. Lawrence O'Donnell had a stinging piece about this a couple weeks ago.

Second, while I don't agree with the evangelism of Franklin Graham, I can't take issue with Samaritan's Purse or other organizations such as the Baptist Men's Organization who provide disaster relief. They can be a great help in a time of great need, proselytizing or not.
They feel that is one way they are called to serve God and Christ because that is what they believe in. Why does disaster relief need to be absolutely secular?

[Manifestor_of_Light]

20. More info about Samaritan's Purse. And not flattering.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080324143322AA2inNG


.Samaritan's Purse (Billy/Franklin Graham's charity group. Both Billy and Franklin Graham have been known to espouse dominionist statements in past, Franklin especially so. Per a report from someone who has sought employment with them. non-dominionists are not considered for employment and employees are required to have a reference from a pastor as well as a "testimonial of faith" on resumes for employment.

Also is working with known dominionist group Traditional Values Coalition in promoting a "refugee adoption" scheme that requires statements of faith from both participating churches and refugees. Numerous reports of forced evangelism, in particular targeting children; a major part of Samaritan's Purse's operation in fact focuses on "convert or starve" targeting of children, including "sheep-stealing" from children who are attendees of mainstream Christian churches (extensive information in this Dark Christianity post--a full discussion would require a dedicated post on DailyKos).

Frank Graham has been noted as promoting concept of Hurricane Katrina being God's retribution on New Orleans. Is known to have explicitly partnered with FGBMFI (an Assemblies of God frontgroup known infamously for interference in Latin American and US politics) in the FGBMFI's attempts to interfere in the inner affairs of nations on a worldwide basis. Has promoted Iraqi War and Israeli bombing of Hizbillah sites in Lebanon as "God softening the hearts" of Iraqis.

Has promoted the attempted genocide of the Kurdish people (during Gulf War I) as a missionary opportunity. Maintains links to dominionist "parallel economy" alternatives to mainstream medicine (including the "Christian Medical and Dental Association", written about here.)

[jwirr]

22. I once supported the Samaritan's Purse boxes for children for Christmas because I remember filling

boxes for children when I was a child 70 years ago but then I took a look at a site that rated charitable giving and he does NOT have a good rating.

I think that one needs to be careful about dissing all churches because of him. There are many churches that do come to help for all the right reasons.

I for one am a Lutheran woman who goes to the church once a week to make quilts for World Relief for disasters that occur around the world. I know that they are needed because we cannot make them fast enough. But considering how many huge natural disasters we have been having I guess that is not surprising. When there is a disaster we all need to do our part but harrassing people with a "conversion message" is not part of what is needed.

[Union Scribe]

24. At least part of their mission does something

which is a fat lot more than most of the people who look at them and turn their noses up. Same thing when people complain about prayers at soup kitchens or whatever and it's like, well what are you doing to feed people? No? Then STFU.

[cleanhippie]

25. I actually do a lot to feed people. Do I still need to STFU?

I work at a food bank twice a month and give food to people that need it.