I also don’t think that it is patronising to suggest that people who have just suffered a major natural disaster are vulnerable. Of course they are capable of making their own judgements. All I’m saying is that these judgements needn’t be influenced by someone else’s prejudices. I stand by the third paragraph in the last comment.

Stu :“No it isn’t. However, reasonable people baulk at the fact that these organisations are spending time and money – which could be used to alleviate suffering – to spead their ‘word’ whilst Haitians are dying! Also, they’re not distributing aid at the same time. .
The thing that sickens me the most is that wherever I look I see the religious rushing in to any disaster zone to exploit the vulnerable and convert those who are at their lowest ebb.
So, no this isn’t the most important issue but it is one that reasonable people should be very wary of.

Actually, there is a reference in the ‘Faith comes by hearing’ website to practical aid.

And I think the assumption that the ‘vulnerability’ of the Haitians is being exploited suggests a fairly patronising view that they are incapable of making their own judgements (and I’d say exactly the same if Cuba or China or the USA were sending political propaganda).

No it isn’t. However, reasonable people baulk at the fact that these organisations are spending time and money – which could be used to alleviate suffering – to spead their ‘word’ whilst Haitians are dying! Also, they’re not distributing aid at the same time. Faith comes by hearing are not spending any money on helping people – just making sure they have plenty of bibles.

The thing that sickens me the most is that wherever I look I see the religious rushing in to any disaster zone to exploit the vulnerable and convert those who are at their lowest ebb.

So, no this isn’t the most important issue but it is one that reasonable people should be very wary of.

The Red Cross and most of the charities that form the Disasters Emergency Committee were founded by religious organisations.

If it wasn’t for the religious organisations and national governments (whose actions are rarely disinterested) there probably wouldn’t be a recovery process.

Is the fact that some religious organisations are distributing bibles along with aid really the most important issue to arise from the Haitian disaster?

Shouldn’t we be asking why a country that could conceivably be reasonably secure and prosperous, is so vulnerable to disaster?

Don’t get me wrong, a lot of religious organisations have been doing outstanding work out there (CAFOD and Christian Aid to name but two). Also, if I imagine that the christians out there want as many pastors on hand as possible.

But this is ridiculous. Let’s get the injuries, homelessness, and disease sorted first. Anything else is to put the people of haiti’s needs second before our own society’s wants.