Missionaries Quotes
this is a joke Tutu has used, but variants of it exist which are not original to him.
He had concluded that Spain, who then ruled the Philippines, was incompetent, cruel and immoral in its rule, but that the Filipinos were not educated or sophisticated enough to rule themselves. However, he felt that he had to protect our commercial interests in the islands and the region, and was worried that commercial interests of other countries would take over and control the area. Another reason that this is a very important quotation is that it indicates the anti-Catholic bias in America at the time. Note that the President stated that one objective was to “Christianize” them. However, Spain had been in the islands for over 300 years and most Filipinos were already Roman Catholic. However, Roman Catholics were then a much smaller proportion of the American population and many Protestants didn’t think Catholicism was a legitimate Christian Religion. When the majority of Americans thought of Christianizing other people, they thought of Protestant missionaries much like England. At the time there was very little criticism of the President for the “error” of stating that Filipinos should be Christianized when they were so already Spanish Colonial Policy and Practice was generally terrible and particularly so in the Philippines, See {629450}.
Liberia had been founded by American Free Negroes. American religious missionary organizations were very helpful in building the new nation, but they also created their own parochial, religious day schools. And behind the scenes they blocked efforts to establish a public school system. Walker, in America, was trying to get public support for allowing there to be public schools in Liberia.
There are other religious groups that also fear modern secular invasion, so they tend to wall themselves off as do the Amish or have their own schools as many Catholics do. However, the Muslims believe that the danger calls for a jihad and the killing and intimidation of those who advocate, create, defend or spread the secularism. Notice also that Al-Qaradhawi refers to Communism as having destroyed “Muslim countries in Asia and Eurupe.” Many countries of Europe and Asia were fought over by Christians and Ottoman Turks with one side or the other gaining control, only to be displaced by the other in subsequent years. Fundamentalist Muslims therefore think of Albania, Yugoslavia, Crimea, Croatia, and Azerbaijan, for example as Islamic countries because at one point in history they were controlled by a Muslim empire. But that was years ago. When they were invaded by the Russians, Christians, Jews, Muslims, atheists all suffered and not a single country was then controlled by Islam.
This quotation helps to explain the 19th and 20th century hostility of many Chinese to Missionaries and Christians. The missionary involvement in and interference with the Chinese justice system, together with their one-sided advocacy for Christians regardless of rectitude developed a resentment by the majority of Chinese who had a tradition of religious tolerance—see {34001}.
These Christians are hard-line missionaries who have inserted themselves into Islam like a parasite.
This is an important quotation because it reflects the extreme Muslim antipathy toward non Islamic missionaries. An Islamic theocracy like Iran gets itself in a bind over missionaries because Islamic law (Sharia) which they follow requires the Death Penalty for ANY Muslim who converts to another religion. There is no opportunity for repentance; death is required. Of course, modern and reformist Muslims do not follow this Koranic requirement any more than Christians and Jews today will execute for Heresy or Adultery as is required in their Bible. The lack of balance illustrates a very difficult problem other religions have in dealing with Muslims. Christian missionaries who convert Muslims are “parasites.” Muslim missionaries who convert Christians are doing the will of God.
