Christian Cannibals
Even the most tender-hearted, well-meaning, western Christian charitable idea has its critics. Google your favorite western based charity plus the word "bad" and you'll find it.
Whether you support..
Well-diggers.
Shoe-givers.
Corn Farmers.
Rice Cookers.
Shelter builders.
Peace troops.
Adopt-a-kid
or
Sex-traffic-vigilantes..
There is likely someone out there exceptionally critical of your favorite charity.
In my personal fight against cynicism, I'm noticing a brand of faith that makes me sad and is very hard to combat. I don't know what else to call it, so I named it Christian Cannibalism. It's a very popular form of hipster-cynicism that vilifies western Christian effort in second and third world cultures. They use words like etho-centric, white-guilt, wealth-burden, toxic charity, and feel-good. They get their energy and self-esteem by sitting on the sidelines and ripping the charitable people new ones. On the sidelines its easy to find all kinds of ways that someone doing it is doing it wrong.
I get it. I do. You went to college and heard about the huge let downs of the past or you read an article about how bad some places were left by ignorant people doing what they thought was good. I'm down with the ideas. Its important to make sure that what you're doing is the best possible option for the people you serve. Will it make them stronger? Will it give them hope? Will they be better off having known you and the work of the organization you represent? So important to make sure that you aren't harming people!
I don't much mind the thoughtful servant. I dont think you can give TOO MUCH thought to what youre doing. I encourage that, really. Think before you act. Consider before you serve. PLEASE! I do mind a different breed. They take the criticism too far. It moves from mindful gut checks to a mocking intensity with the heavy stench of arrogance that really just discourages the average volunteer from helping anyone.
Here's a graph...I made it up.
Here's the thing. Organizational founders are constantly accused of starting their charities out of some sense of guilt or some desire to just feel good, not a real desire to help. They are accused by people who say THEY are just trying to help, but who are probably just trying to look smart in front of all the "suckers" giving their money to the wrong places. (we point out in others what we find wrong within ourselves.)
And that's the problem, if we really are brainwashed western rich people then nothing we say can ever be coherent. Nothing we do can ever be pure-hearted. Nothing we have ever done matters. Ever.
I really don't believe that's true.
Maybe I'm just naive.
But I believe that many white missionaries have done great things.
I believe the smiles on the faces of people struggling in poverty getting TOMS.
I think lives are changed when we dig wells in Africa.
I feel like there are grateful people in Haiti who had homes built for them.
Sometimes people really do just need to eat.
Sometimes a simple gift can change people's lives.
Sometimes a week long missions trip can transform a young boy's heart and relieve the stress of long term missionaries.
I think women and boys trapped in sex slavery don't care where their rescuers call home.
And I do believe that God uses all kinds of things to touch all kinds of people, even evil corrupt Americans.
So I vote you go buy the get one give one shoes. Sell your birthday to buy fresh water for people. Adopt an Indonesian kid through a compassionate ministry...and give give give. Just pray before you pay, check your own motives, then say YES!!
Whether you support..
Well-diggers.
Shoe-givers.
Corn Farmers.
Rice Cookers.
Shelter builders.
Peace troops.
Adopt-a-kid
or
Sex-traffic-vigilantes..
There is likely someone out there exceptionally critical of your favorite charity.
In my personal fight against cynicism, I'm noticing a brand of faith that makes me sad and is very hard to combat. I don't know what else to call it, so I named it Christian Cannibalism. It's a very popular form of hipster-cynicism that vilifies western Christian effort in second and third world cultures. They use words like etho-centric, white-guilt, wealth-burden, toxic charity, and feel-good. They get their energy and self-esteem by sitting on the sidelines and ripping the charitable people new ones. On the sidelines its easy to find all kinds of ways that someone doing it is doing it wrong.
I get it. I do. You went to college and heard about the huge let downs of the past or you read an article about how bad some places were left by ignorant people doing what they thought was good. I'm down with the ideas. Its important to make sure that what you're doing is the best possible option for the people you serve. Will it make them stronger? Will it give them hope? Will they be better off having known you and the work of the organization you represent? So important to make sure that you aren't harming people!
I don't much mind the thoughtful servant. I dont think you can give TOO MUCH thought to what youre doing. I encourage that, really. Think before you act. Consider before you serve. PLEASE! I do mind a different breed. They take the criticism too far. It moves from mindful gut checks to a mocking intensity with the heavy stench of arrogance that really just discourages the average volunteer from helping anyone.
Here's a graph...I made it up.
Here's the thing. Organizational founders are constantly accused of starting their charities out of some sense of guilt or some desire to just feel good, not a real desire to help. They are accused by people who say THEY are just trying to help, but who are probably just trying to look smart in front of all the "suckers" giving their money to the wrong places. (we point out in others what we find wrong within ourselves.)
And that's the problem, if we really are brainwashed western rich people then nothing we say can ever be coherent. Nothing we do can ever be pure-hearted. Nothing we have ever done matters. Ever.
I really don't believe that's true.
Maybe I'm just naive.
But I believe that many white missionaries have done great things.
I believe the smiles on the faces of people struggling in poverty getting TOMS.
I think lives are changed when we dig wells in Africa.
I feel like there are grateful people in Haiti who had homes built for them.
Sometimes people really do just need to eat.
Sometimes a simple gift can change people's lives.
Sometimes a week long missions trip can transform a young boy's heart and relieve the stress of long term missionaries.
I think women and boys trapped in sex slavery don't care where their rescuers call home.
And I do believe that God uses all kinds of things to touch all kinds of people, even evil corrupt Americans.
So I vote you go buy the get one give one shoes. Sell your birthday to buy fresh water for people. Adopt an Indonesian kid through a compassionate ministry...and give give give. Just pray before you pay, check your own motives, then say YES!!
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