Often missionary work is associated, if not directly tied, to humanitarian work in areas of crisis. However, it’s important to differentiate to the two and how they could both be used to help create a balance. It is important for individuals to clearly identify whether they are an aid worker or missionaries so, that it clarify what types of missions you have for the people. However, it wouldn’t hurt to share similar agendas to help them get back on their feet and start the development. There are different views on missionary work being associated with humanitarian work. The most obvious one is that missionaries are set out to convert communities to their religions and humanitarian aid is a way to do so. It’s true that missionaries have “given
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The help that missionary work bring is individuals whose conviction leads them to volunteer or find a job in an RNGOs with the same faith tradition as theirs. However, help also come from volunteers and workers who join NGOs simply because helping those in need have a spiritual meaning to them and resonate with their personal belief (Walker, The role of spirituality in humanitarian crisis survival and recovery). Personally, being someone who is not religious, but spiritual, in some sense, I agree that we should try to transition from religious to spiritual reasons behind humanitarian work. My reason for this is because we can’t say for sure people convert because they accept the religion that missionaries work hard to get them to understand in their own local language or if the reason behind it is solely for aid for development, which is false believers. I believe that both plays into it because they could be accepting this new religion because they believe it would help them get out of their crisis, or, at least, get them started on moving forward. Also, I would include that it is empowering to be in a position where you have control over an institution and this could add to why communities are some accepting to missionary work. Instead, the work and aid provided should be due to personal beliefs and spiritual meaning that the volunteer or worker receive from the things they are doing. Also, by focusing more on spiritual meaning, instead of religious convictions, we won’t be devaluing their culture, custom, and their own personal beliefs by forcing or encouraging them to believe in our
The help that missionary work bring is individuals whose conviction leads them to volunteer or find a job in an RNGOs with the same faith tradition as theirs. However, help also come from volunteers and workers who join NGOs simply because helping those in need have a spiritual meaning to them and resonate with their personal belief (Walker, The role of spirituality in humanitarian crisis survival and recovery). Personally, being someone who is not religious, but spiritual, in some sense, I agree that we should try to transition from religious to spiritual reasons behind humanitarian work. My reason for this is because we can’t say for sure people convert because they accept the religion that missionaries work hard to get them to understand in their own local language or if the reason behind it is solely for aid for development, which is false believers. I believe that both plays into it because they could be accepting this new religion because they believe it would help them get out of their crisis, or, at least, get them started on moving forward. Also, I would include that it is empowering to be in a position where you have control over an institution and this could add to why communities are some accepting to missionary work. Instead, the work and aid provided should be due to personal beliefs and spiritual meaning that the volunteer or worker receive from the things they are doing. Also, by focusing more on spiritual meaning, instead of religious convictions, we won’t be devaluing their culture, custom, and their own personal beliefs by forcing or encouraging them to believe in our