Jan 22, 2010 -- 4:47PM, Audiobible wrote:

Thanks for the spirited discussion surrounding this topic.  There's a lot of misinformation and speculation out there. 

First, this organization is not displacing ANY disaster relief supplies, none.  These audio bibles are still in the states being sent to a major disaster relief group who will deliver them in the coming weeks.  This group is transporting these down in three waves and distributing them to local pastors that they have established relationship with.

2d, this organization has been working with Haitians since 1986.  They aren't trying to save or proselytize anyone there.  Haiti is 90% Christian with many, many stories of these faithful people singing praises to God well into the night and praising God for what little they have left after this tragic earthquake.

FCBH's focus is on the poor and illiterate.  They work with the poorest of the poor in more than 150 countries around the world.

I'm sure there will be much more that people want to discuss.  

Hello Audiobible, the google gods must have told you there was some heated discussion about this topic and a question of  your motives. I'm glad you joined Beliefnet so you could discuss this. You could have chosen to ignore the criticisim but chose to confront it. Well done!

Despite what SOME of your staunchest "defenders" :rollseyes  have claimed, my issue isn't so much with the distribution of Bibles, although that is not what I would choose to focus on. My critique  was primarily on the basis that badly needed medicine, food and water would be DISPLACED by your audio bibles. I'm glad you've clarified this matter.

I understand that everyone has their own coping mechanism when life hits you hard... Some folk build up their inner resources with god stuff, others meditate while others find refuge in art, nature, loved ones, animals, etc....

I'm also glad to know that your intentions are NOT to convert Haitians... Who are Catholic... I understand your PROTESTANT congregation is the Assembly of God? There's so many Protestant sects to keep track of, I don't know too much about the AoG... I'm heartened to hear you don't proselytize, but curious about the version of the Bible you send.  Can I assume your group is NOT one of those Protestant sects that claims Catholics aren't "real Christians"?

All this "not real Christian" nonsense has resulted in a lot of Christian on Christian violence for centuries... One of the primary movers behind our Constitutional separation of Church and State, but that's another thread.

Thanks again for stopping by,

AS

It's unfortunate if the Proclaimers don't have the OT.This might be a good time for hearing the Book of Job.

An interesting thing about Bibles is that most Christians  really do not read much of it.  You really need to know something about the Bible and where to find stuff, unless you want someone bogged down in the laws or Deuteronomy or the begats of Numbers.  The Bible readings in church tend to come from the Gospels, a few epistles and Acts, and Psalms.  

It would be interesting to me to know how these would be helpful in an emergency. It sure seems to me that you would not want to give them to someone who would not be able to find the parts that might provide or consolation and end up listening to Leviticus because it comes after Genesis.  

Jan 22, 2010 -- 7:21PM, koolpoi wrote:

Many Haitians have been buried alive since the quake awaiting rescue or death. The high quality digital sound of these audio Bibles might be the only thing reaching them from the outside world. The words may offer comfort or strength while they wait in the dark.

And mask any noise they might make that would let rescuers know they're there.

One farfetched scenario is as good as another.