For all the good that many religious charities are doing, does RELIGION have any responsibility

[rd_kent]

for helping to cause it?

And I do not mean causing the earthquake.

I mean for assisting in causing the overpopulation and poverty that existed in Haiti before the earthquake.

I know, there are MANY other factors that made Haiti what is was, but had religious doctrine not opposed birth control, sex eduction, and medieval thinking, would the situation be as bad as it is?

[gleaner]

1. It is a good question ....

A lot of religions forbid the use of contraceptives and abortion, but in very poor countries you would also have to consider whether contraceptives would be affordable if they were sold, or if people would have access to medical facilities where they could get an abortion. Also, there would have to be education about the availability of reproductive services and how to use them.

I know that many religions actively try to control the reproductive lives of their parishioners, and I oppose that, but culture, education and the general economy factor in as well.

[stray cat]

2. It is a great scape goat for DUers - isn't that a worthy enough purpose for anything?

[bigendian]

4. Good one! n/t

}(

[rd_kent]

11. Scape goat? WHat is a scape goat? Please explain.....

[liberal N proud]

3. It was a natural disaster

Religions had nothing to do with that or the construction practices of the region.

Missionaries were constantly struggling with the government just to be in the country. No blame to be laid here.

[rd_kent]

5. Did you even READ my post?

Specifically the part where I said IT DIDN'T CAUSE THE EARTHQUAKE but contributed to the conditions in Haiti before the earthquake that are making it an even bigger problem now?


No, I guess not.

[liberal N proud]

6. Why would missionaries want those conditions for people

Their mission is to convert people, not keep them in poverty.

But I guess you missed that part of my message.

[darkstar3]

8. There is no stronger motivation for conversion than poverty.

People with nothing are more than happy to listen to a sermon and claim allegiance to any particular god or gods when doing so will provide them with food, water, and possibly shelter. From there, all that's required is repetition in order to start drilling the ideas into their heads.

To be clear, I am simply answering your question on possible motivations for keeping people in poverty, not blaming anyone for any particular action.

[rd_kent]

9. I missed your point entirely. What do missionaries have to do with the fact that 80% of the pop

is catholic, and therefore are taught to NOT USE CONTRACEPTION, NOT HAVE ABORTIONS, etc, and as a result DO contribute significantly to overpopulation and keeps them in poverty.

[TreasonousBastard]

7. Working from the pact with Satan, the Duvaliers and wealthy...

scions of Haiti used voodoo rites to keep the population poor, ignorant and virtually enslaved.

(There are, however, no reliable accounts of zombies actually performing useful work.)

[rd_kent]

10. So you are saying religion DOES have responsibility here?

[TreasonousBastard]

12. Well, I might have been saying that bringing religion into this at all is...

at least as pointless, stupid, and mean spirited as bringing partisan politics into it. Papa Doc and trade policies put Haiti in this position.

(Or, I might have been blaming the zombies.)

[rd_kent]

14. "Bringing" religion into this? Religion was already there! Thats my point.

And I posted this in the R&T forum, where it belongs. This IS a DISCUSSION board, you know, where people pose questions, voice their opinions and have conversations.....

[Lydia Leftcoast]

13. Lack of birth control could have something to do with it, but

birth control and poverty are a vicious circle. When countries become more prosperous and educated, especially when the average woman has the equivalent of a high school education, the birth rate goes down, no matter what the religion of the country. The traditionally Catholic areas of Europe are an example.

Years ago I read that Haiti is 90% illiterate. I can't think of any example of a country with such a high rate of illiteracy lowering its birth rate.

As for the poverty, Haiti was once the most prosperous French colony in the Caribbean. Its history is complex, and there was a lot of outside meddling, foreign exploitation, and U.S. support for a series of rapacious dictators.

In addition, Haiti is not standard-issue Catholic. The folk religion is what is commonly called "voodoo" (actually "Vaudon"), and it is based on the indigenous religions of West Africa, with the gods and goddesses disguised as Catholic saints. (It's basically the same religion as the Santería of the Spanish-speaking Caribbean.