X-Message-Number: 26429
Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2005 09:44:17 -0400
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: To David Stodolsky and others, too

To David Stodolsky and others who object to what I said about
the Salvation Army:

Your comments are beside the point. Yes, preachers in New Guinea
wanted to convert those who heard them to their religion. That does
not mean that they didn't also do some good things for these 
people too. And frankly, when I thought about it, even converting
these people to 7th Day Adventism gives them ideas and beliefs
10,000 years in advance of what they used to believe.

I wrote my message for Rudi Hoffman, who was bothered by his
association with the Salvation Army because he gave them money
for their charitable work. I do not think that he was doing anything
wrong by his association, and I was explaining why not. Some
(but hardly all) religions do charitable work not just in New
Guinea but also in the US and Australia. They may well be doing
so to get converts, but giving beds and meals to the homeless
still helps them --- nor do I know of any religion which first
requires a homeless person to convert BEFORE giving them shelter
and meals.

Some of you may prefer the State to do such charity. I promise
you that any government doing so will ask far more of those 
to whom it gives charity than any religion. And if you do want
to give something to those who are unfortunate, doing so through
a church is more likely to get to them with minimun cost.
Nor are there any societies of atheists, agnostics, or of those
who are nonreligious which have taken up this kind of charitable
work. (This needs more discussion, but basically I say that
it's true). So if you are a layman and wish to donate a bit of
time and money towards helping others, you find yourself with
the Salvation Army (or some other religious group). Sorry, but
that seems to be the way the world now runs.

          Best wishes and long long life for all,

              Thomas Donaldson

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