US Missionaries arrested trafficking "orphans" out of Haiti

[removeduser_487563287433]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8494841.stm

Summary: 10 missionaries have been arrested trying to take Haitian children out of the devestated country. Although the missionaries claimed the children were orphans and they had permission to take them from the country, they had no paperwork and many of the children still have living parents. The Prime Minister of Haiti has described the missionaries as kidnappers, in a country already deeply suspicious of whites.

Now in my opinion these people are stupid rather than evil, and several of the children had been given over by their parents hoping they will have a better life (or more likely wont have to pay for them). But I can't help think their efforts could have been better employed in supporting the relief effort than catching children.

[Taiji]

It's a great example of why we shouldn't suggest people will get an afterlife for 'good' acts.

[Sir Winston Churchill]

It's a great example of why we shouldn't suggest people will get an afterlife for 'good' acts.

No, no I have no idea where you get that. The better phrase is "This is a great example of why we shouldn't suggest people will get an afterlife for good acts and not make sure they understand what those good acts are and what makes them not good."

They wanted to give children a better life, nothing wrong with that. The way they did it was bad. I doubt it has anything to do with religious beliefs.

[cfmonkey45]

Ms Silsby said her group had met a Haitian pastor by chance when they arrived last week, and that he had helped them gather the children. She also admitted that they did not have the proper paperwork.

The director of Haiti's social welfare agency, Jeanne Bernard Pierre, told the Associated Press that the pastor had knocked on doors asking people if they wanted to give away their children.

"One child said to me: 'When they came knocking on our door asking for children, my mom decided to give me away because we are six children and by giving me away she would have only five kids to care for,'" he said.

I find this bit interesting. Also, I find it strange that the title says 10 missionaries, yet internally within the article they only talk about five.

[Monarchist]

How dare those evil Christians try to help people without official government papers? They ought to be executed with a burning cross.

[cfmonkey45]

How dare those evil Christians try to help people without official government papers? They ought to be executed with a burning cross.

I think their beef isn't with them "helping", it's with the children not being orphans, simply some children given away by their parents to a pastor because, according to the children's testimony, their parents couldn't provide for them.

[Mythos]

How dare those evil Christians try to help people without official government papers? They ought to be executed with a burning cross.

I am sure when you have kids you will have the exact same opinion.

[removeduser_487563287433]

How dare those evil Christians try to help people without official government papers? They ought to be executed with a burning cross.

Monarchist, please. Your contempt for "papers" is sweet, but it is what makes this a kidnapping.

[El Brujo]

Doubtless the children would have been adopted by the faithful back in America and would have grown up to be touchy, perpetually angry, and wracked with identity issues. That at least is the normal pattern followed by such children. They're almost certainly better off with their still living families in Haiti.

[Sir Winston Churchill]

Doubtless the children would have been adopted by the faithful back in America and would have grown up to be touchy, perpetually angry, and wracked with identity issues. That at least is the normal pattern followed by such children. They're almost certainly better off with their still living families in Haiti.

Really? Right now Haiti seems like hell.

Hmm...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

or

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

?

[removeduser_487563287433]

Doubtless the children would have been adopted by the faithful back in America and would have grown up to be touchy, perpetually angry, and wracked with identity issues. That at least is the normal pattern followed by such children. They're almost certainly better off with their still living families in Haiti.

Oh yes? In Haiti? The poorest country in the Americas, where half the people who die die from treatable or curable diseases, with a life expectancy about two decades below that of the USA?

[El Brujo]

Oh yes? In Haiti? The poorest country in the Americas, where half the people who die die from treatable or curable diseases, with a life expectancy about two decades below that of the USA?

If they were simply immigrants they'd probably benifit enormously from moving to America. However, third world adoptees raised by evangelicals tend to become emo wannabe ghetto gangsters who never find peace with themselves. Probably a better fate than eating mud cookies in Haiti, but it would still be an overall negative experience for all involved. Assuming it followed the general trend of course; there are always outliers.

[justicar5]

How dare those evil Christians try to help people without official government papers? They ought to be executed with a burning cross.

how dare they kidnap children actually. They where nieve rather than evil, but their actions where at best highly idiotic and at worst child kidnapping. Taking children away from their parents to educate them in your religion/politics is never justified (unless in cases of child abuse which this clearly was not), especially when it looks like there where no plans to return the children or allow them contact with their parents, more I think about it the more like kidnapping it looks

[Ó Cathasaigh]

I see this as good people trying to do good deeds without Government red tape.

Stupid? Perhaps.

Evil? No.

Bad? Not really.

[Taiji]

I see this as good people trying to do good deeds without Government red tape.

Stupid? Perhaps.

Evil? No.

Bad? Not really.

How can it be stupid and not bad?... I wonder if you changed your mind around 'evil'...

[cfmonkey45]

Then again, we're the armchair jury, damning or affirming them with virtually no cohesive and empirical evidence apart from a BBC report, written by someone who could potentially have dubious opinions and agendas that could potentially bias them.

[Taiji]

...written by someone who could potentially have dubious opinions and agendas that could potentially bias them.

Sounds like everything ever written, nicely pointed out

[Arch-hereticK]

The stupid part was getting caught.

[motiv-8]

Sure, you could touch upon the material differences between Haiti and the U.S., but it'd be so much more fun to comment on the wild, ridiculous generalization thrust upon the character of adopted children.

[Ó Cathasaigh]

How can it be stupid and not bad?... I wonder if you changed your mind around 'evil'...

Stupid as in not well thought out. Evil and Stupid are not the same, you know.