Biblical Faith: Rational/Irrational? - 'God, I don't want to die,' U.S. missionary wrote before he w
An American missionary trying to meet and convert one of the most isolated hunter-and-gatherer tribes in the world offered them fish and other small gifts before the tribesmen killed him and buried his body on the beach, journals and emails show.John Allen Chau, 26, of Vancouver Washington, an Instagram adventurer who also led missionary trips abroad, traveled to the Andaman Islands - an Indian territory in the Bay of Bengal - this month to make contact with members of the tiny Sentinelese tribe, police said. The tribe, who have remained alone for centuries, reject contact with the wider world and react with hostility and violence to attempts by outsiders to interact with them. The island is off-limits to visitors under Indian law.
Chau's riveting journal of his last days, shared with The Post by his mother, shows a treacherous journey by dark in a small fishing boat to the area where the small tribe lived in huts. The men - about 5 feet-5 inches tall with yellow paste on their faces, Chau wrote - acted angrily to his presence as he tried to attempt to speak their language and sing "worship songs" to them, he wrote.
"I hollered, 'My name is John, I love you and Jesus loves you,' " he wrote in his journal. One of the juveniles shot at him with an arrow, which pierced his waterproof Bible, he wrote.
"You guys might think I'm crazy in all this but I think it's worthwhile to declare Jesus to these people," he wrote in a last note to his family on Nov. 16, shortly before he left the safety of the fishing boat to meet the tribesmen on the island. "God, I don't want to die," he wrote.
Fishermen saw the tribe burying his body on the beach the following day, a fellow missionary wrote in an email to his mother, Lynda Adams-Chau of Vancouver, Washington.
What are your views on the above-stated situation?
Open discussion welcome!
Comments (50)
sorry socrates but i have read many a book from long ago when exploreres or missionaries have gone to far off tribes. I read a nuns story of her adventure.
She said the tribe did not wear clothes----so when the docter put his tent up for so called research of course, the cast off clothes the nuns had brought with them were told to cloth these natives.-------She also said the big strong headman looked stupid less proud and not dignafied at all in cast off clothes.
He went into tent and when he came out he told nun they were so stupid because doc then had asked him to remove his clothes, he belly laughed. The tribe were wiped out with simple flu virus.
Lots of the encounters are well documented so the law said in their wisdom stay away and this man broke the law.
I wonder what his motives were?????
I FEEL SORRY FOR THOSE WHO MAY WELL BE PUNISHED FOR HELPING HIM.
I'm not a fan of punishment, especially not in terms of imprisonment, but I do think people should understand the consequences of their actions and perhaps make some kind of reparation.
The kind of reparation I would like to see is change.
If this was an isolated group next to the UK or another 1st world country I would kind of agree, but the people who took him there come from an extremely poor region, they are desperate for money and probably ignorant of the harm they could have done.
Yes, they were wrong, but if he offered enough money to feed your family for a month or more, how many of can honestly say we would refuse?
Interestingly I read in one UK paper that Chau's family are requesting the people who were arrested in connection with his death, should be released.
I do find it strange that John's God did nothing to save this "brave" man who had total faith that by spreading the word of Jesus, he would save an entire race of people
Glad I am being heard here...
I do think there should be some consequence, however, otherwise there's not much point in having the law to protect the tribe.
Like I said earlier, I think change is a healthy consequence, which can only come from education for all sides. The fishermen need to understand, the government needs to understand why people might be driven to such actions, the church needs to understand the potential consequences of encouraging mission work.
he knew that he could be killed for what he was doing with such an out of touch tribe. he may have lost his life but gained eternal life.Doesn't say much for his god, that he gets killed for trying to spread his word.
Actually says the opposite, that there is no God, therefore a waste of time trying to convert people, certainly I would not want to be a part of a cult whose leader thinks so little about his ardent supporters.
he knew that he could be killed for what he was doing with such an out of touch tribe. he may have lost his life but gained eternal life.
Actually says the opposite, that there is no God, therefore a waste of time trying to convert people, certainly I would not want to be a part of a cult whose leader thinks so little about his ardent supporters.
Exred gave a description above and I believe it is a well documented issue surrounding historical mission work.
He deserved every arrow that hit him times 10. Even thoujgh he is dead his mere presence on the island may cause diseases that will render those people extinct. A pox on his soul and also whoever encouraged him to go there.
May he rest in peace and let the family grieve and remember him for what he really was.
If the family could come to peace and find forgiveness, to plead the release of fishermen, they clearly know it was his free will to go there. We only know him from the sensationalised media articles.
I find this blog disrespectful to the dead though I know your intention was not to disrespect or ridicule the dead.
Let him rest in peace.
As for the tribes, they have survived thus far, even at times numerbers dropped drastically. Only time will tell because some became extinct taking their languages and survival skills to the grave with them.
As I mentioned, this is an open discussion blog.
A brief summary of some significant points:
The general consensus is that the guy, John Allen Chau should have left the members of the Sentinelese tribe alone.
The Indian government stated it was illegal to enter the island.
As jac stated, and several others agreed:
“He risked the whole tribes' lives by potentially exposing them to disease.”
As Nostrus mentioned, this incident has exposed the tribe to the world and it is likely that several “idiots” may also want to go there.
As loulou stated, the fishermen who took him there are being charged since, according to the the Indian government, it is illegal to enter the island.
(Stringman is the only one who commented.)
Mark 16:15 (KJV) states:
“And he (Jesus) said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
(It appears that John Allen Chau was acting in accordance with this verse from the Bible.)
I welcome additional input from others who profess to adhere to the teachings of the Bible.
Sorry, Socrates
The arrogance, that his belief was superior to those of the tribe, is what appalls me. As much as dislike what I'm typing, he knew the dangers, he had been warned, yet he chose to invade the Islanders' home. His choice, resulting in the tragic end to a young life.
Answer: The phrase “fishers of men” was spoken by Jesus when He was calling two of His disciples, Simon Peter and Andrew, to follow Him. “As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him” (Mark 1:16–18; see also Matthew 4:19).
The idea behind fishing is to know the fish you are looking for and attract it so you can make the catch. To catch a fish we must know what equipment to use, the habitat and depth of the water we are fishing in, as well as the kind of bait the fish will go after. After we understand everything we need for real fishing, then how do we relate that to being fishers of men?
read more.https://www.gotquestions.org/fishers-of-men.html
- It is an act of war and do like North Korea (a isolatory state with military power), put speakers with loud k-pop close and throw pamphlets down by plane.
- Send more missionaries, they ll run out of arrows one day.
It is a collision of freedoms here.
For one the tribe doesn't request a thing, so i believe they should be left alone.
For two the children in this armed tribe seemed neglected of certain choices and health care.
I do believe society has improved in the last centuries.
But it seems they know we have power and planes, maybe they really dislike us supernatural - godlike creatures. :-D
Encounters like this seem natural. It will happen. They live on a planet with humans.
I am negative of the casualty his motivation as Jesus isn't our best thing.
If you can defend yourself, you don't need to be protected by some rule of external government. Therefore the fishermen are innocent.
The casualty has had a fair warning the day before.
The close ones or relatives (who are now punished by the loss) are to blame for not giving mental security to their son/relative. and the church their insurance should pay out who flooding a mind with lies and bad ideas and providing guidance to do biological warfare/terrorism.