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!
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Comments (50)

I can read all blogs church---god bashing, dont get me wrong i do not believe this man did good, maybe he thought he was doing good.

In this day in my area i see the church-----not its teaching but church itself helping older people with meals, activities, shows ect.

I have mentioned before i do know first hand people who have died, more peacefully because of their belief of their god. Yes we have many different gods but it is the belief itself that has helped.

so i reckon too reading history many a bad thing has been done through religions heading too.

So fors and against in religion AND a belief whatever you may hold.
Hello Socrates, handshake Not only did this fellow, Chau , possibly expose these isolated tribeman to disease, he also brought them world attention,doh . And who knows what will result from that. How long will it be before the media has to investigate the isolated tribesman, doh , How long will it be before someone seeking the public spotlight lands on the island,confused
As you can tell, my opinion on the situation is, if its not broken, don t try and change it.
one of the most important points I think is forgotten here and always seems to be forgotten is this: just because you follow a bible doesn't mean others do or that's superior in any way....how about for once the church and its people try having a little respect for that.....cheers
...in stead of helping the poore neighbour, people tend to cross the planet to "save" strangers... at all costs...

...may he rest in pieces...




cool wine
rolling on the floor laughing

I'm sure the mosquitos and tapeworms will be thrilled. blah blah
And what about those spitting vipers ? Volunteers ? hole
Once again, thanks to all who commented.

I have reworded the title of the blog in the hope that it would draw comments from from those who profess to adhere to the teachings of the Christian Bible.
Socrates maybe people who strongly believe in god and bible have decided not to get into a debate were they will just get pummeled.

Some blogs we comment some we dismiss
Reading the latest I could find about this. Apparantly the first 4 or 5 times he paddled his canoe to them and started screaming English Bible passages at them or singing contemporary Christmas songs to the islanders they were amused and laughed. Eventually most stopped coming to watch the nut and kids threw stones at him. I guess someone there grew bored with the noise and the last visit they just skewered him and prepared his body for standing up at the shore as a warning to the next idiot screaming foreign speak at them.

Can't really blame them. We all get tempted to do that to those ringing the doorbell at 7am to ask if we have been saved.
tongue
maybe we should have send mariah carey singing chrismas songs?

Or are you saying she is also carrying diseases?
ALL religious faith is, by definition, irrational. Religion asks its believers to believe the impossible and threatens them with eternal torture if they don't-- can one really expect any good to come of that?
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socrates44

San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago

I identify with the following words of Socrates:
“Know thyself”.
“The unexamined life is not worth living”.

I am a person who seek depth in life and living. This has been an overwhelming desire in me even since childhood. It is identified with a [read more]