Rain Dog wrote:
>>>> To admin -- please do not move to other section. There is a method to my madness

Too late! ....JK..

I think it's a very valid topic of discussion, and it's a shame the other thread turned into such a slagging mess.

Here is a link to the thread referenced to: http://www.CambodiaExpatsOnline.com/viewtopic.php?t=722

I think it's time to move that thread to the Arena. Don't worry, I'll leave a "shadow."

This thread is very well thought out, so no reason to move it. I also had more to say on that topic, but decided not to because it seemed to get pretty messy.

So, can everyone please discuss this in a civil manner? It's hard to justify keeping it in the General Chatter section if it turns nasty again. Thanks.

Rain Dog wrote:
Then I saw General Mach rush to Stroppy's defense and it occurred to me that perhaps that (Just as Dag is accusing stroppy of hiding his real intentions) perhaps General Mach is also hiding his. Maybe all these legendary tales about late nights and early mornings on 51 street are less about debauchery and more about saving lost souls from the eternal rages of Hellfire (?) Cambodia Evangelicals Online disguised as Cambodia Expats Online (?). Hmmm "The end justifies the means" --- Very Machiavellian.

LoL, very funny!

I'll say here what I wanted to say there.

Stroppy and Mrs Stroppy have both said they are missionaries, but are here to provide free education to the poor with no strings attached.

I've had the pleasure to meet them both, and in no way did they seem to have a secret agenda, or seen to have a "we are better then thou" attitude. They said they were Christians, and that was that. I've heard their loose plan here, and, IMHO, it didn't sound like it had a sinister/secret agenda at all.

I see no problems with Christians/missionaries going anywhere they like and helping out the community. That in itself is very Christian-like. And personally, I think that's the best way to get people interested in it. Leading by example, really. And how could I expect them not to practice and share their religion? I think it's a good setup they have.

And I also agree with Dagenham about Christians that prey on the poor and uneducated, and only offer help to heathens that repent. However, even Stroppy agrees with that, so that's not really worth discussing. That seems like a mean thing to accuse Stroppy of doing based ONLY on Dagenham's experience with previous Christians. He's kind of calling him a flat out liar by saying he MUST have ulterior motives when Stroppy is adamant that they don't.

So for me, I haven't seen any reasons to think he's doing anything wrong. Again, if being a Christian and moving to a poor country is something that's frowned upon, then I don't have much to say about it.

And for the record, since you cheekily alluded to it, I do not consider myself a Christian, or a member of any other religion.

I was raised as a 7th Day Adventist. And anyone who's studied the religion would almost certainly know my uncle, as he's written many widely published books about it. That has a lot to do with my thoughts on religion as a whole. Throughout his career I've seen him change his stance on some crucial issues. That makes me glad to see him still "studying and learning." However, it upsets me that each time he changes his stance, he's convinced he's definitely correct this time. It's ironic to me that Christianity requires so much faith, yet some people still to "prove" it correct. (Proving something wrong based on contradictions is another matter, and totally fine by me though.)

I've always said "if it wasn't for Christians I'd probably be one." LoL.

For me, religion should be a personal "choice" and something everyone should realize can't be proven.

I once started reading the Qur'an (yes, for fun) and I was shocked to realize I was practically reading the Bible, LoL. So, it's a fine line between many of them.

Another saying I think is interesting: God unites, religion divides.

So again, Dagenham had some good points, although seemed to go overboard, but based on my understanding of Stroppy's plans and after meeting him, I think he's doing a good thing. There would definitely be more interest in Christianity if more of them just went out and offered a helping hand across the globe to those less fortunate without strings attached.

Rain Dog wrote:Cambodia Evangelicals Online disguised as Cambodia Expats Online (?). Hmmm "The end justifies the means" --- Very Machiavellian.

Working on the new logo right now.