John Shrader in Burundi

[ThisOlGirl]

I think I'm in love with Sharon.

[PopRox]

I had assumed Sharon was a fake account from an FJer created to rile up leghumpers on the 19K&C page.

Whoever she is, she rocks!

P.S. Her profile location says Centralia, PA, which is a ghost town (and was an inspiration for the Silent Hill movie, supposedly!). As of 2010 only ten people live there.

On the topic of John-- He has a wife and eight young children who are depending on him

to provide for them to protect them to be a manly figure in some way; so he goes off a to a foreign country where the security situation is "not at all stable" so he can... hand out flyers. :wtf: For a religion that most of the people in the country already practice. And he'll do NOTHING ELSE of value. And this is after he kept his family homeless for a year. :angry-banghead: This man makes your typical deadbeat dad look like Father of the Year.

edited to fix some wording

[AnywhereButHere]

Why is he in Burundi then? Perhaps Zambia is not working out for him. It looks as though their "mission" is expanding into Burundi, Rwanda and DR Congo. Primary lingua franca in those countries is French. Swahili second in Rwanda and Burundi.

He'll be proselytizing through translators! What a dimwit.

ETA. How can we get a copy of the Poisonwood Bible to Esther? It has the word Bible in the title so she might even read it. :mrgreen:

If I were one of his translators, I might be having myself some fun there. Or would that be too unchristian of me... 8-)

[Palimpsest]

To the bolded: You read my mind. :twisted:

[Sobeknofret]

John Schrader is doing nothing of value in Burundi. I just want to cry when I think of the wasted resources that could be used to help the people there. I do see myself eventually volunteering for service with the American Friends Service Committee in Africa or Palestine, but they do *productive* work there, and skip the proselytizing.

[gustava]

Burundi is heathen Catholic. St. John will have much work to accomplish.

[Miggy]

If I were one of his translators, I might be having myself some fun there. Or would that be too unchristian of me... 8-)

I have a Russian friend who has told me Russian translators often change the message being preached by western missionaries to make it acceptable to the Russian Orthodox Church. Nothing unchristian in that.

[tropaka]

Why is he choosing mostly Christian countries to mission to?

[gilora]

I guess his back is all better.

[bananacat]

I don't agree with many of Pa Keller's ideas but he does have a valid ministry in the prisons. He is actually doing something to try and make some people's lives a little bit better. I really can't imagine what he thinks of John or of Josh, who are all talk but little action.

Prison ministry is the worst thing that he does. He's forcing himself on a captive audience who will be rewarded if they convert and punished if they don't. Oh, it's not official but you better believe that the guards and parole boards show drastic favoritism. This type of religious coercion is probably the worst in our current culture. And you're naive if you think he cares about improving people's lives. He cares about converting them to fundie-ism and that's it. If you think that being religious makes someone less likely to commit a crime or makes them just act better in general, then are mistaken.

[miffy]

Why is he choosing mostly Christian countries to mission to?

Because he is a work shy asshat.

[Miggy]

Prison ministry is the worst thing that he does. He's forcing himself on a captive audience who will be rewarded if they convert and punished if they don't. Oh, it's not official but you better believe that the guards and parole boards show drastic favoritism. This type of religious coercion is probably the worst in our current culture. And you're naive if you think he cares about improving people's lives. He cares about converting them to fundie-ism and that's it. If you think that being religious makes someone less likely to commit a crime or makes them just act better in general, then are mistaken.

Is that all his ministry involves - converting people? I knew a man while at uni who worked in a prison ministry and, while part of it was teaching people about Christianity, it certainly wasn't the limit of his work. I guess once again I have applied normal standards to a fundy. Thank you for the correction.

[crazyforkate]

I have a Russian friend who has told me Russian translators often change the message being preached by western missionaries to make it acceptable to the Russian Orthodox Church. Nothing unchristian in that.

Definitely thinking of the Poisonwood Bible here, where Anatole simply said whatever he liked when translating Rev. Asshat Price's sermons. He stuck to the message, but adapted it where necessary, and the daughters noted that he could have been saying anything. Great book...

[yetanothermeg]

Why is he choosing mostly Christian countries to mission to?

One wouldn't want to get martyred for the True Faith, now would one?

Regardless, no fruit will be borne of this expedition. John Shrader has been deceived. Everyone knows musical instruments are not in the Bible and therefore not biblical. A true Christian sings a cappella. These instruments were obviously sent by the Dark One to distract John from his true mission of flying a decrepit crop plane into the heart of Zambia. How can he be so blind?

[Lillybee]

I hope that he left Esther enough money to keep the kids fed while he is gone.

[ljohnson2006]

This guy is a few grapes short of a fruit salad.

[bananacat]

Is that all his ministry involves - converting people? I knew a man while at uni who worked in a prison ministry and, while part of it was teaching people about Christianity, it certainly wasn't the limit of his work. I guess once again I have applied normal standards to a fundy. Thank you for the correction.

What else did this person claim to do, and could it have been done just as well from a non-religious organization?

Preaching any religion to a captive audience is exploitative at best, and offering any kind of service with it implies that there is obligation to listen, which is just outright coercive. It doesn't make it all better just because they decided to throw some charity at the inmates with it.

I'm quite suspicious of your friend, and if he really is providing services to inmates that benefit them, it highlights a major problem with our society because that stuff should be coming from the state, as it is in the best interest of society to prevent recidivism. My guess though is that your friend didn't really do much that was productive, basing his belief in the inaccurate myth that converting people will somehow make them behave better.

[gardenvarietycitizen]

Sadly the state is pretty much all about punishment only, now.

[uber frau]

What else did this person claim to do, and could it have been done just as well from a non-religious organization?

Preaching any religion to a captive audience is exploitative at best, and offering any kind of service with it implies that there is obligation to listen, which is just outright coercive. It doesn't make it all better just because they decided to throw some charity at the inmates with it.

I'm quite suspicious of your friend, and if he really is providing services to inmates that benefit them, it highlights a major problem with our society because that stuff should be coming from the state, as it is in the best interest of society to prevent recidivism. My guess though is that your friend didn't really do much that was productive, basing his belief in the inaccurate myth that converting people will somehow make them behave better.

I'm not Miggy but I do know that in my part of the world it's not uncommon to have a prison chaplaincy program. Wages are paid by the state through the dept of Justice, rules are outlined by the same, program is staffed by a church. The job entails looking after prisoners' spiritual needs but also a fair bit of social work stuff.

[dpndetfarm]

Preparing to leave for Burundi, just had to share one more blessing! As we were driving home last night, I received a message from Becky Mapes Obenland about an accordion she had! We were literally about ten miles from her house and would be passing with two blocks! My accordion was literally falling apart! We stopped by, and she blessed me with this beautiful accordion! Praise God! Another need meet RIGHT ON TIME!

I hate to tell him this, but that wasn't god. That was the devil. Here is my proof:

There were two men who were having a business lunch at a fairly nice restaurant when suddenly one man stood up and said "Oh no! I just realized I forgot to lock my car! I have to get out there now"!

With that he started running out of the restaurant. The second man, after telling the waiter they would be right back caught up to the first man and asked " what's the big deal? What is so valuable that you are in this panic?" The first man replied, "I left my accordion on the back seat where anyone can see it!" The second man began to laugh and said "who in the world would steal your accordion? "

At. This point they had arrived at the first man's car. The first man cried out "oh no! I'm too late! " There on the backseat were three accordions.

[Palimpsest]

Thanks Salex and Slickcat99 for alerting me to Sharon's Facebook and blog. Love her!

[GeoBQn]

No updates yet, but every time I see the post beginning "Dear Praying Friends," I:

1. Think it says "Dear Paying Friends"

2. Wonder if he is deliberately not addressing non-praying friends.

[Hane]

Is that all his ministry involves - converting people? I knew a man while at uni who worked in a prison ministry and, while part of it was teaching people about Christianity, it certainly wasn't the limit of his work. I guess once again I have applied normal standards to a fundy. Thank you for the correction.

And remember Pa Keller's big SEG as he announced the "transfer of authority" that Anna would be undergoing at her wedding to Josh. THAT'S flat-out fundie. *gags and crawls to the john, dry-heaving all the way*

[niagarahauls]

Since John believes so strongly in God's protection and his faith is so strong I can only wonder if he decided to forego the recommended vaccinations the CDC suggests for travelers to Burundi: Yellow fever, Hepatitis A and B, Typhoid fever and Malaria prophylaxis. After all, he was perfectly content when his wife was in labor for what 9 days? I wonder if he is as cheap, I mean stalwart in his beliefs when he is risking his own health?

[SallyDraper]

Look for comments from one of his followers called

Sharon Bailgoat

https://www.facebook.com/sharon.bailgoat

We have to send her an invitation to join us.