1. I think it is arrogant, presumptuous and culturally imperialistic
2. I think they’re really in it for money and power
Point one. In general I have a problem with proselytizing. I once had a woman come up to me in the DC Metro and ask me if I’d accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. That’s none of her Goddamn business. She doesn’t know me. I wasn’t wearing a sign around my neck saying “talk to me about Jesus.” It was intrusive and unwelcome. I have some friends who are very devout Christians. If I want to talk about religion, I’d approach them. And if they approached me about it, at least it would be better because there’s context and familiarity there. They know me, this other woman didn’t.
So, while proselytizing bugs me, proselytizing to people of other cultures (especially in developing countries) really pisses me off. I’ve been lucky enough to do quite a bit of travel and I’ve made it to a few developing countries. While there, I’ve observed missionaries. Most of them are over for a few weeks or months from their church. A lot of them are young. So, they’re not invested or immersed in the community that they hope to convert. They want to “witness,” convert a few fools so they feel good about themselves, and then leave. In no measurable way have they made their converts’ lives any better.
And from what I’ve seen, they really don’t know much about the culture that they’re in. They think that they’re right about the meaning of life and what happens after death--that they have the answers, and its their job to “enlighten” the stupid, poor foreigners. Its so paternalistic. Do they really think that a story of a man that is actually three people who was conceived by a virgin, who died and rose from the dead and performed miracles sounds any more plausible than the native faith?
Point two. There has to be an ulterior motive. The amount of money and resources that goes into missionaries spreading the Word is just too much for Church authorities to be doing this out of the goodness in their hearts. Look at the history of the Church. Its been land-grabbing, wealth-amassing, and political since it began. I think its about wealth and power. Growing the number of believers across the globe provides the necessary base to influence governments to enact laws favorable to the Church agenda. It also creates networks and a local base of ready and waiting consumers and clients that can help religion-aligned businesses enter new markets. And it helps fill church coffers as its members tithe.
OK, end of rant.
Moving on, I thought I’d give you a more detailed progress update on my diet. I guess the headline should read that I’m going to keep doing it after March is over. I don’t think I’ve lost any weight on the diet, but I don’t think I’ve gained any weight either. That’s pretty remarkable given that I’ve been eating a lot of saucisson seche. I figure that if I eat some more healthy meats and watch my portion sizes, I can actually lose wight while still feeling full. And that’s such a nice idea, because I am sick to death of counting calories and meticulously planning my days. And I enjoy having a glass of wine with dinner--something I can do on this diet that I couldn’t do before. So, I’m going to stick with it and see where I end up in another month.
Mood: Cheery
Jeans: Fat jeans
Belt notch: 4th/5th notch in
| Food | Carbs (g) | Fat (g) | Calories | Protein |
| Scrambled eggs | trace | 15.2 | 206 | |
| Pastrami and cheese rolls | 1.5 | 37.9 | 535 | 45.7 |
| Waitrose Italian side salad | 5.8 | 5.8 | 83 | 1.9 |
| Sparkling wine x 5 | 10.5 | 0 | 570 | 0 |
| Whiskey | 0.0 | 0 | 65 | 0 |
| Garden salad with chicken | 10.5 | 9.8 | 242 | 5.1 |
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