Idaho Baptists' Accused of Stealing Haitian Children

[SoulSearcher]

In their zeal for rescuing and giving a "new life in Christ" to 28 of the many thousands of children left orphaned in Haiti, 10 Baptists from Idaho were caught by Haitian authorities "kidnapping" the children and moving them across state lines.

“a nonprofit Christian ministry dedicated to rescuing, loving and caring for orphaned, abandoned and impoverished Haitian and Dominican children, demonstrating God’s love and helping each child find healing, hope, joy and new life in Christ.”

Some insist that the earthquake was a punishment for the animist and voodoo religions practiced by Haitians, so it is no surprise that missionaries use these natural disasters as opportunities to promote Christianity in whichever way possible.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/02/world/americas/02missionaries.html

 

[White Eagle]

Yeah, they need to go in and rescue those children from the voodoo people. Of course they failed to check if some of them weren't orphans. One girl, 8, said she still had her parents.
Looks bad for the Christians, just can't do good.

 

[JB3]

Yeah, they need to go in and rescue those children from the voodoo people. Of course they failed to check if some of them weren't orphans. One girl, 8, said she still had her parents.
Looks bad for the Christians, just can't do good.

There was just a story about this on the news. Apparently, all of the children with parents had permission to go with the group. What they don't know (and what nobody knows at this point) is where the lines got crossed and why the necessary paperwork was not filed. (they were working with a Haitian minister that apparently thought everything was in order when it was not)

 

[justapixel]

"kidnapping" the children and moving them across state lines.

As long as the Baptists crossed state lines and not an international border, they should be OK.

 

[iman]

Christian Zombies abducting Haitians? That's a switch.

 

[Kulindahr]

Sounds like there are still questions to be answered. But I like what Justice Minister Denis said:

Asked what he thought about the Americans claims to be doing God’s work, he shrugged and said, “What is God’s I leave to God. What’s the state’s is ours.”

 

[Jack Springer]

In their zeal for rescuing and giving a "new life in Christ" to 28 of the many thousands of children left orphaned in Haiti, 10 Baptists from Idaho were caught by Haitian authorities "kidnapping" the children and moving them across state lines.



Some insist that the earthquake was a punishment for the animist and voodoo religions practiced by Haitians, so it is no surprise that missionaries use these natural disasters as opportunities to promote Christianity in whichever way possible.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/02/world/americas/02missionaries.html

I really wish you would find another subject other than Christian bashing. Having one agenda can make you a really dull person.

 

[SoulSearcher]

I really wish you would find another subject other than Christian bashing. Having one agenda can make you a really dull person.

I really wish you could ever talk about the subject that I talk about, instead of me.

 

[Kulindahr]

Hey if they're Baptist, they believe anything they're told.

There's a certain truth in that, and a great irony: the base of Baptist 'theology' is that every believer has to examine things and decide for himself. To the Baptists, every believer is his or her own 'Pope' -- and that makes their sheep-like behavior beyond amusing.

Real Baptists would have been very careful to have all their Is dotted and Ts crossed before hauling someone else's kids around.

 

[JB3]

I really wish you could ever talk about the subject that I talk about, instead of me.

Well, when you take every opportunity to attack christianity and the US, you open yourself up to criticism.

 

[JB3]

Child trafficking is a big deal and nobody is exempt from scrutiny.

It is. The biggest problem in this case is that it is not at all clear what happened. The baptists thought everything was order (and were told that by the Haitian they were working with), but the government says that it was not.

 

[Jack Springer]

Possibly, also, that the Haitian government is in such disarray, that there is a complete breakdown of order and authority. It's anarchy over there.

You're right jockboy, it is anarchy. Right now we don't know what the group was doing but if they were stealing the kids -- they should be prosecuted.

Haiti will be a mess for a long time -- maybe forever.

I'm not sure what the plan that Clinton was working on covered --- but it appears that the country needs to rebuilt and the people need have a new attitude. Huge problem.

 

[jackoroe]

Haiti was a disaster area before the quake. Taking kids out of there would be the best thing to happen to them.

 

[SoulSearcher]

Haiti was a disaster area before the quake. Taking kids out of there would be the best thing to happen to them.

I don't think the issue was how many children can be rescued from there, but the legality, and motive. My personal issue is that disasters should not be used as an opportunity to proselitise or save souls for Jesus.

This article relays the contradictions of this story, apparently the children were not from orphanages or handed over by distant relatives, as was claimed by the Idahoans:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/03/haitian-parents-willingly_n_448350.html

 

[Kulindahr]

This just gets weirder and weirder.

 

[jackoroe]

I don't think the issue was how many children can be rescued from there, but the legality, and motive. My personal issue is that disasters should not be used as an opportunity to proselitise or save souls for Jesus.

This article relays the contradictions of this story, apparently the children were not from orphanages or handed over by distant relatives, as was claimed by the Idahoans:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/03/haitian-parents-willingly_n_448350.html

It's kinda tough to do things in a legal way when there is no functioning government. Not that there was one previously. But I will agree with Kuli, it's a very stange situation right now. I'd give these folks the benefit of the doubt under the circumstances absent any real evidence of bad intent on their part.

 

[Ambrocious]

Hey SoulSearcher, I noticed that you attack Christians an awful lot. What did they do to you exactly and why selectively target one group for doing something bad when all humanity can do the same or worse?

Stealing children is NEVER OK, let me say this first. That state in which Haiti is in is horrible and I can understand that the Baptist "thought" they were doing the right thing but were not. There comes a time when people need to do what is right and know the difference between bad and good. Stealing children is bad. Had the parents consented and it went through the legal order of things, it would be fine. Rather than steal the children, we should be doing more food and water drops and clothing drops.

I know there are Christian organizations who actually will help rebuild towns and cities, maybe they aught to get there and help out, and no doubt, some may be there already.

 

[Kulindahr]

Stealing children is NEVER OK, let me say this first. That state in which Haiti is in is horrible and I can understand that the Baptist "thought" they were doing the right thing but were not. There comes a time when people need to do what is right and know the difference between bad and good. Stealing children is bad. Had the parents consented and it went through the legal order of things, it would be fine. Rather than steal the children, we should be doing more food and water drops and clothing drops.

As links given already have shown, they weren't stealing the children; the parents handed them over because they couldn't feed them. As to the "legal order of things", that still exists mostly in theory in Haiti, the place is in such ruins. These people recognized that the kids needed help fast, and did what they thought best.

If I were a judge on the case, I'd either clear them or sentence them to stick around and keep working, but under better supervision.

 

[SoulSearcher]

Hey SoulSearcher, I noticed that you attack Christians an awful lot. What did they do to you exactly and why selectively target one group for doing something bad when all humanity can do the same or worse?

Coming from someone who makes entire threads about how time is running out and we must accept Jesus as soon as possible....I will urge you, as I have others, to try only talking about the issues I bring forth, rather than about me personally, or better still, not say anything, if you can't say anything relevant to the topic.

 

[Kulindahr]

No matter how bad the situation is, you can't go in there and just take human beings away whether you think you're doing them a favor or not. What would you think if some Muslims or Hindis came into the USA after Katrina or some future disaster and started gathering up American kids "to take them to a better place". If it's wrong, it's wrong, no matter who is doing it.

If they got permission from the parents, as these people reportedly did, I'd have no objection if they took them over the border into Canada to take care of them.