re: Let's talk about photo-op "mission trips".

I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, I absolutely think hip churches are pretentious and guilty of these things.

Think for a second, if every hip mission trip you know of around the country went in to building and renovating housing for areas in this country. Seriously. What if almost every major church around the country tried to rebuild Detroit. How long would that take? 2 years? Tops? Probably the biggest blight in our own backyard and we do nothing.

At the same time, helping people is helping people. If they can recognize the look at me nature of these things, and still do some good work in the process, is it the worst thing in the world? I have plenty of gripes with hip churches, and a lot of the people in them, but I don't really have gripes with helping people. I would hope that we could help this country first, but people in need are people in need. It's not the end of the world. Just block their pictures on Facebook and spend your time at your local Habitat for Humanity.

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Does not compute.

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The immigrants there disagree.

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Seriously. What if almost every major church around the country tried to rebuild Detroit. How long would that take? 2 years? Tops? Probably the biggest blight in our own backyard and we do nothing.

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Christians typically have world views. They don't see borders.

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Christians typically have world views. They don't see borders.

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That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. From personal experience, a lot of people wouldn't be able to pick out many places they went to on a globe before their mission trip existed. It's not some consensus, it's often times a marketing exercise made by the Church to attract young people. "Christians don't see borders." What an asinine thing to say. Do you believe your own bullshite? You can't handle legitimate criticism and it bothers you. The rest of my post was about how people shouldn't be judgmental to helping people, even if it's not the best use of resources and people can still be better of it regardless. That even if they engage in pretentious behavior, and they could do less glamorous work, it still helps people. I don't think this applies to you however. You're undoubtedly just as pretentious, regardless of service.

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That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. From personal experience, a lot of people wouldn't be able to pick out many places they went to on a globe before their mission trip existed. It's not some consensus, it's often times a marketing exercise made by the Church to attract young people. "Christians don't see borders." What an asinine thing to say. Do you believe your own bullshite? You can't handle legitimate criticism and it bothers you. The rest of my post was about how people shouldn't be judgmental to helping people, even if it's not the best use of resources and people can still be better of it regardless. That even if they engage in pretentious behavior, and they could do less glamorous work, it still helps people. I don't think this applies to you however. You're undoubtedly just as pretentious, regardless of service.

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You don't understand Christianity then.

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You don't understand Christianity then.

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Lolz. Churches are infallible, right? That's preached in Christianity? Double lolz.

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Lolz. Churches are infallible, right? That's preached in Christianity? Double lolz.

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Show me on the doll where Christianity touched you.

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The immigrants there disagree.

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If you're referring to Muslims, they worship the same God as you. They just have different prophets. Jesus is in the Quran as well.

I see nothing wrong with mission trips personally, but Germany? Pretty sure they are Christians. I am all in favor of spreading the Word as I and many in my family have in Africa and South America.

To your other point, I think tje church should be focused more on their communities. I also tjink there should be some requirements or proof of hardships by those seeking help in the community.

Just my two cents.

EDIT: Didn't mean to reply to Sarge. Was meant for OP

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Frankly, if you have no chance of getting malaria or dengue fever you're not on a mission trip but a glorified "Christian" vacation. I've seen churches do mission trips to Ireland, Sweden England and other first world nations. Got to call bullshite on that.

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Every mission trip I've been on is inside the USA, and the mission work done on those trips is not anymore or any less legitimate than another.

Look at a place like downtown Atlanta in an area that is definitely not doing well. Families who are poor, barely have anything to their name, and their kids can often get swept up in criminal activity. Is reaching out to them just a vacation? Is doing something similar in a place like England a vacation?