Are there currently missionaries who do harm to indigenous culture, and have missionaries of the past done harm to native peoples?

• Certainly, yes.
  Have ALL current and past missionaries committed atrocities?
  
• Certainly not, although I suppose every foreign visitor has the potential to do damage to an indigenous culture. They also can do much to fight poverty and injustice. If you want an example, take a look at what mainstream Christian and Catholic missionaries have done in Chiapas in Mexico (sometimes, in opposition to the wishes of Mexican church authorities).
  
  I don't object to questioning and criticism of the activities of churches. What I object to is the broad generalizations that lead to the conclusion that religions are harmful to humanity. Yes, religions have done harm - but they have also done much good.
  
  Yes, I deeply regret the damage that Europeans did to Native American religion and culture, but I think it's also fair to say that
  
• Indigenous religions aren't perfect, either - but they are sacred and precious to those who adhere to them. No philosophy and no individual is perfect - but most of us are more good than bad. I object to the contention that indigenous tradition is pure and good, and mine is evil - hey, you're talking about MY indigenous tradition, and it is precious and sacred to me.
  
• While religions made a contribution to the destruction of native culture and religion, the reasons for that destruction were economic, not religious.
  Was it religion that destroyed Native American culture and religion? No, I think it was done primarily by the United States Government, by armies much more than by missionaries - and remember that the Founding Fathers of the United States were not particularly religious. Political leaders may act religious if it helps their political goals, but they rarely seem to have much interest in taking their religion to heart.

I've been a Roman Catholic all my life, and I have a degree in theology from a Catholic seminary. I've always been a member of what I call the "loyal opposition" in the church. Like many priests and nuns I know, I'm in opposition to the Roman party line because I favor birth control and married female priests. I'm very "iffy" on the issue of papal authority and infallibility (which is supposed to apply to very limited situations - three in the last 125 years). On the other hand, I strongly support the Catholic Church's "preferential option for the poor" and its opposition to capital punishment, along with its uneasiness with warfare and with capitalism. Besides that, I share a general perspective of faith with most Catholics, give or take a few minor theological issues.
While I don't support everything Rome says, I'm a member of the Catholic Church in good standing. I know from first-hand experience that Catholics don't mindlessly march to the tune Rome plays. I also know from first-hand experience that my church and many other churches do much good - I see evidence of that good every day.
And yes, I know from first-hand experience that my church and most others have done harm - and I see evidence of that harm every day.

I've studied the history and politics of the Catholic Church quite closely for almost 40 years, and I think I know the church well and have a realistic view of its good and bad points. On the whole, I'd say my church is much more good than bad - but the bad parts are much more newsworthy, and that gives outsiders a negative view of us.

If you've personally had a bad experience with a church, I'm sorry. I just hope you'll remember that many people have had good experiences with churches. If you're using third-hand information or centuries-old history as your basis for condemnation of religion, then I suggest that it's time you take another look. If you don't belong to an organization and you want to voice criticism about it, they you'd better be sure you have your facts straight. You'd better also be sure you don't make broad generalizations from limited information about isolated incidents.

There are good, intelligent people who belong to churches; and there are good, intelligent people who do not.

There are a few Mudcatters who regularly make anti-religious statements that are at least partially untrue. If you characterize an organization as all bad or all good, or if you think ALL members of any given group are such-and-such, then I would like to suggest that you may well be a bigot. I think it's better if we view all people and all philosophies with an open mind.

-Joe Offer-