Earthquake Survivors Get Solar Powered Bibles 23
They may not have the food, water, or medicine they need, but earthquake survivors in Haiti will soon get solar powered bibles. The "Proclaimer" is a solar-powered audible Bible that can broadcast scriptures in Haitian Creole to large groups of people. An Albuquerque-based organization is sending 600 of the bibles in the hopes that they will provide comfort to survivors. Problem solved.
Disassembly... (Score:2, Insightful)
These will be disassembled into something immediately useful in short order, would be my bet.
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In a nation where only about 3% of the population does not identify as Catholic or Protestant, there's certainly an audience. Considering that many pastors, priests, and other spiritual leaders died in the quakes, there will be congregations with no leader. If nobody can read, a paper Book just won't do.
I doubt distribution and transport of 600 relatively small devices will interfere with that of food, water, and medical care (at least I hope it wouldn't). I don't think this is anything to get angry at,
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If anything, it stops them from becoming too uncomfortable about being illiterate.
Useful stuff for preserving that 3%...
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"Meeting the emotional needs" with strings attached. In this case it probably will end up as a parasitic feeding of the tragedy, of loosing close ones...just like during most usual funerals; only on a much more massive scale.
And how sweet of them, a religious charity trying to point out to illiterate people in 3rd world nations that they don't really need to learn reading...
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For I was hungry and you gave me a solar powered bible, I was thirsty and you gave me a solar powered bible, I was a stranger and you gave me a solar powered bible.
Amen. Jesus would totally have approved substituting "good news" for actual charity.
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Not a bad concept (Score:2)
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Yes, a good technology (though not that far from solar or spring powered radios)
But it's never really about the technology, but how you use it. The scenario from TFS isn't anything to be proud about.
Junk (Score:2)
How is this better than the physical book? If you tell me your are giving away many literary works at once in the device, i might understand it, but for a single book, its pointless, and looks much bulkier and heavier than well printed book. Plus, it needs power, so it needs sun, and/or batteries (even heavier).
Thanks but no thanks.
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How is this better than the physical book?
Because Haiti's literacy rate is somewhere around 50% [loc.gov] to 65% [unicef.org]. A bulky device everyone can use is better than a nice compact book that between 1/2 and 1/3rd can't use.
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That's still a mighty weak argument for those devices. There will be 600 of them. Even if there would be 600 000 (and possibly even when six million), it would be still much easier for illiterate ones to find somebody to read a book for them (and they would have greater chance of learning to read themselves that way)
The icing on the cake: any book.
Obscene. (Score:1)
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Jesus allegedly preached things like helping your fellow man. At their time of most need, this bunch of whackos is giving them dogma instead of things they need like food, water and blankets. If ever there was a defining example of blasphemy, this is it.
First, I do not see these audio Bibles displacing aid. I do not see anyone claiming that these Bibles are a replacement for food, shelter, and water. I see them sending these as a supplement to the rest of the aid that Haitians need. It's also not like the goal is prostheletyzing non-believers, 97% of Haiti considers themselves Christian.
Also, if you look at Matthew 4:4, it seems that distributing a Bible along with the food and water is exactly what Jesus would want:
Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
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I agree that there is an opportunity cost, but with the wealth of other humanitarian aid, at some point people need to think of the other needs. While a Bible may not rank with your top 4, that doesn't make the rest of the list unimportant.
I think you're right on the money that this is what the group had available to send. The Red Cross has medicine, food and water, government help has come in the form of doctors and field hospitals. A non-profit organization should give what they specialize in, provide
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You interpret that quote selectively.
Having the "bread" is the most crucial thing to be able to live.
But I guess it's convenient when country with large investment base for religions remains convinced in their magical effects, this time brought by audiobooks.
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You interpret that quote selectively.
Having the "bread" is the most crucial thing to be able to live.
And you interpret that quote selectively to mean only mortal life.
But again, I don't think this is, nor do I want it to be, Bibles instead of food, medicine, and water. It's Bibles in addition to the food, medicine, and water that has already been pouring in from all over the world. Here we have a NGO with a bunch of creole audio Bibles and not a lot of money with which to buy food/water/medicine/shelter, what do you expect them to do?
Did you not read the post you replied to? I said as much there: dist
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Exactly, in addition. And as it stands now - food, medicine and water are still in grave need in Haiti (otherwise large part of the efforts would simply pack up). Bibles...not so much, probably. I expect this NGO to do nothing. Trying to transport their 600 pieces of ballast will limit how much of other things you can move to areas that need them, especially at the stage of local transport, through damaged local infrastructure. Even if slightly, even if that results "only" in unnecessary danger for the life