Missionary work in Africa...

[Stalker62]

Caveat:
I do not have a religious bone in my body - so if there is a God, I really am going to "Hell in a handcart"...




This morning, I could not get my right foot into my Courteney boot. I had taken these boots to Africa this month as my backup pair, I had not worn them - and this was the first time I had tried to put them on, since my return.

Digging into said boot, I found this...




It is (obviously) a small copy of the New Testament and is in Portuguese - which is one of the main languages of Mozambique.

I remember the last time I was in Mozambique, being told of a "Missionary" who had travelled to Mozambique and distributed these small copies of this particular religious text, to as many of the locals as they could. Notwithstanding that most of the population (especially in the North) are Muslim.

I remember asking:-

"Were the locals offended?

"No. They loved them. However, the Priest got suspicious when folk kept coming back and asking for more copies".

"Were they actually reading them?"

"No. Each page of this particular tome, was the perfect size to use for rolling a cigarette, They were smoking them!"




I have no clue how this ended up in my boot, but if anyone is short on Rizlas, do let me know...

 

[Foxyboy43]

Hmmm. I have a vague recollection that the thinking was each person who “accepted” a Bible instantly “counted” as a convert - whether they actually became one or not. Bit like the Seventh Day Adventist (mormon) chappies who claim to have the biggest church in the world - apparently they buy up death records and each dead ex-par(rot)ishoner counts as a member. Nope, I don’t get it either.
Err, couldn’t help but notice the, ahem, subject matter of each your roll-ups……….

 

[Spix]

Neat little Gideon New Testament.

The Gideons "... place and distribute Scriptures in strategic locations so they are available to those who want them, as well as to those who may not know they need them."

 

[Stalker62]

The Gideons "... place and distribute Scriptures in strategic locations so they are available to those who want them, as well as to those who may not know they need them."

Seen them all over the world in hotel rooms, finding one in my boot is a first.

 

[User00053]

Clearly a sign!

 

[norcan]

It says New Testament on the cover, but some of those verses are from the Old Testament album, no?

 

[geoshot]

I'm more surprised that you didn't shake your boots out before the journey home
I've discovered several little bibles, new testaments or books of proverbs that way - particularly when departing from Kenya or Ghana
Never a Koran though, I think the Muslims would consider it disrespectful to their holy book to shove it inside a shoe
Nice roll-ups - I'm sure the choice of verses was entirely accidental

 

[Stalker62]

I'm more surprised that you didn't shake your boots out before the journey home.

That is a fair point.

Not quite sure what is more dangerous - a religious tome, or a stinging scorpion?

 

[geoshot]

That is a fair point.

Not quite sure what is more dangerous - a religious tome, or a stinging scorpion?

And that is a good question! Thanks for not taking offence, I only realised after posting that my post could have come across as a bit off - glad you seem to have taken it as intended though
Religious tomes have probably done more harm to more people than scorpions and over more of the world too - maybe I'm cynical or perhaps growing up in Norn Irn coloured my opinions on that subject

 

[Stalker62]

... maybe I'm cynical or perhaps growing up in Norn Irn coloured my opinions on that subject

I very much hope not.

Northern Ireland is not (in any way) unique: sadly the issues there, are replicated all over the world, with any number of variations about who worships the "correct" God in the "correct" manner.

Not for the first time, do I say:-

"Thank God, I am an atheist".

 

[geoshot]

Not for the first time, do I say:-

"Thank God, I am an atheist".

A favourite quip of a good friend of mine from back home!
Maybe being sent to a jesuit school put him off religion for life?
Pentecostal church did it for me

 

[Apthorpe]

I very much hope not.

Northern Ireland is not (in any way) unique: sadly the issues there, are replicated all over the world, with any number of variations about who worships the "correct" God in the "correct" manner.

Not for the first time, do I say:-

"Thank God, I am an atheist".

Although communists and nazis were atheists too...and I'm not sure they're any more virtuous than the most fundamentalist religionist?
Also, a bible in the bush can be very useful to an stricken with dysentery. No written beliefs leaves one rather unclean.

 

[enfieldspares]

Ah. The late Desmond Tutu or another once said "When the white man arrived he had the Bible and we had the land. He told us to kneel down, to close our eyes and to pray. When we opened our eyes and stood up he now had the land and we had the Bible."

 

[norcan]

Ah. The late Desmond Tutu or another once said "When the white man arrived he had the Bible and we had the land. He told us to kneel down, to close our eyes and to pray. When we opened our eyes and stood up he now had the land and we had the Bible."

He was nobody’s fool.

 

[bowji john]

Anything with ‘ist ’ on the end of it requires a great of examination and not a little circumspection

As does any word ending with ‘Ism’

Beware the ism and ist preachers of today - they are yesterdays snake oil salesmen

 

[merlin]

Anything with ‘ist ’ on the end of it requires a great of examination and not a little circumspection

I absolutely agree, having seen my daughter's Xmas L_ist.....

I'll get me coat.

 

[paul o']

Caveat:
I do not have a religious bone in my body - so if there is a God, I really am going to "Hell in a handcart"...




This morning, I could not get my right foot into my Courteney boot. I had taken these boots to Africa this month as my backup pair, I had not worn them - and this was the first time I had tried to put them on, since my return.

Digging into said boot, I found this...


View attachment 283125

It is (obviously) a small copy of the New Testament and is in Portuguese - which is one of the main languages of Mozambique.

I remember the last time I was in Mozambique, being told of a "Missionary" who had travelled to Mozambique and distributed these small copies of this particular religious text, to as many of the locals as they could. Notwithstanding that most of the population (especially in the North) are Muslim.

I remember asking:-

"Were the locals offended?

"No. They loved them. However, the Priest got suspicious when folk kept coming back and asking for more copies".

"Were they actually reading them?"

"No. Each page of this particular tome, was the perfect size to use for rolling a cigarette, They were smoking them!"


View attachment 283127

I have no clue how this ended up in my boot, but if anyone is short on Rizlas, do let me know...

Thats the Best use of Hypocritical drivel I've ever seen! .
Is that just the Catholic page ? .

 

[Island]

I am reminded of the story about an old Inuit hunter who approached a Christian missionary and asked: "If I did not know about God, would I be condemned to an eternity in hell?"

"No" replied the missionary, "Not if you truly did not know."

"Then why did you tell me?" asked the old Inuit earnestly...

 

[Bavarianbrit]

Hmmm. I have a vague recollection that the thinking was each person who “accepted” a Bible instantly “counted” as a convert - whether they actually became one or not. Bit like the Seventh Day Adventist (mormon) chappies who claim to have the biggest church in the world - apparently they buy up death records and each dead ex-par(rot)ishoner counts as a member. Nope, I don’t get it either.
Err, couldn’t help but notice the, ahem, subject matter of each your roll-ups……….

What? the picture of the fags?

 

[dobber]

Clearly a sign!

you mean @Stalker1962 needs to start smoking now lol