Christian Charities

Merchant · Dec 29th, 2004, 20:58

If you are interested in sending money directly to Tamil Nadu, one good place to send it would be the Church of South India. Many of those fishing villages up and down the east coast are Christian. The CSI is the largest federation of churches (the Catholic Church is also large) in the area.

The dioceses of the CSI are large, comprehensive organizations that manage not just churches but schools, hospitals, orphanages, and colleges. They do good work.

Here is the contact info:

The Bishop in Madras
CSI Diocese of Madras
227 Cathedral Road
Chennai 600 086

Your contributions may be sent to

The Hon. Treasurer
Madras Diocese
CSITA Madras Diocesan Foreign Exchange Regulation Act
Account No. 24550
Indian Overseas Bank
5, Arunachalam Street
Chintadripet
Chennai 600 002

This info comes from the diocese. I think if you made a check out to "The Hon. Treasurer, Madras Diocese" and sent it to either place, the money would find the right fund.

You can also contribute via the Episcopal Church in the US:

Episcopal Relief and Development
c/o Emergency Relief Fund
PO Box 12043
Newark, NJ 07101

http://www.er-d.org

Merchant · Dec 29th, 2004, 22:44

I should add that the Diocese of Madras and other groups in the CSI are themselves significant contributors to other relief operations, so your monies will definitely go where they are needed.

Dec 30th, 2004, 02:02

Can you for a fact verify that this organisation does not indulge in missionary activities?

Merchant · Dec 30th, 2004, 02:12

Gosh, I thought missionary activities were the purview of the church.

Are you asking if people will have to be baptized in order to get a cholera vaccination or a bottle of water? Please.

Dec 30th, 2004, 02:24

Yes I am asking.

A lot of christian organisations in India deny aid and private hospital service unless people convert. Similarly, some use tricks such as giving wrong medicine and claim that God Ram is false and the right religion (medicine) will cure them. The Catholic church has pulled this scam, the protestants especially (Baptists in particular).

That is why I am asking.

Merchant · Dec 30th, 2004, 02:34

Do what you will with your aid money. Believe it or not, there are over 2 million Christians in India (more than there are Sikhs). The top colleges in the country (St. Stephen's Delhi and St. Xavier's Mumbai) were founded by Christians. Thousands of orphanages and hospitals are run by Christians--far more than any other group.

It should be noted that since the wave struck the area it did in Tamil Nadu a significant number of those affected by it--the dead and the suffering--are Christian.

Dec 30th, 2004, 03:12

Yes, and at every christian school, orphanage etc. the children are forced to embrace christ i.e pray to him, sings songs etc.

I applaud good work but not missionary activities that exploit poor and ignorant people.

Regardless if those people are christians or not, I am against any organisation that indulges in missionary activities.

That is my point.

Merchant · Dec 30th, 2004, 03:35

Every Christian school in India?

Dec 30th, 2004, 03:38

hi merchant.

i was reading the above exchange with interest and suppressed shock.

there is no denying the 90% of the better schools and colleges in india were started and are still run by christian missonaries. no doubt that they are the first and often the only group to help out the poor and luckless. most are the very epitome of selflessness.

but there is a trend of doing what "aryan" suggested too. they will not do "it" during the relief/aid operations during a disaster, but during normal circumstances. well this ammounts to witch - hunting and fault-finding in an otherwise merciful act of kindness and care, but even the Missionares of Charties do that. in fact they ALWAYS do that !! someone becomes worthy and deserving of help,food,aid only if he/she decides to convert !! when i first heard it i could not believe that an institute started and run by the mother herself could "pick and choose" in such a fashion.

i always felt that conversion should come naturally. eg.. if the same destitute decided to convert on his or her own , its perfectly ok with me. but a person who goes hungry for days on end will do anything for a bite.... commit a crime, change his religion if that guattantees him a bite, commit suicide to escape from it all etc. notice all are of these are extreme steps which his economic circumstance is forcing him to take. and thats where i draw the line.

we have had chrstians since before europe and usa had them. we never had anything against them, for they never oppressed religiously (unlike the muslims). i cant recall any incident of religious skirmishes between hindus and christians ever. its due to the schools/colleges they started, that today india has the 2nd largest english speaking community in the world after usa. they help in the remotest parts of india where the government hardly ever does anything; they help durng disasters to an extent and proportion which none of the Non Government Organizations of india can ever match. but this "swapping ones religion for a bite", is if you ask me, is something that's similar to hitting below the belt. if the missonaries want to convert they are more than welcome to do so with their preachings (i have attended a few myself), but here they choose such types who dont need no preaching!! just a promise of 2 square meals a day!!

but even with that kind of a bargain, i am not all that opposed to them - cos life is more precious than anything else. at least they save and sustain a lot of lives.

Dec 30th, 2004, 03:39

As I said, can you verify that this organisation does not indulge in missionary work?

Merchant · Dec 30th, 2004, 03:53

If you believe that all Christian organizations in India represent some religious fifth column bent on subverting the rightful, pure indigenous Hinduism of the subcontinent, then there's really no point in my answering.

If you are asking if the Church of South India is credible organization, governed by responsible people, who would be good stewards of aid monies, all I can say is that its is over 50 years old--it is one of two churches in India to be part of the Anglican Communion (the one nominally headed by the archbishop of Canterbury). It is analogous to the Episcopal Church in the United States or the Church of England in Britain--with the difference that its worshippers are brown, and speak mostly Tamil and Malayali. It is the largest supervisor of educational institutions in Tamil Nadu (the diocese of Tirunelveli is the largest educational enterprise in the world). Madras Christian College is one of India's premier institutions of higher learning. Vellore Medical College graduates some of India's best doctors.

The conversion scam flare ups that happen in India are usually perpetrated by less established, fundamentalist groups. The CSI is the Christian establishment in the south, the ones with stained glass windows and gothic spires.

Dec 30th, 2004, 03:58

You did not answer my question. Can you verify that this organisation does not indulge in missionary activities?

Merchant · Dec 30th, 2004, 04:01

Why don't you call and ask? I'm sure the operator in Madras can connect you. Or you could send some money to the RSS. Whatever makes you most comfortable.

Dec 30th, 2004, 04:04

Ah, so you just reccomend organisations without even checking them out first?

I can simply give a call to the Catholic church and ask if they have any convicted pedophiles among them. Get my point?

Merchant · Dec 30th, 2004, 04:13

No, I really don't get your point. Most aid groups the world over are religiously affiliated, many of them born of 19th century British Christian welfare agencies--back when religious people cared more about social causes. And today they are not all Christian. The Red Crescent was the largest conduit for aid during the Iran earthquake at Bam earlier this year. The Red Cross, of course, has Christian roots. Its hard to find a purely secular non-governmental aid agency.

It's really hard to see what you're driving at, Aryan, unless it's just jingoism.

Dec 29th, 2004, 20:58	#1
Merchant Maha Guru Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: New York Posts: 2,079	Christian Charities If you are interested in sending money directly to Tamil Nadu, one good place to send it would be the Church of South India. Many of those fishing villages up and down the east coast are Christian. The CSI is the largest federation of churches (the Catholic Church is also large) in the area. The dioceses of the CSI are large, comprehensive organizations that manage not just churches but schools, hospitals, orphanages, and colleges. They do good work. Here is the contact info: The Bishop in Madras CSI Diocese of Madras 227 Cathedral Road Chennai 600 086 Your contributions may be sent to The Hon. Treasurer Madras Diocese CSITA Madras Diocesan Foreign Exchange Regulation Act Account No. 24550 Indian Overseas Bank 5, Arunachalam Street Chintadripet Chennai 600 002 This info comes from the diocese. I think if you made a check out to "The Hon. Treasurer, Madras Diocese" and sent it to either place, the money would find the right fund. You can also contribute via the Episcopal Church in the US: Episcopal Relief and Development c/o Emergency Relief Fund PO Box 12043 Newark, NJ 07101 http://www.er-d.org

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Dec 29th, 2004, 22:44	#2
Merchant Maha Guru Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: New York Posts: 2,079	I should add that the Diocese of Madras and other groups in the CSI are themselves significant contributors to other relief operations, so your monies will definitely go where they are needed.

Dec 30th, 2004, 02:02	#3
Aryan Posts: n/a	Can you for a fact verify that this organisation does not indulge in missionary activities?

Dec 30th, 2004, 02:12	#4
Merchant Maha Guru Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: New York Posts: 2,079	Gosh, I thought missionary activities were the purview of the church. Are you asking if people will have to be baptized in order to get a cholera vaccination or a bottle of water? Please.

Dec 30th, 2004, 02:24	#5
Aryan Posts: n/a	Yes I am asking. A lot of christian organisations in India deny aid and private hospital service unless people convert. Similarly, some use tricks such as giving wrong medicine and claim that God Ram is false and the right religion (medicine) will cure them. The Catholic church has pulled this scam, the protestants especially (Baptists in particular). That is why I am asking.

Dec 30th, 2004, 02:34	#6
Merchant Maha Guru Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: New York Posts: 2,079	Do what you will with your aid money. Believe it or not, there are over 2 million Christians in India (more than there are Sikhs). The top colleges in the country (St. Stephen's Delhi and St. Xavier's Mumbai) were founded by Christians. Thousands of orphanages and hospitals are run by Christians--far more than any other group. It should be noted that since the wave struck the area it did in Tamil Nadu a significant number of those affected by it--the dead and the suffering--are Christian.

Dec 30th, 2004, 03:12	#7
Aryan Posts: n/a	Yes, and at every christian school, orphanage etc. the children are forced to embrace christ i.e pray to him, sings songs etc. I applaud good work but not missionary activities that exploit poor and ignorant people. Regardless if those people are christians or not, I am against any organisation that indulges in missionary activities. That is my point.

Dec 30th, 2004, 03:35	#8
Merchant Maha Guru Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: New York Posts: 2,079	Every Christian school in India?

Dec 30th, 2004, 03:38	#9
Bengal Tiger Posts: n/a	hi merchant. i was reading the above exchange with interest and suppressed shock. there is no denying the 90% of the better schools and colleges in india were started and are still run by christian missonaries. no doubt that they are the first and often the only group to help out the poor and luckless. most are the very epitome of selflessness. but there is a trend of doing what "aryan" suggested too. they will not do "it" during the relief/aid operations during a disaster, but during normal circumstances. well this ammounts to witch - hunting and fault-finding in an otherwise merciful act of kindness and care, but even the Missionares of Charties do that. in fact they ALWAYS do that !! someone becomes worthy and deserving of help,food,aid only if he/she decides to convert !! when i first heard it i could not believe that an institute started and run by the mother herself could "pick and choose" in such a fashion. i always felt that conversion should come naturally. eg.. if the same destitute decided to convert on his or her own , its perfectly ok with me. but a person who goes hungry for days on end will do anything for a bite.... commit a crime, change his religion if that guattantees him a bite, commit suicide to escape from it all etc. notice all are of these are extreme steps which his economic circumstance is forcing him to take. and thats where i draw the line. we have had chrstians since before europe and usa had them. we never had anything against them, for they never oppressed religiously (unlike the muslims). i cant recall any incident of religious skirmishes between hindus and christians ever. its due to the schools/colleges they started, that today india has the 2nd largest english speaking community in the world after usa. they help in the remotest parts of india where the government hardly ever does anything; they help durng disasters to an extent and proportion which none of the Non Government Organizations of india can ever match. but this "swapping ones religion for a bite", is if you ask me, is something that's similar to hitting below the belt. if the missonaries want to convert they are more than welcome to do so with their preachings (i have attended a few myself), but here they choose such types who dont need no preaching!! just a promise of 2 square meals a day!! but even with that kind of a bargain, i am not all that opposed to them - cos life is more precious than anything else. at least they save and sustain a lot of lives.

Dec 30th, 2004, 03:39	#10
Aryan Posts: n/a	As I said, can you verify that this organisation does not indulge in missionary work?

Dec 30th, 2004, 03:53	#11
Merchant Maha Guru Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: New York Posts: 2,079	If you believe that all Christian organizations in India represent some religious fifth column bent on subverting the rightful, pure indigenous Hinduism of the subcontinent, then there's really no point in my answering. If you are asking if the Church of South India is credible organization, governed by responsible people, who would be good stewards of aid monies, all I can say is that its is over 50 years old--it is one of two churches in India to be part of the Anglican Communion (the one nominally headed by the archbishop of Canterbury). It is analogous to the Episcopal Church in the United States or the Church of England in Britain--with the difference that its worshippers are brown, and speak mostly Tamil and Malayali. It is the largest supervisor of educational institutions in Tamil Nadu (the diocese of Tirunelveli is the largest educational enterprise in the world). Madras Christian College is one of India's premier institutions of higher learning. Vellore Medical College graduates some of India's best doctors. The conversion scam flare ups that happen in India are usually perpetrated by less established, fundamentalist groups. The CSI is the Christian establishment in the south, the ones with stained glass windows and gothic spires.

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Dec 30th, 2004, 03:58	#12
Aryan Posts: n/a	You did not answer my question. Can you verify that this organisation does not indulge in missionary activities?

Dec 30th, 2004, 04:01	#13
Merchant Maha Guru Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: New York Posts: 2,079	Why don't you call and ask? I'm sure the operator in Madras can connect you. Or you could send some money to the RSS. Whatever makes you most comfortable.

Dec 30th, 2004, 04:04	#14
Aryan Posts: n/a	Ah, so you just reccomend organisations without even checking them out first? I can simply give a call to the Catholic church and ask if they have any convicted pedophiles among them. Get my point?

Dec 30th, 2004, 04:13	#15
Merchant Maha Guru Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: New York Posts: 2,079	No, I really don't get your point. Most aid groups the world over are religiously affiliated, many of them born of 19th century British Christian welfare agencies--back when religious people cared more about social causes. And today they are not all Christian. The Red Crescent was the largest conduit for aid during the Iran earthquake at Bam earlier this year. The Red Cross, of course, has Christian roots. Its hard to find a purely secular non-governmental aid agency. It's really hard to see what you're driving at, Aryan, unless it's just jingoism.