Earthquake Survivors Get Solar Powered Bibles

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.

Comments

Disassembly...

[brainboyz]

These will be disassembled into something immediately useful in short order, would be my bet.

Re:this is one of the things...

[Bakkster]

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, as long as the more immediate needs are covered at the same time.

Re:this is one of the things...

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

Didn't you know? This is the new Mathew 25:35.

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.

Not a bad concept

[HikingStick]

Given there are so many societies around the world where literacy rates are not as high as they are in the West, these units are actually a pretty good idea. You may not agree with the message in this context (audio Bibles), but the application of the technology is useful. A master recording can be made in a specific language or dialect, and then the units can be distributed by NGOs or locals with more resources. People who might not be able to read can now listen to a messge without being constrained by the availability of electrical power.

These could be used for basic literacy training (in conjunction with a text or print), could take the place of a teacher in remote areas where lessons could be loaded and the units could be taken in for upgrades (new recordings) periodically. They're particularly nice for areas with limited infrastructure.

Re:Not a bad concept

[Locke2005]

Great technology, but not being used to it's best purpose. Wouldn't using this to disseminate information about obtaining food and water, preventing cholera, maybe even about birth control be a much better application of this technology? How about using it to help find missing relatives?

Re:Not a bad concept

[AtomicOrange]

Don't talk about birth control, lest the Catholic church hear. All funding will be revoked from Haiti.

Re:Not a bad concept

[sznupi]

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.

Re:this is one of the things...

[Locke2005]

There is an old story that in hell there is a room with a beautiful banquet laid out, but all the people in it are miserable and starving because they all have spoons attached to the ends of their arms that are too long to feed themselves. And in heaven, there is a similar room, except that everybody in it is happy and well-fed because they are feeding each other. True Christians get that religion is about compassion, about emulating the life of Christ and working to relieve suffering here on Earth, not about feeling superior to others because you worship the one TRUE God. Unfortunately, there appears to be an order of magnitude more people that call themselves "Christians" but aren't then there are that truly grasp this concept.

Junk

[Artemis3]

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.

Re:Junk

[Bakkster]

How is this better than the physical book?

Because Haiti's literacy rate is somewhere around 50% to 65%. A bulky device everyone can use is better than a nice compact book that between 1/2 and 1/3rd can't use.

Re:Junk

[sznupi]

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.

[srodden]

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. Reminds me of the comment I read once about middle class people driving 1/4 mile in their SUVs, past homeless and disadvantaged to get to the gilded house where a gilded man tells them how to be more like Jesus. - Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Give a man religion and watch him starve to death, praying for a fish.

Re:Obscene.

[Bakkster]

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.'"

Re:Obscene.

[srodden]

When you have a chance to donate time, effort and money to someone in need, a choice is made as to how that donation will be realised. Whatever choice is made, there is an opportunity cost. Thus they could've sent medicines and food or they could've sent bibles. Ergo, the bibles have potentially displaced aid. It's possible that the donors had no spare cash and a stash of unused audio bibles intended for the missionary market and decided to donate those as their way of helping. I stand partially corrected with the Matt 4:4 quote, thank you. I feel the word of god remains in 5th+ place after food, water, shelter and medicine though. Hard to hear the word of god when you died of starvation, dissentry or malaria.

Re:Obscene.

[Bakkster]

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, provided it has a use. In this case, that's Bibles.

I'm quite certain that many will appreciate the gesture after their basic needs are taken care of, and while they wait for more permanent need. So why wait to send them?

Re:Obscene.

[sznupi]

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.

Re:Obscene.

[Bakkster]

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: distribute the Bible with the aid, not in place of it.

Re:Obscene.

[sznupi]

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 of one person, that's inexcusable.

PS. Please, if you want to include immortal life into consideration - why help them at all? After all, eternal happiness awaits them...

Re:this is one of the things...

[sznupi]

If anything, it stops them from becoming too uncomfortable about being illiterate.

Useful stuff for preserving that 3%...

Re:this is one of the things...

[sznupi]

"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...