Missionaries Invade Local Communities

"City, nation, and world increasingly invade local communities. Today, if anthropologists want to study a fairly isolated society, they must journey to the highlands of Papua New Guinea or the tropical forests of South America. Even in those places, they probably will encounter missionaries" (Kottak 408).

Yes, that's right.

Missionaries.

Not so long ago, I was on myspace browsing the profiles of anthropologists. There are some interesting folks on myspace. I found anthropologists galore. I am not sure why they decided to hermetically gather there, but there sure were a lot of them. I, myself, am chasing down a degree in anthropology. I didn't stay long, but I must admit I did feel a bit at home frolicking and rolling about in their culturally sensitive pages. Anthropologists are good people. They actually care about this planet and the direction our species seems to be heading. There is damn good reason why I am pursuing a degree in the subject. I don't expect to make much of a living at it, but money has never been all that important to me.

Anyway, I found something else in those anthropology profiles that terrified the hell out of me. It shook the socks right off my feet. No, it wasn't the keen virtual displays that obviously would never measure up to the reality of the person behind the computer screen.

It was the missionaries.

And they came in all shapes and sizes. At first, I didn't really think much of it. Missionaries, although debatable, are people, too. They are entitled to their beliefs just as much as I am. That is the point of the relativistic attitude I attempt to take toward those different than myself. As an anthropologist, in the making, I do try not to abuse it.

Nonetheless, I did take the time to search their profiles a bit, and you would be amazed by how many of these folks were pursuing a degree in anthropology. Now, for those of you who do not know what anthropology is, anthropology, for the most part, is the study of people. And people, just like God's chosen, come in all shapes and sizes. We truly are amazing creatures. I would venture to say we are even interesting--at least, interesting enough to dedicate the rest of my years to the study of them.

Still, why, may I ask, are missionaries moving into the field?

Okay, let's just cut to the chase. You know, and I know, it is a rhetorical question. I know exactly why.

According to Webster, a missionary is "one sent to spread a religion or philosophy in a foreign land or to persons not of the same persuasion."

And, again, according to the same source, philanthropy is the "love of mankind; altruism."

So, come now. Am I the only one that sees the difference?

Missionaries, we all know you want the best for us. We really do. But leave the world alone, please. Just take a degree in religious studies or something. You have done more than enough damage already.

Works Cited
Kottak, Conrad Phillip. Cultural Anthropology (Tenth Edition). New York: McGraw-Hill, 2004.