Quite on the contrary I think the missionaries may have copied us, the philosophers. The original Greek science may still have had spirituality however, but in stepping out of their doors they 'preached' ideas which surely took on new (at the time) trajectories through math, science, and styles of critical thinking hitherto unknown.
My direct familiarization with missionary work is around the conversion or education of indigenous populations, so most of what I say is slanted that way. Perhaps you are talking more about missionary work conducted amongst a population which has a higher level of educationand literacy?
Suffice to say that based on what I have seen, talking about math, science and styles of critical thinking are of far less value than trying to ensure a majority of the local population is literate, and has some basic access to schooling.
Well, you don't have an organization to necessarily 'send' you, do you? I mean, take liberalism for example, and I don't know if you are a liberal. However, liberalism might be one day made into a way of viewing the universe, if only they would explain themselves that far. Same goes for the conservatives. Once either of those things start telling you how they think the universe started and why we are all here, then with just those two simple things they might go from political opinion to actual philosophical systems.
No, you're right. I was working for a timber company, in fact. Even if I worked for the international schooling system, your point would be valid.
But I don't want to convince uneducated populations that my point of view is correct. Hence, for me, secularist organisations which help the local populations are vastly preferable to proselytizing, regardless of message.
Me too, but I wonder if secular organizations can be too particulate.
Sorry, I'm familiar with 'particulate', but not in this context, so I might be missing the point. But their lack of philosophical direction is why I would support tham, not a negative (in my opinion).
People need someone to speak in that kind of language that maybe Jesus or Socrates spoke in, apparently. Not only do they need to maybe print t-shirts and create the miracle of the fish and loaves, but along with this they need to give the moral teachings people would like to hear. And the teachings about why we are all here, the science of the big bang or whatever, the reason to sustain the earth. You know. It's all right there, someone just has to plug it into pre-exsisting forms.
This is completely dependent on WHO you are talking to, I will readily admit. But where I lived (and commonly in terms of missionary work) the education levels were extremely low. You would literally be talking to a population who often lacked Grade 6 (primary school) educations. Literacy was common, but far from universal, and English was not the primary language.
So imagine a bunch of 10 year olds, speaking in a language not of their own. That is the level of sophistication you can bring to the table and have it understandable. One of the major issues I have with missionary work is the 'shooting fish in a barrel' aspect of it. But it cuts both ways, of course. Getting locals to pay lip service, and even invest time in something is not difficult, but what does that actually achieve?
Have you heard of the cargo cults of PNG? It might be an interesting topic for you to check out.
I think you're over-estimating the ability of rational argument to gain traction.
Whilst living in PNG I had difficulties convincing a group of Western born kids I had (mixed race) not to throw rocks at a dwarf who lived by himself. The hardest part was the lack of backup from the parents.
Their view was that there was a good chance the dwarf was a sorcerer, so they'd back me up, since it was clearly dangerous for the kids to provoke him.
It's not exactly Socrates, the Big Bang, or anything else.
This is a country that is now 98% Christian due primarily to missionary work. They also have (I think) the highest rate of witch-burnings on the planet, and commonly infuse animism and ancestor worship with their Christian beliefs.
