The Theology of Missions

In an interview with Outlook Magazine, Sadhvi Vrnda Chaitanya said "If the Vatican
could understand that every religious and spiritual tradition is as sacred as Christianity,
and that they have a right to exist without being denigrated or extinguished, it will greatly
serve the interests of dialogue, mutual respect, and peaceful coexistence."
Aid and Evangelism
While there is a general agreement among most major aid organizations not to mix aid
with proselyting, others see disasters as a useful opportunity to spread the word. One
such an occurrence was the tsunami that devastated parts of Asia on December 26,
2004.
"This (disaster) is one of the greatest opportunities God has given us to share his love
with people," said K.P. Yohannan, president of the Texas-based Gospel for Asia. In an
interview, Yohannan said his 14,500 "native missionaries" in India, Sri Lanka and the
Andaman Islands are giving survivors Bibles and booklets about "how to find hope in
this time through the word of God." In Krabi, Thailand, a Southern Baptist church had
been "praying for a way to make inroads" with a particular ethnic group of fishermen,
according to Southern Baptist relief coordinator Pat Julian. Then came the tsunami, "a
phenomenal opportunity" to provide ministry and care, Julian told the Baptist Press
news service.... Not all evangelicals agree with these tactics. "It's not appropriate in a
crisis like this to take advantage of people who are hurting and suffering", said the Rev.
Franklin Graham, head of Samaritan's Purse and son of evangelist Billy Graham."
The Christian Science Monitor echoes these concerns... "'I think evangelists do this out
of the best intentions, but there is a responsibility to try to understand other faith groups
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