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Originally Posted by toddpedlar  Quote:
Originally Posted by Pergamum I truly believe that we can objectively prioritize some "mission fields" over others. Sorry if you were offended but I see the USA as a low priority based upon the criteria that I see.
If we do not prioritize fields of service we could never say that Istanbul Turkey had greater needs than Atlanta Georgia.
You WOULD agree that you would rather see - all other things being equal - 100 missionaries go to Istanbul rather than Atlanta Georgia, wouldn't you? | Not necessarily. On what Biblical grounds would you argue that you'd prefer to send them to Istanbul?
Consider 100 unsaved people in Istanbul, and 100 unsaved people in Atlanta. Which are more valuable to evangelize? Quote: |
I do not have a contempt for home missions, but there is rarely a spot in the USA that is not covered by Christian radio, Bibles in motel rooms, and churches in every town. The barriers of language and geography are nil.
| Language and geography are hardly the most important barriers to consider.
But if each is spiritually starved, each equally damned, then why is there a priority to evangelize one and not the other? Quote: |
P.S. this isn't about me thinking my place of service is more valuable.
| But you are doing so to a degree - you're saying that priority needs to be shifted from saving the unsaved people in one part of the world to saving them in the other (where you are). You're working in what you consider the 'high priority' area - if value isn't attached to the words 'high priority' then you are defining priority in a way that I don't understand. Quote: |
But I do want to push the fact that there is an unequal distribution of Christian workers throughout the world.
| Perhaps it has been a long time since you have been in the US, and in particular parts of the US (like the inner city, and rural America) in which there is an extreme dearth of Christian workers. The US isn't as uniformly populated with sound purveyors of the Gospel as you think it is. |
Todd,
We can start another thread on prioritization if you would like.
Language, and geography are key items of importance because of the issue of access. English speakers who can read English have more access than many who have no Bible in their language.
If I dug a little deeper with you I am sure you would admit some sort of prioritization as well. If a city already had 3 reformed churches you would rather see a church planted in a city that had none, right?
All unsaved are damned and all souls have equal value, but all works and all strategies don't have equal priority - and getting the Bible into a language or creating a vehicle to reach a people-group that have previously NEVER had Gospel exposure has greater priority than opening the 20th church in City X in America.