From: thssccb@iitmax.iit.edu (catherine c bareiss)
Subject: Re: phone number of wycliffe translators UK
Organization: Illinois Institute of Technology
Lines: 36

In article <Apr.17.01.11.19.1993.2268@geneva.rutgers.edu> mprc@troi.cc.rochester.edu (M. Price) writes:
>
>  I'm concerned about a recent posting about WBT/SIL.  I thought they'd
>pretty much been denounced as a right-wing organization involved in
>ideological manipulation and cultural interference, including Vietnam
>and South America. A commission from Mexican Academia denounced them in
>1979 as " a covert political and ideological institution used by the
>U.S. govt as an instrument of control, regulation, penetration, espionage and
>repression."

I have personally know quite of few of the Wycliffe Bible Translators.
As an organization their fundamental purpose is to translate the scriptures
into the native languages which in terms usual means learning it and 
developing a written language (along with teaching the natives to read).
It is not associated with the U.S. govt. at all.  Many governments
want the help of the translators.  To the best of my knowledge the 
Mexican government now encourages them to come.  Their idea is not
cultural interference but the presentation of the Good News.

To understand more about what they do, I suggest you read some of the books
(autobiographical and biographical) about some of the translators.  One
that stands out in my mind as an excellent is called "Peace Child."
This would give a true picture of what their mission is.

>  My concern is that this group may be seen as acceptable and even
>praiseworthy by readers of soc.religion.christian. It's important that
>Christians don't immediately accept every "Christian" organization as
>automatically above reproach.
>
>                                                                  mp
I agree with this statement, but we cannot also accept what others
say without looking into the issues.  That would be the same as taking 
Suddan's discussion about the CIA, etc. as being true.  We must look
at both sides.

Cathy Bareiss
