I guess it's always sad when people die....

[conuly]

but there is a reason North Sentinel Island is off-limits. “I have been so nice to them. Why are they so angry and so aggressive?” I don't know, maybe because you were trespassing? They've made it abundantly clear that they don't want visitors.

According to The Washington Post, he did at least get to holler at them (his words, not mine) that Jesus loves them, so I guess his trip wasn't a total waste. (He presumably yelled at them in English. He certainly could not have been speaking their language, because none of us knows what that sounds like.)

With any luck, he didn't get a chance to pass any novel pathogens to these people and the deaths will stop with him.

Edit: Friends are calling him a martyr. I'm not going to say what I think, out of respect for his grieving family, but he's not a damn martyr. He didn't even have a freaking plan.

Comments

[kengr]

As soon as I heard what part of the world he was in I knew it was going to be that island.

Somehow I see him arriving before the pearly gates and getting taken aside by Jesus who will gently explain all the things he did wrong.

Sort of "yes, you are supposed to spread the word. But you need some sort of plan..."

[ayebydan]

These were pretty much my thoughts when I saw the posts floating around. He was a damn fool.

[calimac]

A martyr? A martyr for what? You can't be a martyr unless you have a cause.

As I alluded to in my own post linking to the news, this reminds me startlingly of the story of the White Rock Tribe, and I'm still waiting to see if anyone else remembers that story.

[cactuswatcher]

There is always somebody who can't leave well enough alone. Undoubtedly he learned of the place and the tribe the same way most of us have. But couldn't get it wrapped around his head that they don't want outsiders, period, end of story. They ain't bothering the rest of us. Why bother them? Yeah, I know he thought inflicting his religion on them was supposed to be a blessing. But somehow he didn't understand that that was tried many times before there by people (from more than just one religion) who were better prepared? And he never got the message that a sudden immersion in modern international culture would be as likely to wipe them out as 'save' them?

He chose poorly.

[malkingrey]

Martyr. Hah. No.

Oscar Romero was a martyr. Mychal Judge was a martyr. Not this guy.

(And I just learned while composing this reply that Romero was in fact canonized this year on 14 October. You'd think there would have been more about it in the news at the time.)

[silveradept]

I cannot call him a martyr of any sort, or anything else other than a damn fool. Even if it's supposed to be a good thing to spread your religion, it's also a good thing to not throw away your life trying to preach to people who very clearly aren't interested.

[low_delta]

What a moron.

[wpadmirer]

Darwin Award.

[konsectatrix]

Yet another casualty of the belief that one can FORCE Jesus to come back if every single person on the planet has had a chance to accept or reject the gospel (At least it was the missionary this time and not the would-be converts).

It's really no surprise that they just don't get the concept of boundaries in general.

[monanotlisa]

Thanks for posting this; I'm unreasonably angry. Not only do the people of the island clearly not want to be contacted; they are likely to DIE a horrible death from encountering modern-day humans exposed to a million different diseases. The Americas were not conquered as much as contaminated, after all.

How sick of a soul do you have to have to willfully ignore facts and figures and the will of the people themselves?

[monanotlisa]

Your icon is great.

[thewayne]

Bingo. Apparently this is the type of person who would happily hand out blankets to Native American Indians in the 19th century and ignore the box label that says 'Warning: possibly contaminated with measles and small pox'. Gotta preech the Jeebuz! I hope if he gets to the Pearly Gates that after doing a face palm that St. Pete pulls the big lever that opens the trap door that sends him down the giant slid to The Good Place. Maybe Michael can have some fun with him.

[konsectatrix]

Thank you!

[agoodwinsmith]

I believe he has committed elaborate suicide, and is guilty[1] of involving other people in his death.

I am sorry for his family, but not much, since he got his ideas from somewhere.

[1] also of other things like self-satisfied stupidity and priveleged arrogance.

[heron61]

I heard about this, but only in passing so I thought he was just an intrusive idiot rather than a missionary. My feelings about intrusive idiots are somewhat more positive than towards missionaries and I hope the people there continue to treat missionaries with the respect they deserve.

[maju]

I *so* agree with you! He had no business going anywhere near that island.

[monanotlisa]

At least the White folks who contacted Native Americans were not all aware of the pestilence the blankets carried (though of course a lot were) -- this guy had the knowledge of the modern world at his fingertips but ignored it because he thought it would bring him glory. "Adventurer-missionary"? Yeah, no. I will accept that some missionaries do good, but that's the subsection that focuses on selfless serving of long-contacted populations.

[monanotlisa]

Yes! See my comment above.

[thewayne]

I really hate the "Christian" who believes so strongly that since their God is on their side, anything they do is correct and they can do no wrong.  I'd love to see Jesus go to Congress, hand out a copy of the Beatitudes and the Woes, and then lash out with a 2x4.

[chasing_silver]

He's a colonialist asshole. Not surprised he got what was coming to him, and no, I don't feel sorry for him. I do feel bad for his family.

[lavendertook]

Nope not a martyr. I did not realize he made it onto shore--that's horrible. Yes, he may have brought illness and death upon all the islanders. He and his church who encouraged proselytizing "adventure" and fostered his worldview are wrong, and deadly so. And if they seek any investigation of his death on the island or propose any prosecution of the islanders, I support all international efforts to utterly prevent their thoughtless and arrogant butts.

[greghousesgf]

Martyr, no, fool, yes.

[jessie_c]

Sam Vines would add "And being bloody stupid" to the charges.

[jessie_c]

Like any other white cis Xtian male, he suffered from the delusion that Rules Are For Other People. Such men quite often learn the contrary with a fatal lesson.

Good riddance. The Human race just became a small bit better.

[wolby]

Don't think he's white, for once. Otherwise I agree. Missionaries and evangelists are emotionally abusive scum at best, and the scale quickly slides into the genocidal. I just hope this guy didn't manage genocide.