Missionary Ebola Treatment : Embrace it don't Fear it

The recent discovery of the deadly Ebola virus in Africa has led to an arise of Christian missionaries swarming the Ebola patients to medicate their bodies as well as their souls. Because it has been found that the doctors attending patients in third world countries such as Africa were Christian missionaries, there has been much criticism and bewilderment. Why would Christians "waste their time" helping the poor in the harsh conditions of Africa when they could be much more comfortable and make more money working at home in America?

For one thing, no one else but Christians will help these sufferers; they will die unless treatment is given! Second, their concern is about whether or not God is pleased with their service to fulfill his calling of being a witness and sharing faith, so they care more about serving God and His children than money and happiness. Third, they want to convert their patients to Christianity in the process, because in times of trouble, distress, or near death, that is when a person is most vulnerable and open-minded, knowing that their life will possibly end. To me, these sound like fantastic reasons to stay in Africa and treat those with Ebola, especially if they accept Christ and are able to enter into Heaven. Even Brian Palmer, and atheist and the writer of the article, "In Medicine We Trust", of Slate, agrees that Christians are doing great deeds for the poor, yet criticism continues to exist.

Were I a non-Christian liberal, for instance, I might say to my friend, Brian Palmer, "How could you convince yourself to believe that what Christians are doing is beneficial? They're medical practices are unsanitary and don't follow standards. Plus, it's pointless; we have no real cure for Ebola. And when you die, there is no afterlife. It's just eternal darkness of which you are unconscious. I dislike Christians always forcing their opinion onto others and they don't give them a chance to think about what ideas they are accepting." That is the main idea behind these criticisms. However, were missionaries to be forcefully pulled out of Africa for performing "illegal" medical aid because of the wishes of those opposed, it would be no different than pulling out the legalization of gay marriage, abortion, etc. 


From this perspective, it appears that Christians have just as much right as others to complain about these acts that go against God's wishes, but they do not choose to do so. How could two groups supporting peace be so inwardly (and externally in many cases) hostile towards each other? The answer is that one group includes God's rules in the equation and the other does not. God gives his people free will, but he did not give the ability to enact free will in sin without some form of judgment generally known as Heaven or Hell.