There is an advertisement that I often see on TV about "Mercy Ships". Before I say much about this, I am NOT a religious troll. Part of the advert says that all the doctors and nurses pay for all their own expenses. Yes, they do have film/pictures of some of the horrendous diseases that no living 'thing' should have. And they do have film of the happy faces after the cures. Another "yes", they talk a bit about "god". I don't care what they talk about- as long as this work is being done. Would the average person take time off a well-paying job to do free work with people that they had never met?

A point: all religious people, or people under a religious umbrella, are not the epitome of evil. They are not the warped and twisted TV evangelists.

Diogenes, the crime is that these people pay their own way, while churches take the credit for the lives they are saving and raise huge sums of money to fund these projects for which the church doesn't even pay for. And yes, if I were unencumbered, had the skills and the money to support myself during such work, I would do it in a nano second, like most people I know.

@BrigittaCuadros I am well past religion many decades ago. The bible stories are for children--- but they should be told at a young age that these are just fairy tales. For example, Daniel did not come out of a hungry lions den- if he did, it was as leftover Danielburger. LOL------- Back to the discussion. A person should 'always' investigate any of these charities- but I hope that I am right about this one being decent. To their credit there was no big, long rant about gods- and there was NO specific church that was collecting money. Adios

I do think Stockholm Syndrome is a part of the equation, but I think religion is a symptom rather than the cause of the problem. We elevate to godhood whatever we are captive of, whether we worship in a church, or on a golf course, or in a cafeteria.

@Diogenes They are victims of religion.

@BrigittaCuadros I have NO interest in religion. I am agnostic; I do not know if Nature has a cognitive entity behind it or not- and I am not going to fill that void with a contrived answer. Some of the healed children said they wanted to be a doctor or health worker. I'll take that outlook before I'll listen to some self-serving atheist. But true, it would make me angry, if some bag of rice had stenciled on the side, "This food was brought to you by god"(as far as I know Nature did not create/empower any gods)- when in fact, seed, climate and hard work is what enabled the donation.