From: Channel TenForty
Date: Sun Jul 16, 2000 4:15 am
Subject: Different facets of R&D: Not a dichotomy
Continuation: Relief and Development -- not a dichotomy.
Relief does not contradict Development at all, for one does not exists without the other. Relief safeguards Development while Development completes Relief. Generally speaking, they are like
an inseparable couple. They are not like north and south poles. But why dichotomize these two when there's more to it than just relief and development?
R&D is a two letter word which is too broad to be contained with only
"relief" and "development". This is probably the best coinage covering a broad spectrum of society. To quote Tom Mascarinas,
"development is not development at all if it doesn't address family," which is just one sphere of society...adding Dennis de la Fuente's view on family ministry and counseling. Then, there's the issue of politics and government where politics' real meaning is public service, better identified with community development for without development the public service is useless.
We could go back to the presupposition that God's design for his creation is holistic. And that relief and development that does not begin from self (Tom Wells said "development begins from me") will
not reach its potential. Again, most R&D resources had been dissipated (or unsuccessful) due to the absence of God's principles.
In our world today, how many countries are experiencing relief and development? And how much are being done according to God's principles? Is there such a thing as non-Christian R&D?
