Alarms Quote by Douglas Adams
““I certainly don’t like the idea of missionaries. In fact, the whole business fills me with fear and alarm. I don’t believe in God, or at least not in the one we’ve invented for ourselves in England to fulfill our peculiarly English needs, and certainly not in the ones they’ve invented in America, who supply their servants with toupees, television stations, and, most important, toll-free telephone numbers. I wish that people who did believe in such things would keep them to themselves and not export them to the developing world.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: The New Yorker, “The World According to Douglas Adams”, 1995
The speaker criticizes missionary work as cultural imperialism, fearing it imposes foreign religious and material values on developing societies.
In simple terms: Missionaries spread foreign ideas and goods, which can be harmful.
Key Takeaway
Respect cultural autonomy and avoid imposing beliefs.
Themes
cultural imperialism
religion
colonialism
ethics
globalization
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
ethical
philosophical
sociopolitical
When to use this quote
- development aid
- international NGOs
- religious outreach
- media influence
Key Concepts
cultural hegemony
ethical relativism
postcolonial theory
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we balance aid with respect for local cultures?
- When is external help justified?
A Different Perspective
Missionary work can also provide education and healthcare, complicating a purely negative view.
![“Does God know he [exists]?" "Of course he does. Otherwise, you could not have asked the question, and I could not have answered.” quote by Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a21/douglas-adams-122_courses_does-god-know-he-exists-of-course-he-doe_26187.jpg)
