Joe Rawlins is the author of the controversial book The Korihor Argument, where he discusses his journey out of Mormonism. A portion of the proceeds of each copy go to improving access to education for the children of Peru. Joe came to the conclusion that you do not need to be a member of a particular religion to give back to those in need. You can act and give on your own accord, even if you're not associated with a huge non-profit or foundation.
Key Takeaways:
[2:50] Why did Joe lose his faith?
[5:20] In 2013, Joe decided he was an atheist.
[6:05] When Joe went to volunteer in Peru on behalf of the church, he felt a conflict between serving the people vs. serving the church.
[7:35] Joe understands that faith has a huge part in our lives. It gives us answers, it comforts us, and it holds us up when there's chaos or turmoil in our lives.
[8:05] Religious people believe atheists are selfish, but this is a misconception.
[10:55] A majority of Peruvians are Catholic, so what were the Catholic missionaries doing? They were approaching how to serve Peruvians very differently compared to the Mormon church.
[16:35] Joe is focused on working with Peruvian children between the ages of 3-6.
[17:45] Joe talks about Sumiko and her situation.
[22:55] Why did Joe reach out to his old Mormon community to help with Sumiko's cause?
[26:50] Joe wanted to see if he could give back directly to somebody in Peru without needing a big organization behind it.
[30:15] Buying local is key. Joe shares an example of how big NGOs do it wrong.
[36:10] Teaching these young kids how to use technology also gives them a new way to contribute to the global economy.
[41:00] What is Joe up to now?
[46:00] There's a lot of power to just having access to technology. You don't necessarily need a computer per child.
[47:50] Did you know $1 US dollar can feed 10 hungry children?
[49:35] We don't think about how important shoes really are.
Mentioned in This Episode:
www.givingbackpodcast.com
www.joerawlins.com/
Peru Project
The Korihor Argument by Joseph L. Rawlins
www.ffrf.org
www.openstoriesfoundation.org
www.cesletter.com/
The World Is Flat by Thomas Friedman