Religious groups are often first in helping after disaster strikes. In the face of disaster, their speed and precision can outmatch larger groups or governments. Although the individual contributions of these groups might not be much, collectively, they represent a crucial piece in disaster recovery.

This was especially evident in 2005 with Hurricane Katrina. Many religious organizations were on site, already helping days before many government agencies even got there. These groups provided essentials to the victims including food, blankets, shelter and evacuation assistance.

The efforts in Haiti seem to be more balanced among churches, governments and other organizations than Katrina was. However, once again, religious groups are playing a huge part in providing relief.

Nonetheless, there is a line between effective relief and taking advantage of a terrible situation. Objective Ministries, along with a handful of other organizations, have crossed this line.

Objective Ministries is currently launching a “relief effort” with their new product, The Proclaimer®. The Porclaimer is a “rugged, self-powered audio Bible that can broadcast the New Testament in the jungle, desert, or even on the moon!” The group is currently asking donations to send these $157 glorified radios to Haiti.

On their website, the main marketing point of Objective Ministries is that the Proclaimer can “produce enough comforting decibels of Gospel to be clearly heard by 300 homeless and injured people.” Where that statistic comes from, I don’t know, but its validity is questionable at best.

It doesn’t matter if five, or 500 people can hear the radio. For a society in which the vast majority of its citizens live on a dollar a day, $157 could be spent in a multitude of better ways.

Objective Ministries also promotes this program by saying how now “we can turn this tragedy into an opportunity to release Haiti from the bonds of Voodoo and it’s (sic) Satanic pact.”

To say that this tragedy is an opportunity to promote a religion seems to undermine one of religion’s main purposes: to show compassion to humanity.

Churches and religious organizations should do what they can to help those in need. In fact, my favorite thing about religion is its capacity to help others. But there is a difference between genuine help, and a religious marketing ploy.

The people of Haiti don’t need fancy solar powered radios (that’s right, it can be powered by batteries, solar power, a hand crank or an AC adaptor). They need food, clean water and a place to sleep.

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