They come in over 50 different languages and you can get them for free.
Posted on 05/29/2008 11:11:57 AM PDT by XR7
FALLUJAH, Iraq — At the western entrance to the Iraqi city of Fallujah on Tuesday, Muamar Anad handed his residence badge to the U.S. Marines guarding the city. They checked to be sure he was a city resident, and when they were done, Anad said, a Marine slipped a coin out of his pocket and put it in his hand.
Out of fear, he accepted it, Anad said. When he was inside the city, the college student said, he looked at one side of the coin. "Where will you spend eternity?" it asked.
He flipped it over, and on the other side it read, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16."
"They are trying to convert us to Christianity," said Anad, a Sunni Muslim like most residents of this city in Anbar province. At home, he told his story, and his relatives echoed their disapproval: They'd been given the coins, too, he said...
"Iraq is investigating a report that U.S. military personnel in Fallujah handed-out material that is religious and evangelical in nature," said Rear Adm. Patrick Driscoll, a U.S. military spokesman, in a statement e-mailed to McClatchy Newspapers. "Local commanders are investigating since the military prohibits proselytizing any religion, faith or practices."
Residents said some Marines at the western entrance to their city have been passing out the coins for two days in what they call a "humiliating" attempt to convert them to Christianity.
In the markets, people crowded around men with the coins, passing them to each other and asking in surprise: "Have you seen this?"
(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.nwsource.com ...
Horrors!
The head of the Sunni endowment in Fallujah, the organization that oversees Sunni places of worship and other religious establishments, demanded the Marines stop...
How dare our Marines try to spread the good news that God is full of grace and that their sins can be forgioven and they do not have to engage in jihad to gain His favor!
Remember what St. Peter told the authorities?
The Authorities: "We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name!" he said. "Yet you have filled [Falujah] with your teaching..."Instead of imprinted coins, maybe the wisest thing would be to give the Iraqis food, some US dollars and a Bible printed in Arabic.
Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men!"
* -- Acts 5:28-29 (NIV) paraphrased
Although I’m sympathietic to the Marines here, this really is a pretty stupid thing to be doing in Fallujah or anywhere else in Iraq while we’re trying to snuff out the insurgency and Mahdi Army threats.
If your religion is so flimsy that you can get offended by someone handing you a coin with an inscription on it, you need a better religion.
Christians don't behead muslims when they say no.
At this stage of the war, having just recently gained much cooperation from the Iraqi population, I don’t think this is a good idea! Right now, I don’t think alienating anyone is a useful, or wise, idea. Later? Yeah. But now, incidents like this will be turned against us as propaganda.
No pictures of the coins? Godless heathens.
ping.
Not a good idea. They are employees of the U.S. government and preaching the gospel is not part of their job description.
Soldiers with guns are not the ideal type to be preaching the gospel, no matter what their intentions. Better they should just be—literally—good Christian soldiers and pray that they are doing their part in spreading the gospel that way.
sarc/
Jamal Naji and Leila Fadel? I call “you know what”
My memory of scripture is a bit hazy I'm ashamed to say but doesn't it say someplace that Jesus said: They who acknowledge me in front of men so too will I acknowledge them before my Father in Heaven and those who deny me before me shall be denied Heaven? Something like that? I'd hate to be those "army officials" or Secretary of Defense or President responsible for that policy, come the Judgment!
You expressed my sentiment exactly - pretty weak religion if you think someone will convert (to the truth) over a verse on a coin.
Why, just the other day, I was just on the verge of converting to Islam because someone posted a verse from the Koran. /sarc
They come in over 50 different languages and you can get them for free.
Not a good idea. They are employees of the U.S. government and preaching the gospel is not part of their job description.
Agreed. That's not what we sent them over there to do.
The job they and their fellows are being asked to is hard enough without them antagonizing the very locals we need to win over.
Where?
But they like the coins that read “IN GOD WE TRUST”.
Finally, some news out of Iraq. I thought the Democrat Media had forgotten all about it.
Me too ... of course the verse was on my toilet paper with an image of Mad-Piggly-Wiggly-Mo.
” . . . the military prohibits proselytizing any religion, faith or practices.”
***********************
Is that a rule for that theater of operations, or a general military rule?
Seems to me that handing out coins is a different approach to conversion from the Muslim one, which was to urge conversion to Islam or face beheading.
For free? Even at a cost, I’d like to have some in Chinese and some in Korean. Who has the supplier’s info?
Back in the yahoo message board days, when I could tell there were Muslims onboard, I’d post something to the effect of
“this morning I made an ‘image of Muhammed’, then I flushed it”
I’m probably on a few lists.
ah, another person needing to read this:
http://www.amazon.com/Politically-Incorrect-Guide-Crusades-Guides/dp/0895260131
Let’s make the Marines Christian-free and see what happens.
The fiercest warriors on earth - without God. Not a good idea.
Excellent question . 40 years ago we were given the admonition to avoid proselytizing and political activities in the same @$$ chewing .
“Out of fear, he accepted it....” Did the Marine threaten him if he didn’t????
C’mon now.....
This sounds like literary license by a liberal newspaper to me...
OK, let’s make a deal... you stop your BS Muslim recruiting in our prisons, etc.
Thank God that Jesus will judge the Marine differently. If only all Christians can be accused of proselytizing via dishing out coins with messages of God's love. It's a big difference from flying a jetliner into skyscrapers demanding conversions.
But let's go back to what could be the last Christian actions of a Marine who could die at any moment...even from accidental “friendly” fire. What if distributing one message of love were the only kind actions that wins this Marine’s Salvation?
Virginia Ridgerunner, I know that in your heart that don't see error in the Marine or his action. If there are those demanding condemnation for Christian kindness, then judge the Marine and shoot him yourself. I find no fault in this man.
I wasn’t thinking of the Crusades so much as I was thinking of the Spanish Inquisition and the expulsion of the Moors from Spain and Portugal............
>>Although I’m sympathietic to the Marines here, this really is a pretty stupid thing to be doing in Fallujah or anywhere else in Iraq while we’re trying to snuff out the insurgency and Mahdi Army threats.<<
A. You ASSUME that civilians are telling the truth and our marines are stupid.
B. This is ANOTHER attack on our best and finest.
C. See Ann Coulter’s comments on this cult of death, posing as a religion.
Semper fi.
Oh puhleeze.
Ah... well, we don’t claim “’dem Catholics” anymore... :)
Twaddle.
Ann Coulter had it right, from the beginning.
It’s okay to mutilate and murder in the name of allah, but don’t dare mention the J-word. Muslims are lower than worms.
You can get the coins here:
http://www.multilingual-southasian.com/
So it's works that get salvation and not just faith? Interesting.
LOL..You really hit the nail on the head with that one.
We don’t even prosetylize freedom and democracy lest we offend our Democrat brethren. Heaven forbid we would prosetylize peace and forgiveness.
These people view Western “ideas” as a weakness. If the Marines had handed them the coins then cut their legs off, I’m sure they’d be more receptive to something as innocuous as John 3:16.
It's a general rule, I'd guess. Look at General Boykin, and the trouble he got in for statements of a religious nature.
With that said, if the story is accurate (and there's no evidence that it isn't), then what this Marine or Marines were doing was hardly conducive to cementing the peace in Anbar, where a lot of Iraqis are still ticked off about the Crusades. Prosylitizing to the Iraqis flies in the face of what the U.S. military is trying to do there NOW, and could very well reignite the insurgency.
If you don't believe me, then read about how to deal with insurgencies here:
U.S. ARMY/MARINE COUNTERINSURGENCY FIELD MANUAL, by Generals David Petraeus and James Amos.
My biggest issue with the policy: as a Christian, I’m supposed to take the Gospel to all the world. Doesn’t that mean this policy interferes with my First Amendment right to practice my religion?
Colonel, USAFR
I agree. Send them home to their families immediately.
All soldiers wanting to come home, take note...
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