Are Christian Evangelists Eyeing Iraq?

Al Jazeera ^ | April 6, 2003 | Unattributed

[Seti 1]

Are Christian evangelists eyeing Iraq?

In its war against Iraq, the United States has reportedly been aiming to win over the “hearts and minds” of the Iraqi people.

But some US-based Christian evangelists are readying themselves to take it a step further.

Dedicated workers of the Southern Baptist Convention and the Samaritan’s Purse—two of the biggest evangelical Christian missions in the US—are reportedly waiting in Jordan on the Iraq border for the war to end. Ready to go into the battle-scarred country with both relief and their Gospel.

Baghdad under attack: attempts to preach Christianity in Iraq is bound to set off alarms

Both organizations insist that their priority will be to provide food, shelter and other needs to the victims of the war. But they don’t deny either that if the situation presents itself, they would preach their Christian faith in a country that’s predominantly Muslim.

“We do not deny the name of Christ. We believe in sharing him in deed and in word,” said Mark Kelly, a spokesman for the Southern Baptists.

The missionaries say that they plan to address the physical and spiritual needs of the Iraqi population.

But attempts to preach Christianity in Iraq where Muslims constitute 98 per cent of the population is certain to set the alarm bells ringing. It seems more inappropriate under the present circumstances as life-saving relief expectedly would be the vehicle for the missionaries to spread their faith.

Words of caution have come from none else than Richard Cizik, vice president for governmental affairs of the US National Association of Evangelicals. “We need to be sensitive to the circumstances of the country and its people. If we are perceived as opportunists we only hurt our cause,” argued Cizik.

Even the Bush Administration is cleverly distancing itself from the missionary-plans, less they make the war against Iraq seem to be more of a crusade against Islam.

“It is not the White House responsibility to determine which groups provide aid,” explained Ari Fleischer, the White House spokesman at a press-briefing on Friday. He also used the opportunity to stress that US President George Bush considered “Islam to be a religion of peace.”

But nothing perhaps will lessen the embarrassment since the two evangelical organizations are known Islam-baiters and they are seeking to canvas their faith in a country that has been ravaged by the US-led war.

Rev.Franklin Graham of the Samaritan’s Purse had particularly courted controversy with his inflammatory remarks against Islam in the immediate aftermath of the September 11th attack on the twin towers of the World Trade Center.

In an interview to an American television channel, Rev.Graham had called Islam “a very evil and wicked religion.”

Rev Jerry Vines of the Southern Baptist Convention had also been caustic in his remarks against Islam. On the eve of a convention in St.Louis last year, he had gone on to explain to gathered delegates that Islam’s Allah is not the same as the God worshipped by Christians. “I will tell you Allah is not Jehovah. Jehovah’s not going to turn you into a terrorist,” he had said.

But notwithstanding their strong views against Islam, both the organizations have enjoyed strong links with the US President.

While the Southern Baptists are among the most loyal of Bush’s political constituents, Rev Graham had led a prayer at the President’s inauguration.

Their connections at high places haven’t insured them against administrative raps though. Accused of holding prayers before teaching victims of an earthquake how to build temporary homes, Samaritan’s Purse was warned by the State Department only recently not to mix relief with religion.

Undaunted, the organization is going full steam ahead in reaching out to Iraq. It reportedly has assembled a team of doctors and engineers and hopes to carry in drinking water for 20,000 people, build temporary shelters for more than 4000 families and provide medical support to 100,000 people.

Southern Baptists has also embarked on a fund-raising drive to finance its relief operations in Iraq. At the physical level, it plans to feed up to 10,000 hungry Iraqis a day.

The evangelists clearly are going into Iraq well prepared. As the war ends, they expectedly would set out on their own conquest

[Blackyce]

Yes we are.

[tessalu]

The Gospel of his Kingdom will be preached to all of the nations, and then the end shall come. I pray that the people of Iraq be able to know the true story of Jesus and his love. God loves the Iraqis too.

[DoughtyOne]

I'm a Christian. I believe in the missionary process. I support going to other nations and helping out, and introducing them to Christianity. That being said, this is the worst idea I've ever heard. The Iraqi people detest western culture. They are tolerating our presence to rid them of a tyrant. They are VERY skeptical of us. We need to help them, then get out.

At that time, if things go well, we might be able to enter with Christian support groups and work with the Iraqis on a religious basis.

If religions groups flood in there now, it's going to signal to most Iraqis that their fears of western domination were well founded.

This is one time I wish our government would block the Christian groups, and send them packing. This is NOT going to help in the long run.

This is a case of abysmal timing.

[Blackyce]

The Iraqi people are the most secular people in all of the middle east. They dont hate western culture, thats just a cheap generalization of all Arabs. If you cant reach the Iraqis, you cant reach any of them.

[knarf]

AlJazeera reports that Christians are on the sidelines ... kinda' like combat troops ... waiting to pounce on a wounded prey ....

You believe this?

[DoughtyOne]

The point is not reaching them. It's a matter of reaching them now. Can't we go in stabalize the nation, get them back on their feet, get a new government installed, foster trust for the west, let them know we're not going to try to change one of their most treasured cultural aspects, then allow the Christians in?

This is so self-defeatist I can't believe it. We are keeping the UN at an arms length, the French and others, but now we're going to risk offending the populace by sending in Missionaries. I think it's a bad idea.

[1stFreedom]

1. There are already Assyrian Christians in Iraq. PROTESTANTS are waiting to bring their half=truths to the Iraqi citizens, not the FULL Gospel of Christ. Tbe message of the FULL Gospel is already available through the Faithful Catholics.
2. These Protestants are waiting to come in to spread the errors of Protestantism among the Iraqi people. The Muslim population already follow an errant (heretical) religion. WHat is the point in introducing another one? Protestant Half Truths are more dangerous than Islamic untruths. (Spiritually speaking, that is.)

[DoughtyOne]

Guy, it's not my beliefs we're have to deal with is it? I happen to believe that Jesus Christ is the route to salvation. I'd like it if the whole world bought into that concept. Sadly we're dealing with people who mistrust the west, have a strong faith in their own religion, and will read any attempt to change their faith as a mettlesome attempt by the west. You mention Aljazeera's slant on this, then dismiss that the whole middle-east get's or shares the views that it presents. That is the reality you need to address.

[Dark Wing]

The State Department is going to love this one.

[nmh]

Wise move on behalf of Evangelicals. What they need most is Christ in their heart. From that all blessings will flow.

[Green Knight]

Isn't one of the things we want to do after is foster a Democratic Iraq? And part of a truly free state is Freedom of Religion. Christian Missionaries have as much right to go there and preach as do Hindus, Buddhists, Shintoists, etc. That can only do them good, as it'd make them more tolerant of other religions. At the end of the day, if an Iraqi doesn't want to be a Christian then he can just say no. You can't say as much about people in other arab states who don't want to be Muslims.

[TheRedSoxWinThePennant]

hey al jazeera you wacko muslims have been eyeing america for for decades payback is a bitch

[muawiyah]

Differentiating between the Arab speaking part of the "West" and the rest of it is strictly artificial.

At the moment just about the only Christians who have any presence at all in the Middle East are various kinds of Catholics and Coptics. It's long overdue for the Protestant missionaries to be allowed in, and it doesn't matter if it's before a war, during a war, or after a war. The Iraqis are a resilient people - they will survive any number of Baptists roaming around the countryside.

[bluecollarman]

"I'm a Christian. I believe in the missionary process."
"I wish our government would block the Christian groups, and send them packing"


??????????

[Blackyce]

The only legitimate question is will we reach more of them now or later. People said the same things you are saying after we took control of Japan, "Lets wait until a little later in the process before we send missionaries". Now we can look back and question that strategy, because we can look at S.Korea, where missionaries were given unfettered access, which now has 49% of its population as Christians and then we can look at Japan, where we waited, which now has only .7% of its population as Christian. Now we can also take a different perspective to see that Japan is a much closer friend and ally, so maybe that way worked best. But, from an evangelistic point of view, this is probably the right time.

[muawiyah]

BTW, there's plenty of room. Knowing what you know about the Syrian church, that means you are already aware that at least half of their members in the United States long ago became Protestants. You would be wise to follow their example. The hand of fellowship is always extended.

[RedQuill]

I would venture to say that most Iraqis think that all Americans are Christians, and that the trash they see in their only exposure to us (our movies and music) is representative of "Christian Culture". Small wonder they hate our (Christian) culture. At a time of need for Iraqis, the idea that they will now associate Christians with those binding their wounds instead of Madonna is a good thing IMO.

[Kerberos]

"This is one time I wish our government would block the Christian groups, and send them packing"

But wouldn't this come under the heading of what the faith based initiative was suppose to be about?

[bluecollarman]

"Protestant Half Truths are more dangerous than Islamic untruths."


Define some Protestant Half Truths.