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FALLUJAH, Iraq — At the western entrance to the Iraqi city of Fallujah Tuesday, Muamar Anad handed his residence badge to the U.S. Marines guarding the city. They checked to be sure that 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.
A recent article published on the website of Mission Network News reported that Bible Pathway Ministries, a fundamentalist Christian organization, has provided thousands of a special military edition of its Daily Devotional Bible study book to members of the 101st Airborne Division of Fort Campbell, Kentucky, currently stationed in Iraq, the project "came into being when a chaplain in Iraq (who has since finished his tour) requested some books from Bible Pathway Ministries (BPM)."
Chief Warrant Officer Rene Llanos of the 101st Airborne told Mission Network News, "the soldiers who are patrolling and walking the streets are taking along this copy, and they're using it to minister to the local residents."
"Our division is also getting ready to head toward Afghanistan, so there will be copies heading out with the soldiers," Llanos said. "We need to pray for protection for our soldiers as they patrol and pray that God would continue to open doors. The soldiers are being placed in strategic places with a purpose. They're continuing to spread the Word."
According to Chaplain Mickel, who was doing his evangelizing while passing out food in the predominantly Sunni village of Ad Dawr, "I am able to give them tracts on how to be saved, printed in Arabic. I wish I had enough Arabic Bibles to give them as well. The issue of mailing Arabic Bibles into Iraq from the U.S. is difficult (given the current postal regulations prohibiting all religious materials contrary to Islam except for personal use of the soldiers). But the hunger for the Word of God in Iraq is very great, as I have witnessed first-hand."
Young recruits are under great pressure as they enter the military at their initial training gateways. The demands of drill instructors push recruits and new cadets to the edge. This is why they are most open to the 'good news.' We target specific locations, like Lackland AFB and Fort Jackson, where large numbers of military members transition early in their career. These sites are excellent locations to pursue our strategic goals." As Maj. Gen. Bob Dees, U.S. Army (ret.), the Executive Director of CCC's Military Ministry, explained in the October 2005 issue of the organization's "Life and Leadership" newsletter, "Militaries exercise, generally speaking, the most intensive and purposeful indoctrination program of citizens.
Mikey Weinstein, a U.S. Air Force Academy graduate, former JAG, a former White House counsel under President Reagan, and former general counsel to Texas billionaire and two-time presidential candidate Ross Perot, sums it up in a nutshell: "The United States armed forces have unconstitutionally and inextricably intertwined and interbred their already dubious Iraqi mission with virulently fundamentalist Christian missionary organizations and defense contractors to create a pervasive and pernicious cabal, a fundamentalist Christian 'Military-Parachurch-Industrial Proselytizing Complex' as it were. It constitutes nothing less than a seething internal national security threat to our country, every bit as formidable as the external national security threat confronting us from a resurgent Taliban and an al Qaida that is at LEAST as strong as it was on 9-11."
Originally posted by melatonin
At the minimum, I would think using the state military apparatus to spread a form of religion is not exactly congruent with the US constitution.
Originally posted by TheWalkingFox
I'll bet your boss would be really annoyed with you if you did that.
Originally posted by dbates
On that point, you'll have to show me the article or clause that prohibits soldiers from passing out coins or Bibles. That is an article or clause in the U.S. Constitution. You won't find it.
"Such fundamentalist Christian proselytizing DIRECTLY violates General Order 1A, Part 2, Section J issued by General Tommy Franks on behalf of the United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) back in December of 2000 which strictly prohibits "proselytizing of any religion, faith or practice," said Weinstein, a former Reagan administration White House counsel, former general counsel to presidential candidate H. Ross Perot, and former Air Force Judge Advocate General (JAG).
If this is a crusade, it's a crusade to free the oil from the Muslims. It's not the traditionaly "Free the Holy Land" type crusade of the past. Now if you find instances or directions to shoot those that don't accept coins or Bibles, I'll be on your side. Until that time I think it's just speculation to make this assesment. It's always been about the oil. Our government doesn't care if they are Christians or Muslims as long as they'll continue to give the U.S. daily infusions of the oil that greases this massive machine.
The fact that some groups of soldiers are passing out Bibles doesn't really bother me. It's as eventful as the news that some soldiers read Playboy magazines in a country that hides it's women behind piles of fabric.
Originally posted by melatonin
I think it would be a first ammendment issue - essentially using state apparatus to promote religion
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
Originally posted by melatonin
Is pr0n illegal in the US military (honest question)?
Originally posted by dbates
No, it's not in there. The only thing it states is that Congress can't restrict religion. Congress itself is not prohibited from practising religion. Don't they open in prayer? They are simply told they can't make any laws about religion. You could argue that the soldiers were an extension of congress, but again you'd have to prove that the soldiers were prohibiting the Muslims from exercising their religion, which I don't see as a valid arguement.
O, and the freedom of speech part. Don't forget that part of the first ammendment.
No, but it's illegal in most Muslim countries. They'll remove fingers in Saudi Arabia if they catch you with it. Iraq is more secular, but not to the point that they accept pron.
Originally posted by melatonin
And the predominate interpretation is that the state apparatus must not act in a way to favour or establish a particular religion.
Originally posted by Lightmare
Your never ending hate campaign against Christianity is getting old really fast. Are you even aware of how much hate and bigotry you spew into these forums? Maybe you need to take a step back and ask yourself why you are so full of hatred.
originally posted by drevill
for me as a Christian i see nothing wrong with handing out tracts in any form
you don't come under a "spell" of influence by reading tracts/coins.
Originally posted by drevill
Its irrelevant as a Christian what court you contravene if it goes against Gods will