'U.S. Marine Accused of Proselytizing in Iraq a Symbol of Growing Anti-Christian Persecution"

[Bluebear]

Contact: Amy Jo Jones, Christian Freedom International (CFI), 800-323-2273

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich., June 6 /Christian Newswire/ -- Christian Freedom International (CFI), a Michigan-based humanitarian organization, is speaking out on behalf of the U.S. Marine who was removed from his military duties in Iraq last Friday for distributing "Christian" coins to Sunni Muslims in Fallujah.

The coins, which were handed out to approximately 10 Fallujah citizens as they passed through the military checkpoint that controls access into the city, bore the Arabic inscription "Where will you spend eternity?" on one side, and the words of John 3:16 on the other: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life." The incident sparked outrage among local residents as well as Sunni leaders, who met with U.S. officials to demand "the harshest punishment" possible for those who were responsible for the coin distribution.

CFI, whose mission is to provide humanitarian aid and advocacy for persecuted Christians in countries such as China and Bangladesh, has condemned the military's disciplinary measures, asserting that the United States has an obligation to defend the soldier's personal right to share his faith without fear of persecution. In a June 4th letter to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, CFI President Jim Jacobson also argued that "the incident in Fallujah did not involve harassment or coercion of any kind by the soldier, did not seek to disrespect Islam as a religion, did not cause harm to anyone who received the coins, and certainly did not warrant the harsh punishment carried out against him by his own government as a result of his actions."

The controversy is yet another indication of a growing anti-Christian sentiment worldwide—including in the United States, where a Dearborn, Michigan wrestling coach was recently fired amid allegations that his former assistant, an evangelical pastor, was accused of using his position on the wrestling team to proselytize to Muslim students. For decades, Christianity has been illegal in dozens of countries around the world, where millions of believers routinely suffer from discrimination, harassment, abuse, torture or martyrdom for the acts of praying, worshiping, owning or reading a Bible, proselytizing, or simply professing personal faith in Jesus Christ.

For more information about the persecuted church, visit www.christianfreedom.org or call 800-323-2273.

http://www.earnedmedia.org/cfi0606.htm

[Hydra]

1. We're paying people to be missionaries?

And we are paying people to torture and rape people?

Tell me I'm dreaming this...

[malaise]

11. No you are not dreaming

We're just living a fucking nightmare - the great crusade. :puke:

[bdamomma]

38. nothing like shoving our religion or bush's sick religion down

peoples throats or in case trying to convert them while invading their country for no good reason.

[zbdent]

17. I didn't expect a Spanish Inquisition!

(sounds like one, doesn't it?)

[Hydra]

22. Bwhahaha!

:spray:

It really does- we're raping/torturing kids and adults because they don't believe their oil should belong to us.

Think that's cynical? I heard many witch-burnings and anti-heresy actions were done for the purpose of eliminating enemies and seizing property.

Welcome to the Dark Ages.

[Indenturedebtor]

24. They certainly were

I've been to a huge burned out tower in London where King Henry the "something" rounded up all the jews, stuffed them in there, and burned them alive.

Their crime? They wanted the money they'd lent him for a crusade back.

[krispos42]

36. And, of course...

[wtmusic]

2. What would happen if the coach were proselytizing to Christian students

on behalf of Allah? :shrug:

[Bluebear]

5. All frigging HELL would break loose. nt

[MountainLaurel]

46. While carrying a machine gun

Can't forget that part.

[no_hypocrisy]

3. Onward Christian Soldiers.

What kind of persuasion can a soldier with live ammo at a checkpoint, who is occupying the homeland of an Iraqi resident who wishes to leave his/her home and travel to Point B? Suffer the little children to come on to me???

[niyad]

4. why don't these damned proselytizing jerks get the message that they aren't wanted.it isn't

persecution to be told to shut up, we aren'
kind of reminds me of those three women missionaries who had to be rescued several years ago, after being told they weren't wanted.

has anyone alerted michael weinstein on this?

[TechBear_Seattle]

9. In their tiny minds, it IS persecution

If you do not drop to your knees in tearful gratitude after receiving their version of the Word of God, then you are bent on wiping Christianity off of the face of the earth. :eyes:

[Bonhomme Richard]

6. Here is the truth........................

"U.S. Marine Accused of Proselytizing in Iraq a Symbol of Growing Christian anti-Muslim Persecution"

[hyphenate]

7. ....

>>>>>For decades, Christianity has been illegal in dozens of countries around the world, where millions of believers routinely suffer from discrimination, harassment, abuse, torture or martyrdom for the acts of praying, worshiping, owning or reading a Bible, proselytizing, or simply professing personal faith in Jesus Christ.<<<<<

Uh, the freedom of religion is for the U.S., guys, not a predominantly Arab Moslem country in which we are not supposed to be conquerors. Schmucks.

If people would keep their religious beliefs to themselves, this world would be a happier, healthier and humane one. These CFI ijits just can't keep their fucking thoughts to themselves.

[Hydra]

16. The real irony here

Is that the christian dogma was always SUPPOSED to be an underground religion. It was never supposed to be a shout from the rooftops, taught at the end of a spear religion.

"Have you found Jesus?"
"What, did you people lose him AGAIN?"

[zbdent]

23. Imagine what this world would be like if Constantine would have had his

ass whupped after painting the white cross on his soldiers' shields ...

[Hydra]

27. How about this:

What if Constantine had picked a different bunch of ragtags for his state religion?

What if "Saint Augustine" had kept his mouth shut and stayed a happy screwing machine?

So many what-ifs.

[RoseMead]

42. The mystery religion of Isis was big

at the same time Christianty was forming. If he'd gone with Isis, we could have ended up "One Nation Under Isis." Which sounds pretty goog do me, actually.

[Hydra]

45. Me too

Isis is a nice lady. Of course, Jesus was a good liberal too, so perhaps we end up in the same place in the end due to human nature.

That's a depressing thought.

[hyphenate]

25. I definitely would have preferred

it that way, myself!

[Hydra]

30. Me too!

Actually, I'd settle for them actually doing what Jesus told them to. The RW would shrink measurably if they weren't allowed to selectively read the bible- especially if they were banned from using the old testament(which they aren't supposed to be doing, anyway).

[bushmeister0]

OK, I understand the whole persecution of Christians thing; that's bad but

I also understand the Marines basically leveled most of Fallujah (which used to be known as the city of mosques) in Nov. of 2004. And given the already tense religious relations between the Muslims in the country, I can sort of see why Christian Marines proselytizing from the barrel of a gun (very Jesus-like, btw) could cause some real consternation among the occupied citizenry.

Wow!

The Marines probably removed him from his duties to keep him and the rest of his unit getting killed!

What a moron!

[Ian David]

8. As usual, the fundies have it 100% ass-backward. n/t

[anonymous171]

10. I love how these "christian"-types love to whine about persecution even though

they are doing a fair bit of persecuting themselves. (I'm Catholic, btw.)

[Buzz Clik]

12. Imagine someone in the US handing out Muslim religious materials in an airport security line

That wouldn't last long.

Remember this guy?



He was annoying, too. But he wasn't armed.

[Kerrytravelers]

13. Ah, winning the hearts and minds, I see. Wonder how that's working out?

[wtmusic]

14. Ha! Just because the coins quoted John 3:16 they're labeled "Christian"

:eyes:

[Jokerman]

15. K & R (for the xian hypocrisy)

[jgraz]

18. Can we get them to let the gays in and kick the Christians out?

Talk about your destructive lifestyle choices...

[niyad]

19. I sent this to michael weinstein at military religious freedom foundation

they probably already have it, but just wanted to make sure.

for those of you unfamiliar with this organization, it was founded by a former air force officer who was absolutely sick of the fundamentalist, evangelical propoganda going on at the air force academy. the man has received death threats (real christian act there, folks) for his truth-telling.

read more at militaryreligiousfreedom.org.

[The Stranger]

20. For MILLENIA, proselytizing Christians have murdered, tortured, de-populated, and destroyed peoples

in the guise of sharing the Christian "faith" with them.

That is why the law is what the law is.

[Echo In Light]

21. I suspect many overlook the spooky theocratic angle of our current foreign policy

[RainDog]

26. This theocratic bullshit is anti-American

we are not a Christian nation and our founders had such a commitment to separation of church and state that they included this idea in our founding document.

yes, you are free to practice your religion.

if you are working for the U.S. govt, you are not allowed to abuse your position to force your religious beliefs on others (evangelizing is a religious belief not shared by all forms of Christianity, or even protestantism.)

This is about the U.S., not what any other nation's laws may be. Someone in the military has no right to do this.

The Air Force is a festering sore of evangelical theocrats. After the recent forced Air Force resignations for colluding with Cheney to steal nuclear weapons, I think that whole branch of the military needs to be overhauled.

[tbyg52]

28. I called and expressed my opinion

that the military was not entitled to pass out these coins while on duty. The person I spoke with was actually very nice and said she would pass my comments along.

[uppityperson]

37. That is my thought also.I don't think active military have freedoms we civilians do either.

No, they are not free to come or go as they like, to proselytize, etc. Even on his own time, he is still owned by the military. Sometimes that sucks, but seems how it is.

[petronius]

29. This Marine should be perfectly free to proselytize in Iraq:

on his own time and without the aid of his military-issued equipment, however...

[niyad]

31. and his buddies should not be required to go in and save his ass if something happens

and people take umbrage.

[petronius]

35. Absolutely! I would not in any way want this guy to be assaulted or abused

as he pursued his off-duty personal activities, but if something were to happen it would clearly be a matter for the local police authorities to handle. It is U.S. policy that Iraq is a sovereign nation with complete autonomy in internal civil matters, right? ;)

I sort of doubt that the people reference in the OP see it that way, however - according to them, not using U.S. military might to support Christian poselytizing activities is active persecution of Christians... :eyes:

[Aristus]

32. As long as we're occupying Iraq, the Iraqis being proselytized to have essentially

got a gun to their heads. There's nothing Christian about that. God, these people make me want to :puke: !

[FatDave]

33. Fuck all religion.

Fuck it all. It's nothing but trouble. I'm sick of people fighting to the death over who has the better fairy tale. Humanity needs to move the fuck on already.

[devilgrrl]

34. Religious Vomit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGvfiQUt1RQ

[hatrack]

39. Damn - YouTube blocked here - is it the DKs?

Great song!

[devilgrrl]

41. It sure is!!!!

:thumbsup:

[SidDithers]

40. The irony being that before the 2003 US invasion...

Secular Iraq had one of the largest, and freest, Christian populations in the Middle East.

Sid

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

43. Perfect example of projecting: as they engage in a form of persecution they claim being persecuted.

Jesus CHRIST!!!! :rofl:

Uh, :grr:

[undergroundpanther]

44. I am tired

of proselytizing period I hate proselytizers like I hate salesmen banging on my door to sell me shit I don't want. Besides christianity's history is violent and depraved.And religion does NOTHING to make bad people good all of a sudden(look at the right wing,catholic church,fundie churches,etc.). That's a fact. Time to stop selling your jesus to people who have heard it all before and don't want it or salesman compassion..How would you feel if every conversation you found yourself in with certain people,that started out as caring about you ,compassionate about your stress,but that compassion was all a ruse to get you to accept the love of Thoth?

Wouldn't that piss you off?

And what if you were so lonely or felt so overwhelmed you actually joined those Thothites .Than when you couldn't believe anymore they abandoned you like a baby tossing a toy out of it's pram..Would that hurt after these people told you they were your friends cared about you ect..Yes it would.
I am sick of the ulterior motives of conversion hidden in christian charity,and fake concern over my welfare and fake compassion.

Give or don't give,

I think ,suffering people should not be forced to hear a tired old pitch about jesus ,just to get food or a place to sleep.

Help or don't help.

Nobody in need owes you their attention or to covert. But they let you do that shit because they are in need and that christians is EXPLOITING someone's bad situation and that is EVIL thing to do to someone..

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

47. What is happening to the Marine Corps I served in?

What kind of crap is that? Who are these people and where did they come from? :shrug:

[DCKit]

48. If the xians don't want any complaints, they should make the coins 24k gold.

The non-believers 'ud be lining up for their dose of Jeebus. Two and three times a day.

[tbyg52]

49. I'll take two!

Or three or four or.....

[HughMoran]

50. Fuckin' religion sucks

I wish we hadn't invented it.

[magellan]

51. Seriously? They don't see the problem with an armed occupying force

...proselytizing to unarmed civilians at a checkpoint??

And yet...if the US were invaded by OBL (lol), and a few of his Kalashnikov-toting boys started handing out coins at checkpoints saying in English "There is only one god and Mohammed is his prophet"....

These idiots need to take a serious HARD look at themselves in the mirror.