Christian missionaries from the South are going Iraq to preach God's word

[ECH1969]

Indeed, God is much at work in the midst of the Muslim strongholds. Hundreds of relatively new satellite dishes in Iraq now beam the Gospel there as Christian programs from this country are being translated into Arabic. Some of our soldiers are even handing out Bibles and missionaries have gone there and stayed with Iraqi families.

I know one such young woman who spent a year in Iraq. She says the oldest son of the family she stayed with told her that he was converted to Christianity through a vision of Jesus Christ. Jennifer, the missionary, said many Muslims in northern Iraq are becoming Christians. Her story about the young man's vision lends credence to reports on some inspirational TV channels that a number of Muslims have been having visions or dreams of a man in white who they believe is Jesus Christ.

With the TV flashing pictures of murderous fanatics vowing to kill us, we Christians need to remember that we have read the last chapter of the Bible and take heart. There is probably no better time in history to be a Christian soldier than right now.

What can we do? Surely our battle positions are on our knees. I believe the only reason we have not had another terrorist attack like Sept. 11, 2001 is because so many Christians are in prayer daily. Let's not forget our battlestations.

http://www.southalabamian.com/news/2006/0914/Church/060.html

[Warren DeMontague]

1. I'm gonna take up a collection to send rationalists, scientists, critical

thinkers, evolutionary biologists and secular humanist missionaries to the South.

Who's with me?

[NC_Nurse]

5. LOL!

Good luck, they're some hard nuts to crack down here.

[BlooInBloo]

6. I'm in! How about we start with (a) caring, and (b) literacy?

[C_U_L8R]

8. Just don't send the children

especially the boys

[never_get_over_it]

18. Would you send A LOT of them to FL

and turn this friggin state blue - I'm very lonely down here.....

[Warren DeMontague]

20. You know, you have my sympathy.

But I fear, given who is running the place, that your state electoral system may be beyond repair for the time being. I do wish you luck, however!

[ECH1969]

47. millions

[GreenPartyVoter]

24. I'll second that

[niyad]

25. I think that is a most excellent idea--we should organize a fundraiser

IMMEDIATELY, the situation is desperate.

WHERE do these people come off thinking they are so DAMNED superior to everyone else, and that they have a right to inflict their beliefs on others. I wonder if there is any citable proof of that lovely little story. let's see--was it in afghanistan where the military had to rescue those three idiot missionaries who, against the express wishes of the powers-that-be, went in to preach anyway? I had absolutely NO sympathy for their plight, and a great deal of anger at their rescue putting others in harm's way.

[Swamp Rat]

34. We're already down here!

:D

[Jacobin]

61. Yeah, but you know we could use some company

:-)

[NC_Nurse]

2. Wow, how incredibly stoopid

Whose going to save their asses when they get into a pickle? God, I presume?

[SammyWinstonJack]

11. !

:spray: I am sure they are counting on that! :crazy:

[ECH1969]

48. God doesn't like idiots

[undeterred]

Oh that'll help

Maybe they'll run into some IEDs in place of our troops.

[CatholicEdHead]

3. They were doing this as the invasion build up began

They are so naive when they get there and interfere with the work of other human rights workers (e.g. CPT).

[BlooInBloo]

4. Good. Rather they get killed than our soldiers.

[katsy]

9. I'm okay with that.

Support the troops and all.

[Webster Green]

7. Good Riddance!

R. I. P. Mutherfuckers!

[and-justice-for-all]

10. And they thought the Lions were bad...

...wait till they get a load of some Islamic extremist.

[Disturbed]

15. One group of Iraqis will be happy about this.

The coffin makers.

[ECH1969]

31. It won't be fun

[jimshoes]

12. As long as they sign a waiver

saying they don't expect US soldiers to pull their tits out of the wringer every they get attacked by a group of locals.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

13. Go with a lot of peace

Peace be with you.

[Warren DeMontague]

21. Somehow I don't think the Iraqis will appreciate it much.

I think its a tremendously bad idea, not to mention horribly dangerous.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

28. Peace is a bad idea?

Yes it is dangerous.

[Warren DeMontague]

50. No. Peace is not a bad idea. Going to Iraq to try to convert people

in an occupied country- a country that we invaded- is a tremendously BAD fucking idea. We have enough problems without giving Iraqis more reason to believe that the invasion is a cover for some Christian fucking Jihad.

[Leopolds Ghost]

58. Great username, btw.

"Once... they were men. Now they are Land Crabs."

[NOLADEM]

14. Hope they bought one way tickets and insurance

It's gonna be a short trip.

[ECH1969]

45. We are going to end up paying for them of course

[MountainLaurel]

52. We already have

Remember the two "aid workers" who were kidnapped a couple years ago who were actually there as missionaries?

[NOLADEM]

55. Seems a reasonable cost to me

I will pay for a pine box and freight if we are one more crazy missionary freeper down. Good investment in the most morbid way.

[silverweb]

16. Probably hoping for "martyrdom."

After a few of them are "martyred," their leadership will ramp up the call for another "Crusade" and shed all pretense of benign purpose.

Just watch it escalate.

[wakeme2008]

17. Did they bring their own Body Bags or will the Taxpayers have to

pick them up :grr:

[cynatnite]

19. Well, a few brain cells shorted out after reading that...

Shows how entrenched those people are in their beliefs beyond any hope of reason. Truly disturbing.

[niallmac]

22. Is this the ultimate definition of delusional?

[sakabatou]

23. These things never go well...

[knitter4democracy]

26. *sigh* How much do you want to bet . . .

that many of the "converts" were already Christian? There have been Christians in Iraq for centuries. There's nothing new there.

If the converts are from another religion (and Islam isn't the only one in the area), then how much do you want to bet it's a decision out of self-preservation (pretend to convert to keep Americans happy and maybe help your family get out of there or get food or get help of any kind).

This is not the time to send in missionaries or pass out tracts or Bibles. I've done mission work and even passed out tracts and Bibles, and I learned from that experience that it's not the simple thing it seems on the surface. Many who take them throw them away later (a waste of resources). Many take them just to be nice but are really angry about it inside--yeah, that's always a great place to start a conversation. :eyes: Many who take them are already Christian and just want another Bible for their kids or want a tract to see what a different church teaches.

It's never solid missionary work when there's a power differential. Leave those people alone--or better yet, be Christ to them by working for peace and getting them food and water and basic necessities without preaching a single word.

[sweetheart]

27. more power to them.

I hope they are provide full human rights whilst in country.

[ThomWV]

29. I Would Immagine We'll Be Seeing Them On The News Soon Enough Then

Poor dumb bastards ....

[ECH1969]

49. Yes we will

[Twillig]

30. "cage goes in the water, shark's in the water, OUR shark?"

Farewell and adieu....

[RB TexLa]

32. It's a free world and they are free human beings n/t

[kestrel91316]

33. Christian missionaries are going like lambs to the slaughter. They need

to watch their steps and remember where they are.

If they get all fundie with the locals it won't be pretty.

[Ferret Annica]

39. I hope their Darwin Awards...

...reach the right next of kin when their heads get removed and are used as balls in a soccer match.

[ECH1969]

46. Ah yes the Darwin Awards

[ECH1969]

35. Don't worry God will save these people

haha

[upi402]

36. good, I'll buy their plane tix

[LostInAnomie]

37. Nothing Islamic fundamentalists like better than...

... Christian invaders trying to get muslims to shirk away from Islam. I hope their not too attached to their heads.

We better not be paying for their lodging in the green zone.

[FooFootheSnoo]

38. Why's everyone being so negative?

I think they'll have fun teaching the little Arab kids how to sing "Cumbaya". Doing door to door proselytizing in Baghdad will be super fun!! Maybe they could do some Christian mixers for the teens. Hand out some bibles printed in Arabic. They'll be greeted with flowers!! :silly:

[TomClash]

40. God's word for these people is

KILL!

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

41. Can anyone just go there? If you and I wanted to go, could we just buy

a plane ticket?

Are U.S. military going to escort them outside the Green Zone?

[ECH1969]

43. Iraq has its own airlines and three airports

So yes you can fly Iraqi Air from Egypt to Baghdad, Basra, or Kurdistan.

[ECH1969]

42. Of course these idiots don't even speak the language

[MountainLaurel]

53. Yeah, but the Iraqis they'll encounter

Will probably speak better English than they do.

[hatrack]

44. Are they aware that conversion from Islam can be punishable by death?

Maybe that little tidbit (apostasy, under sharia law) didn't get quite the attention it deserved in Missionary Class.

:eyes:

[Leopolds Ghost]

57. I got no problem with people who convert from Islam in a

country where the law expressly prohibits them from doing so. We should support their freedom to do so.

Darwin's Law applies here. The only successful missionaries will be the ones who denounce the war in Iraq. The ones who are a tool of the colonialists will become "martyrs". The same thing happened to the Black Robes in Canada.

Of course, it sounds like most of the activity is in Kurdistan.

The Kurds are pro-US, support the war (they'll get massacred again if we don't remain in Kurdistan -- a little complication few people on the left have mentioned, when we talk about complete withdrawal from Iraq) and moderate or only nominally Muslim.

Converting a Kurd from Islam to Christianity should be no more shocking than converting an Italian to Protestantism. They are only moderately religious. It might even hlp them get along with their Assyrian neighbors.

[StellaBlue]

51. Good

:nuke:

[Ilsa]

54. I hope they stop over in Saudi Arabia first. ;) nt

[Leopolds Ghost]

56. I got no problem with this sort of evangelism. I also support Darwinism.

If they ingratiate themselves with moderate muslims, then maybe they will repopulate Iraq with a smattering of moderate Christians who were massacred and driven out of the Muslim world thanks to the hateful and barbaric policies of Muslim, Israeli, and Christian fundamentalists. The Muslim world used to be multi-religious, just like the West.

Same thing happened to Sephardic Jews -- the only muslim country with a significant Jewish minority now is Iran, primarily because Iran is a cultured society where it is possible for a non-Muslim to make a living.

Hoeveer, If they support the war in Iraq and other violent, Dominionist policies, and come out saying so, then these evangelicals will be engaging in the Southern Baptist version of a "martyrdom operation".

In which case Darwin's Law applies and EVERYONE WINS.

[Toucano]

59. Glory, Glory!

Thankfully, there will be fewer of them to pester me.

Gracias a Dios

[mmonk]

60. I'm not sure the Iraqis like that sort of thing.

[Jacobin]

62. We need to send 747 loads full of them over there

Thousands, tens of thousands, just get these damn fundies out of my country.

I'm sure Ireqis will know what to do with them. :evilgrin:

[verse18]

63. Great-Convert them over there,

so they can leave us the fuck alone over here.:evilgrin:

[dogday]

64. A vision in white could of been Osama bin Laden?

:shrug:just sayin

[ComerPerro]

65. I hope that the US MIlitary isn't expected to protect these assholes