Are Christian Evangelists Eyeing Iraq?

Al Jazeera ^ | April 6, 2003 | Unattributed

[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.