US bans mailing of bible verses to overseas soldiers ( Religion of Peace Alert )

Christianity Today ^ | April 10, 2003 | Ted Olson

[UnklGene]

U.S. Bans Mailing of Bible Verses to Overseas Soldiers

Compiled by Ted Olsen | posted 04/10/2003

Don't mail Christian materials to soldiers, says U.S. The post office in Lenoir, North Carolina, told Jack Moody that he couldn't mail Christian comic books and a book of Bible verses to his son, who is stationed as an Army National Guardsman in the Middle East. U.S. rules prohibit mailing "any matter containing religious materials contrary to Islamic faith," a postal clerk explained.

This morning, the Rutherford Institute, a civil and religious liberties organization, is suing the U.S. Postmaster General over the rule.

"At a time when members of our armed forces are risking their lives as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, it is inconceivable that their own freedoms and those of their parents would be curtailed by the U.S. government in an effort to impose political correctness on our armed forces," said Rutherford head John W. Whitehead in a press release. "The U.S. Constitution does not bow to the religious intolerance of other nations."

No, says Postal Service spokesman Mark Saunders, but there's no use in mailing items if they'll be confiscated by customs agents. "That's reality. Anything going to another country has to go through Customs," he told The Charlotte Observer.

"The local post office should have let Moody ship the books," officials told the Observer. "The restriction doesn't apply to religious materials sent to individuals overseas, the wording of the regulation has caused confusion, and the MPSA is reviewing the regulation to try to clarify it."

But the Postal Service agrees that the rule, adopted around the time of the last Gulf War, is too vague. "Any matter containing religious materials contrary to Islamic faith or depicting nude or seminude persons, pornographic or sexual items, or nonauthorized political materials is prohibited," it says. But what are "materials contrary to Islamic faith?"

"If nothing else out of this, we need clarification, obviously," postal spokesman Bill Brown told the Observer. "We will make sure we do get it clarified. We just want to do the right thing by our troops over there."

[Alberta's Child]

U.S. rules prohibit mailing "any matter containing religious materials contrary to Islamic faith,"

This is precisely why the U.S. has no business "liberating" an Islamic nation.

[Alberta's Child]

Bump.

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[My2Cents]

But the Postal Service agrees that the rule, adopted around the time of the last Gulf War, is too vague.

Sounds like a mistaken interpretation by the postmaster of that post office in NC.

[goldstategop]

And banning Christian materials meant for our troops is exactly pigheaded. Muslims need to get used to the fact there are people with religious beliefs different from theirs who need spiritual guidance from home and if the sight it offends them, tough luck. No one is trying to convert Iraqis to Christianity although there would be a good case for doing so but by the same measure that we respect Islam, its time that part of the world learned to tolerate Christianity. Its also a Religion Of Peace, moreso than Islam.

[OrangeDaisy]

This is rapidly turning into an urban myth. It ain't true, but folks will believe it because it is posted on FR. :-)

Here is the article clarifying the situation.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/890092/posts

[Arkinsaw]

"Any matter containing religious materials contrary to Islamic faith or

The government is specifically prohibited from establishing a religion by the Constitution. Prohibiting a US citizen from communicating religious information because it is contrary to government policy is a violation of that prohibition.....as well as free speech. The government cannot establish rules that prefer a single religion over another.

[Arkinsaw]

From your link: ``The regulation is intended for mass mailings,

Whether the regulation is intended for mass mailings or for individual mailings the government has no authority to prefer one religion and its writings over another. If someone wants to mail a million Bibles to Saudi Arabia it is up to Saudi customs to censor it, not ours for them.

[11th_VA]

This is strange - there ARE Christians living in Iraq, they even have churches.

[tessalu]

Iraq does have Christian people and more religious freedom than most Arabic nations. They are far ahead of Jordan on that score. In Iraq, one religion must not be favored over another one. Heaven forbid that we support a nation favorable to one religion only. We have seen enough of this, and a nation with NO religious freedom can go only backward.

[TLBSHOW]

This is precisely why the U.S. has no business saying Islam is a religion when its a cult.

[Bernard]

Time to start a campaign to get this postmaster off our payroll. Who and where do we direct the order to terminate his employment?

[RaceBannon]

One good thing out of this: They are forced to admit that Islam does not teach the same things as the Bible!!

[Saundra Duffy]

Good Heavens.

[annyokie]

Yes. The Admin Moderator told me "Do not post that graphic again."

[ladyinred]

How can they really stop us? Do they open all of the packages?