Posted on 04/18/2003 6:55:40 AM PDT by Incorrigible
April 18, 2003
BY MARK O'KEEFE
Two leading evangelical Christian missionary organizations said Tuesday that they have teams of workers poised to enter Iraq to address the physical and spiritual needs of a large Muslim population.
The Southern Baptist Convention, the country's largest Protestant denomination, and the Rev. Franklin Graham's Samaritan's Purse said workers are near the Iraq border in Jordan and are ready to go in as soon as it is safe. The relief and missionary work is certain to be closely watched because both Graham and the Southern Baptist Convention have been at the heart of controversial evangelical denunciations of Islam, the world's second largest religion.
Both organizations said their priority will be to provide food, shelter and other needs to Iraqis ravaged by recent war and years of neglect. But if the situation presents itself, they will also share their Christian faith in a country that's estimated to be 98 percent Muslim and about 1 percent Christian.
"We go where we have the opportunity to meet needs," said Ken Isaacs, international director of projects for Samaritan's Purse, located in Boone, N.C. "We do not deny the name of Christ. We believe in sharing him in deed and in word. We'll be who we are."
Mark Kelly, a spokesman for the Southern Baptists' International Mission Board, said $250,000 has already been spent to provide immediate needs, such as blankets and baby formula. Much more will follow, along with a more overt spiritual emphasis.
"Conversations about spiritual things will come about as people ask about our faith," said Kelly, based in Richmond, Va. "It's not going to be like what you might see in other countries where there's a preaching service held outside clinics and things like that."
Richard Cizik, vice president for governmental affairs of the National Association of Evangelicals, is urging caution for the two groups, as well as other evangelical organizations planning to go into Iraq.
"Evangelicals need to be sensitive to the circumstances of this country and its people," said Cizik, based in Washington, D.C. "If we are perceived as opportunists we only hurt our cause. If this is seen as religious freedom for Iraq by way of gunboat diplomacy, is that helpful? I don't think so. If that's the perception, we lose."
Graham, the son of legendary evangelist Billy Graham, has been less diplomatic about Islam than his father has been. Two months after the Sept. 11 attacks, Franklin Graham called Islam "a very evil and wicked religion" during an interview on NBC, the television network. In his book published last year, "The Name," Graham wrote that "The God of Islam is not the God of the Christian faith." He went on to say that "the two are different as lightness and darkness."
On the eve of the Southern Baptist Convention in St. Louis last year, the Rev. Jerry Vines, a former denomination president, told several thousand delegates that Islam's Allah is not the same as the God worshipped by Christians. "And I will tell you Allah is not Jehovah, either. Jehovah's not going to turn you into a terrorist," Vines said.
Widespread condemnation of those comments followed from other Protestant leaders as well as from Catholic and Jewish groups. The Graham and Vines statements even created a problem for President Bush, who has called Islam a "religion of peace."
Bush, an evangelical Christian himself, has close ties to both Franklin Graham, who gave a prayer at his inauguration, and Southern Baptists, who are among his most loyal political supporters.
Isaacs, who works for Franklin Graham, refused to comment about his boss' views of Islam, except to say, "most of Franklin's work is to the Muslim world and those are sincere acts of love, concern and compassion."
In a written statement, Graham said: "As Christians, we love the Iraqi people, and we are poised and ready to help meet their needs. Our prayers are with the innocent families of Iraq, just as they are with our brave soldiers and leaders."
Isaacs said Samaritan's Purse has assembled a team of nine Americans and Canadians that includes veterans of war-relief projects in Afghanistan, Kosovo, Rwanda and Somalia. The teams include a doctor, an engineer and a water specialist.
They will bring resources that include a system that can provide drinking water for up to 20,000 people, material to build temporary shelters for more than 4,000 families, packages of household items for 5,000 families, and kits designed to meet the general medical needs of 100,000 people for three months.
So far, there's no budget for the effort because it's so fluid, said Jeremy Blume, a Samaritan's Purse spokesman, but donors are being asked to help. A Southern Baptist fund-raising drive is under way to help underwrite the cost, Kelly said. Both groups said only private donations have funded their plans thus far, with no government assistance in the works.
Southern Baptists, representing a denomination of 16 million members, have workers in Jordan waiting to help refugees. But so far, few refugees have arrived, perhaps because it's still too difficult for much of the population to maneuver between warring militaries on their way to the border, Kelly said.
Baptist Men, a national organization devoted to providing disaster relief work, has promised to send volunteers from the United States "on a moment's notice," Kelly said.
As soon as they gain access to northern Iraq, teams will go, Kelly said, with plans of feeding up to 10,000 or more people a day.
"The hope is that as the war front moves and the situation in the outlying areas improves, we'll be able to send mobile teams in.
"Our understanding of relief ministries is that anytime you give a cup of cold water in the name of Jesus you've shared God's love in a real physical way. That also raises the question as to why you did that. When people ask you, you explain that it's because of the love of God that has been poured out into my life and I have a deep desire that you know that same love as well."
(Mark O'Keefe can be contacted at mark.okeefe@newhouse.com)
Not for commercial use. For educational and discussion purposes only.
Because the frontier and eternity are two different places. The former held/holds dangerous weather, social isolation, disease, injury, wild animals, starvation, human predators.etc.
Those women sealed for time and eternity to men who had died would be (plurally) married for time only, i.e., "till deasth do they part."
The latter promises to be infinitely more hospitable, to say the very least, and will be the place where spouses, other family members, friends, and, IMO, beloved pets will be reunited amid great joy.
The LDS Church and its members do not hold the view that Heaven is a "Mormons-Only" place. Indeed, the Church, having fulfilled its purpose, apparently and will cease to exist as an earthly organization with the arrival of the Savior and the beginning of His Millenial reign, during which time a great deal will be sorted out without the interference of Satan.
I expect and sincerely hope that you and yours will experience this joy on the other side of the veil. I hope to be worthy to see you there. All the best, and thanks for the question...
I must observe, however, that I have witnessed a tremendous amount of inexplicable hate and falsehood spewed forth by many whenever anything related to "Mormons" appears on the FR.
Indeed, I have never attacked or even criticised or called into question anyone's faith, on the FR or elsewhere, and, as many Roman Catholic and other FReepers may have noticed, I (FWIW) have defended against the attacks of other FReepers both Roman Catholics and those of other faiths.
I also and have praised and even expressed personal thanks for the good works for the righteous works of the many priests, nuns, brothers, missionaries and others engaged in the Lord's work here on earth.
I have sought here to clarify misconceptions and refute outright and vicious lies. And I have rebuked some individuals, betimes too often and with too much force perhaps, those who have spewed venom and lies at or about the "Mormon" Church as well as those directed at Roman Catholicism, Judaism, "Born-Again" Christianity, Sikhism, and many others.
One last word and sincere suggestion to all who read this: if you would know the truth about a religious denomination or even an individual, speak to friends of same and do not expect to learn the truth from enemies thereof.
All the best, and I hope that you have or will find comfort, strength, edification, truth, faith, hope as you seek to develop your relationship with God on whatever path you choose.....
"I guess the LDS Church must be doing something really right if the adversary must work so hard to persecute it."
You replied:
"Either that, or it's doing something really wrong when so many complete strangers keep trying to get its members' attention to say the history and doctrines don't check out."
The very truth of the matter, as you someday will discover, is that things "check out" only when the whole picture has been proclaimed and taught by those having proper authority and then confirmed to the prayerful listener by the Holy Ghost.
The Lord's promise and assurance that you rightly should seek concerning such matters can be found in James 1:5.
You surely will not learn the truth about any church -- or individual, for that matter -- by feasting on the words of those who are the enemies thereof.
With respect to the fact that "complete strangers keep trying to get its members' attention," you or anyone else have no chance of doing any such thing by hurling lies, falsehoods, inaccuracies, legends, apocrypha, hearsay, and venom at those who have not done such unto you.
I cannot fathom how it is that you are so confident that you are exceedingly "right" and that the some 12 million (and exponentially growing -- while so much of the rest of Christendom sadly is dwindling) members of the Church worldwide are ignorantly or knowingly living an evil lie?
Finally, it is only fair that you state the priesthood authority by which you deliver your exhortations and proclamations to so many. According to the Bible (in Hebrews and elsewhere), such must be either that of Aaron or Melchizedek....
I have printed it out and, with your kind permission, may well frame copies of it -- and screen it onto T-shirts (to be worn over that, you know, "funny underwear") -- as gifts for next Christmas, which, as you know, we "pretend" to celebrate every year to throw off "true Christians" such as you. It is indeed a real "keeper."
BTW, is it real, or merely a product of of your creative mind? If real, I will make it a point to be photographed standing next to it the next time I'm in Missouri working with the Garden of Eden Development Team, just to "piss off (our) more reasonable neighbors."
Thanks again for the laughs. Easter, as you can well imagine, is always a difficult day for us "sanctimonious pricks," and yesterday was no exception.......
Yours in Gumby,
tracer 8~) 8~)
And apparently no chance when using direct quotations from LDS-created literature, either. I quoted you a pro-LDS study re Joe's wives, which directly contradicted the church legend re "leave no spinster behind", and you chose to ignore both me and the pro-LDS author of that source.
I cannot fathom how it is that you are so confident that you are exceedingly "right" and that the some 12 million (and exponentially growing -- while so much of the rest of Christendom sadly is dwindling) members of the Church worldwide are ignorantly or knowingly living an evil lie?
Then maybe you need to re-think that there's something behind my confidence that you ought to know about :)
Finally, it is only fair that you state the priesthood authority by which you deliver your exhortations and proclamations to so many. According to the Bible (in Hebrews and elsewhere), such must be either that of Aaron or Melchizedek....
Tell you what - I'll see your "only fair" complaint and raise it.
You need to first state a) whether you're a male or female, and if female b) whether you're married or unmarried. Females can hold neither of the LDS priesthoods, therefore if you're female you have no place questioning my authority in this matter. If you're a married woman, then you should be directing these complaints through your husband, and I should be speaking with him and not you. He should be exercising his authority and judgement over what you're speaking here anyway.
Don't blame me!!! 8~)
LOL
and intercessory prayer to Mary does ?
I think there are other fish to fry these days.
and I dont disagree - however you took a cheap shot and I responded with same -
now, do you want to play nice?.
Perhaps we should have concerned ourselves with those subjects at the onset - before your cheap shot
So thats the justification ? I thought Christians are to be separate and distinct from the "world" - seems to me you and I are very much part of it -
With that - I wish you a wonderful day
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.