Plans Under Way for Christianizing the Enemy

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."

More specifically it was where they were not received and the people would not listen to them.

It does not mean they didn't try. The passage you quoted says "shake the dust from your feet". Clearly, they were already in the town if they have the dust on their feet. Now, I agree with you that if they are not welcomed and are not listened to, then they should "shake the dust". However, I do not believe the passage implies one should not try.

As far as your position that the Bible does not command that the Gospel be preached at all time in all places, I will say two things.

First, here is a passage that was actually quoted in #41 above.

Jesus said "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you..." Matthew 28:19

Note, it does not say some nations.

Second, even beyond direct commands, like the Great Commission, there is an overall implied message that the Gospel should be spread anywhere and everywhere. Therefore, I would ask you provide either specific Biblical commands supporting your position or make the case that the implied command is consistent with your position.

In an effort to expediate this debate, I would point out that early in Jesus' ministry, he focused soley on preaching to the Jews. However, after the faith exhibited by the Centurion (among other events) he widened his audience. Any remaining doubt about the completeness of the potential audience can be put aside by Paul's vision on the road to Damascus.

http://www.imb.org/urgent/articledetail.asp?urgentID=30

Churches challenged to send 'gifts of love' to hungry Iraqis
By Mark Kelly

RICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- Southern Baptist relief workers expect hunger to be one of the major needs they find in Iraq when humanitarian aid finally is able to cross the border, and churches across the United States are being challenged to help minister to that need.

Iraq's people have suffered under the regime of Saddam Hussein and 12 years of United Nations sanctions have made their lives even more difficult, says Jim Brown, director of world hunger and relief ministries for the International Mission Board.

For less than $60, congregations can assemble a box of dry food that will feed a family of five for about a month. Brown is challenging all 42,000 Southern Baptist congregations to mobilize food relief for hungry Iraqis.

"This is a great way for Southern Baptists who can't actually go themselves to minister in a personal way to Iraqi people," Brown said. "This isn't relief that is going to be mass-distributed in a refugee camp either. It will be specifically delivered to hungry families in the towns and villages of Iraq once peace has been restored to the country."

The food aid will be delivered without regard to ethnic or religious identity, Brown said.

The boxes will contain almost 70 pounds of staple food items: beans, lentils, rice, flour, salt, sugar, loose tea and powdered milk. Packing instructions and a detailed list of portion sizes can be found below.

The boxes must not contain other items or literature of any sort, Brown said. Inclusion of evangelistic tracts could cause the aid shipment to be rejected by authorities.

A label on the outside of each box will quote John 1:17 in Arabic: "For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ." It also will identify it as "A gift with love from the Southern Baptist churches in America."

Disaster relief offices of Baptist state convention will receive boxes and, in partnership with the IMB, will coordinate delivery to the shipping point, Brown said. Specific questions about the collection process should be directed to those offices (On-line contact information). People with other questions may contact the International Mission Board.

Churches or individuals who would prefer to make a donation toward the cost of the project can designate checks to "Iraq Response - General Relief" and mail them to: Iraq Response, P.O. Box 6767, Richmond, VA 23230-0767. Make checks payable to International Mission Board and designate "Iraq Response - General Relief." Every dollar given will go 100 percent to relief ministries.

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Interactive map of the Middle East

A “GIFT OF LOVE” FROM SOUTHERN BAPTISTS
FAMILY FOOD BOXES FOR IRAQ

Directions:

Use only a U-Haul “small box” product (16 3/8” x 12 5/8” x 12 5/8” = 1.5 cubic feet). Same size boxes will help facilitate both bulk packing and transportation. Begin by lining the box with a large trashcan liner - this will protect the contents and prevent spillage outside the box. Pack the items by quantity list below. Begin by layering the 4 bags of rice on one side of the bottom and the sugar and flour (standing) on the other sides. Next stack the bags of beans and lentils on top of the standing sugar and flour bags. Lastly place the salt, tea and powdered milk (10 – 3.2 oz. envelopes) in the remaining air space. Tie the trashcan liner and securely tape the box (making sure the box has also been securely taped on the bottom). (Total weight will be approximately 68 pounds – box capacity is 70 pounds.) Your “family food box” will help provide food for a family of five for approximately one month.

PLEASE do not place any additional item/literature inside the box. We will be providing state conventions stick-on labels to be placed on the outside of the box (John 1:17 in Arabic).

TIMELINE:

FINAL Collection by May 19, 2003.

Deliver them to your state convention disaster relief site by May 21, 2003.
(Phone your respective state office for additional information.)

ITEM QUANTITY/SIZE APPROX. COST PER ITEM
Rice-Long Grained (4) 5 lb. bags $2.50 x 4 bags = $10.00
(not instant rice!)

Flour-All Purpose (3) 5 lb. bags $1.89 x 3 bags = 5.67

Sugar (2) 5 lb. bags $1.99 x 2 bags = 3.98

White Navy Beans (12) 1 lb. bags $ .89 x 12 bags = 10.68

Lentils (4) 1 lb. bags $ .69 x 4 bags = 2.76

Iodized Salt (2) 26 oz. containers $ .43 x 2 containers = .86

Loose Tea (Lipton) (4) ½ lb. boxes $3.69 x 4 boxes = 14.76

Powdered Milk (10) 3.2 oz. envelopes $8.00 for 10 envelopes = 8.00

APPROXIMATE TOTAL $56.71
COST OF BOX $ 1.75

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Plans Under Way for Christianizing the Enemy

Without a Judeo-Christian world view, self government is very difficult if not impossible to sustain