Posted on 05/29/2008 11:11:57 AM PDT by XR7
FALLUJAH, Iraq — At the western entrance to the Iraqi city of Fallujah on Tuesday, Muamar Anad handed his residence badge to the U.S. Marines guarding the city. They checked to be sure he was a city resident, and when they were done, Anad said, a Marine slipped a coin out of his pocket and put it in his hand.
Out of fear, he accepted it, Anad said. When he was inside the city, the college student said, he looked at one side of the coin. "Where will you spend eternity?" it asked.
He flipped it over, and on the other side it read, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16."
"They are trying to convert us to Christianity," said Anad, a Sunni Muslim like most residents of this city in Anbar province. At home, he told his story, and his relatives echoed their disapproval: They'd been given the coins, too, he said...
"Iraq is investigating a report that U.S. military personnel in Fallujah handed-out material that is religious and evangelical in nature," said Rear Adm. Patrick Driscoll, a U.S. military spokesman, in a statement e-mailed to McClatchy Newspapers. "Local commanders are investigating since the military prohibits proselytizing any religion, faith or practices."
Residents said some Marines at the western entrance to their city have been passing out the coins for two days in what they call a "humiliating" attempt to convert them to Christianity.
In the markets, people crowded around men with the coins, passing them to each other and asking in surprise: "Have you seen this?"
(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.nwsource.com ...
Sorry, you missed my point.
I’m not advocating pacifism or anything at all like that. I’ve got no beef with this guy being in the Marines; one of my “brothers” graduates from Boot Camp on July 3rd.
Go back and read what I posted, again.
I just came back from Fallujah in Feb. I was there for about seven months. Truthfully, I did feel a little uncomfortable because there is a very strong church-going atmosphere. Most of the marine officers I worked with (I am a Navy pilot) were attending church several times a week. They were constantly badgering me to go to church and made fun of me several times because I refused. Many times I was trying to get things done, but a key person was missing because he/she was at church. Not really a big deal, but it was slightly annoying. I have been in the navy for 21 years and have deployed all over the world and I have never seen a place with the religious zeal I saw at this Marine base. Very strange. My guess is that because this was such a tough place several years ago, the military has sent a lot of chaplins (or many good chaplins) to this area and they have worked hard at keeping the troops happy.
“We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity.” – Anne Coulter, “This is War”, NationalReviewOnline, September 13, 2001.
And, on the other hand, Admiral, no soldier loses his freedom of speech or religion just because he puts on a uniform.
God says, "Obey."
You say there's a law that says, "Don't obey." Beware making a Christian choose between God and Caesar.
Being a Christian and practicing our faith, Mr Admiral, is not JUST about going to a church service.
What's the world coming to? ;)
Nope, it’s true.
If you can’t obey General Order #1, you have no business in today’s military. No ifs, ands, or buts.
Oh, I imagine there’s more than one thing we agree on, it’s just that what we disagree on is so much more interesting to talk about :-)
You gave me the same article by the same terrorist sympathizers as the original.
LOL! You mean it might make some of them...angry? /s
(Worship and pray, just don’t share!)
Muslims are afraid of Christianity. That is why they kill converts. They could have just thrown the coins away, but they instead show how weak their Allah and their faith is by being supposedly offended by the coins.
The Marines who have been there awhile know who the ultimate enemy that we are fighting is.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0805/S00425.htm
“Such fundamentalist Christian proselytizing DIRECTLY violates General Order 1A, Part 2, Section J issued by General Tommy Franks on behalf of the United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) back in December of 2000 which strictly prohibits “proselytizing of any religion, faith or practice,” said Weinstein, a former Reagan administration White House counsel and former Air Force Judge Advocate General (JAG).
SaltyJoe; HKMk23; XR7; CharlesWayneCT; jagusafr; Lions Gate; pipecorp
While I appreciate all the biblical verses, I believe that in time of war, we should look to our human leaders (Render unto Caesar)
“Kill them all, let God sort them out”. General Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller
“War is Hell”. General William Tecumseh Sherman
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won’t.” General George S. Patton
“We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity”. Ann Coulter, next President of USA (Please)
Semper fi
Good grief. It’s a coin. If you don’t want the coin, either don’t take it, or throw it away. When someone gives you a trinket, regardless of the message on it, they fully understand that you may or may not keep it.
It is not their job to be giving out the coin in the first place.
Not on duty, no.
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