[XR7]

Fallujah, the scene of a bloody U.S. offensive against Sunni insurgents in 2004, has calmed and grown less hostile to U.S. troops since residents turned against al-Qaida in Iraq. Now residents of the city are abuzz that some Americans who they consider occupiers are also acting as Christian missionaries.

Horrors!

The head of the Sunni endowment in Fallujah, the organization that oversees Sunni places of worship and other religious establishments, demanded the Marines stop...

How dare our Marines try to spread the good news that God is full of grace and that their sins can be forgioven and they do not have to engage in jihad to gain His favor!
Remember what St. Peter told the authorities?

The Authorities: "We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name!" he said. "Yet you have filled [Falujah] with your teaching..."
Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men!"
* -- Acts 5:28-29 (NIV) paraphrased

Instead of imprinted coins, maybe the wisest thing would be to give the Iraqis food, some US dollars and a Bible printed in Arabic.
Do you suppose that might save some bullets, and some souls?

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Although I’m sympathietic to the Marines here, this really is a pretty stupid thing to be doing in Fallujah or anywhere else in Iraq while we’re trying to snuff out the insurgency and Mahdi Army threats.

[Centurion2000]

"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...

If your religion is so flimsy that you can get offended by someone handing you a coin with an inscription on it, you need a better religion.

Christians don't behead muslims when they say no.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

At this stage of the war, having just recently gained much cooperation from the Iraqi population, I don’t think this is a good idea! Right now, I don’t think alienating anyone is a useful, or wise, idea. Later? Yeah. But now, incidents like this will be turned against us as propaganda.

[doodad]

No pictures of the coins? Godless heathens.

[Arthur McGowan]

Not a good idea. They are employees of the U.S. government and preaching the gospel is not part of their job description.

Soldiers with guns are not the ideal type to be preaching the gospel, no matter what their intentions. Better they should just be—literally—good Christian soldiers and pray that they are doing their part in spreading the gospel that way.

[happygrl]

And of course, it is HUMILIATING!!!!!!

sarc/

[pissant]

Jamal Naji and Leila Fadel? I call “you know what”

[ExSoldier]

since the military prohibits proselytizing any religion, faith or practices."

My memory of scripture is a bit hazy I'm ashamed to say but doesn't it say someplace that Jesus said: They who acknowledge me in front of men so too will I acknowledge them before my Father in Heaven and those who deny me before me shall be denied Heaven? Something like that? I'd hate to be those "army officials" or Secretary of Defense or President responsible for that policy, come the Judgment!

[Fox_Mulder77]

These are the coins they're passing out:

They come in over 50 different languages and you can get them for free.

[300magnum]

But they like the coins that read “IN GOD WE TRUST”.

[Jeff Chandler]

Finally, some news out of Iraq. I thought the Democrat Media had forgotten all about it.

[John Leland 1789]

” . . . the military prohibits proselytizing any religion, faith or practices.”

***********************

Is that a rule for that theater of operations, or a general military rule?

[Zhang Fei]

Seems to me that handing out coins is a different approach to conversion from the Muslim one, which was to urge conversion to Islam or face beheading.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men!"

Peter and the other apostles were not US soldiers. Those in the military who believe that their religious beliefs give them the right to defy official policy and orders from superiors probably shouldn't be in the military.

[donna]

Let’s make the Marines Christian-free and see what happens.

The fiercest warriors on earth - without God. Not a good idea.

[Boonie]

“Out of fear, he accepted it....” Did the Marine threaten him if he didn’t????

C’mon now.....

This sounds like literary license by a liberal newspaper to me...

[SMARTY]

OK, let’s make a deal... you stop your BS Muslim recruiting in our prisons, etc.

[MEGoody]

Out of fear, he accepted it, Anad said.

Oh puhleeze.

[caveat emptor]

Twaddle.

[Boagenes]

Ann Coulter had it right, from the beginning.