This Should Go Over Well

“It’s not like many Arabs view this war as a new Crusade or anything.



Plans Under Way for Christianizing the Enemy

BY MARK O'KEEFE
Newhouse News Service

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."”

“Boy . . .what a shame it would be if an errant scud missle filled with chemical or nerve agents landed on the evangelists camp.

Talk about killing two birds with one stone.

We'd have proof of NDC WMD and the Iraqi's would actually have done the world a favor.”

“Boy . . .what a shame it would be if an errant scud missle filled with chemical or nerve agents landed on the evangelists camp.

Talk about killing two birds with one stone.

We'd have proof of NbC WMD and the Iraqi's would actually have done the world a favor.”

“They shouldn't wait until it's "safe" to go in! send em in now - GOD WILL PROTECT THEM!”

“send em in now - I'd surrender if it would shut them up”

“I think a couple of hundred Muslims should go to the next convention of Southern Baptists and convert THEM.

That ought to go over like gangbusters, LOL”

“Great idea, Tilt!!”

“OMG! Tell me that's a joke Violin. The military is dropping bombs & the Southern Baptist are going to beat them with a bible.”

“I had a hunch that lee might have an opinion on this.

As a Christian, I am aware of Jesus’ charge to make disciples of all the nations and I’m sure these folks mean well but I can’t help but think that they will be received very poorly. If they end up hardening people’s hearts by coming in to preach the Gospel on the heels of an invading army, won’t they really be disobeying God’s will?”

“Friggin' christian scumbags. No one who isn't a brainwashed christian fool would believe for a second that evangelizing will be a secondary priority to giving aid.

I agree those sacks of #&%!$ should be allowed to go straight to the front to die for the Lard. I'll rejoice in the deaths of those christian #&%!$bags more than I'll rejoice for the deaths of Saddam's evil minions.”

“Personally, I don't think Lard is worth dying for....”

“still not over that priest thing, eh?”

“Maybe a nice soft garlic butter, but not Lard....”

“LMAO @ le Subtil!

Mutt, I can't imagine too many people would agree with what these people are doing, but you could at least voice your opinion with a little more respect.”

“wow. I guess not.”

“Jerry Vines is from Jacksonville, Fl. He leads the First Baptist Church here, one of those "mega" churches that I despise. I'm ashamed of people like that.”

“Muslims haven't been converted in 2000 years. I guess the time is ripe!”

“Muslims have only been around for about 1400 years or so.”

“nitpicker.”

“Wow Scooby! You can’t get enough attention, can you? You should take a crack at drawing some attention and inciting some dialog by starting a hiking thread. Wait, do you even hike? Probably only in big groups where you’re the center of attention, right?”

“who's "Scooby"??”

“me!

:-P”

“I don't have a scoobies”

“Scooby is better than scabies.”

“I own a scooby: an Imprezza.”

“Scooby = Violin. When I went to public school for a few years there was a retarded kid they called Scooby who would do anything for attention…chase girls around trying to kiss them, piss his pants, bark like a dog, take his pecker out in class, whatever it took. The similarity is uncanny, no? Mutt is much more thoughtful and well adjusted to be a Scooby. He shows he is here for dialog and not just to get a reaction any way possible.”

“I have a 2002 Impreza wagon.”

“oh...I thought since Scooby Doo was a dog's name, you were referring to me. Drat.”

“no come on Cookie, you're with friends now, you can tell us.........








You were that child weren't you?”

“treebait, you crazy! :-D

now now, Cookie Puss, just because you're new, don't be shy.

i think i'll go and teach them to worship monkeys. it's my calling!

”

“what are the main tenets of this religion Lyra, any poo flinging involved?”

“I think Cookie had a run-in with that priest, too.



The roadies got the rabies and scabies and the flu
They were low on morale, but they were high on”

“still not over that priest thing, eh?

I appreciate the humor, but it's not too funny because christianity has been shoving it up humanity's behind since its inception.”

“NO POO FOR YOU!”

“MUTT --

I have an impreza sedan and a legacy wagon.




And I still think the southern baptists in Jordon should be nuked.”

“EWW, 'dose monkeys are CUTE!!!


HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THE MONKEY ?!?”

“Wow, now we have child molestation jokes Tilt? Your first reply to me was about gay NRA members, wasn’t it? Now a child molesting joke? I’m not one to try and get inside your head but there does seem to be a pattern forming here.

Can you take me line by line through the humor in molestation by priests?”

“Well, I tried to lead this thread toward the lighter side by joking about the typo of "Lard" instead of "Lord," but the discussion ended up at child molestation anyway. I give up....”

“marty, it wasn't a typo! I thought your posts were humorous for what it's worth.”

“Wow Cookie Puss. I'm glad to see I have another fan. Your membership card is in the mail. Be sure to keep it in a safe place!”

“It's just funny the way YOU do it, 'cookie'. You Junior Skinheads can be sooooo amusing, but In The End...

Just another bapac troll.”

“Backtracking for a second, Mutt said the christian should die for the lard?












Jesus Crisco?”

“...or should I say Sabu.”

“ouch.”

“That's 'Jebus Crisco Lard Allmuddy'. Get it right!”

“I am a bit surprised by some of your reactions. The southern baptist convention (SBC) sponsers one of the most efficient relief organisations in the world.

I guess they are just a bit too conservative for this bunch of ultra liberals.

Just FYI, southern baptists dont have priests....”

“Perhaps you should read the article?

One More Time...

"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"

"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."

I suppose disagreeing with that kind of crap brands one as being "ultraliberal', LOL

I'm also fairly certain that Southern Baptists have their fair share of perverts (no more -- no less)... they just haven't had the spotlight of the press lately.”

“I (choke, gag...) wholeheartedly agree with Tilt on this one...these zealots (fanatics...hmmmmm, do we have a parallel here?) will only serve to inflame the situation. I say, let 'em fly tomahawks to the Middle East...”

“DOM, them's fightin' words, callin' me a liberal!”

“I did read the articles and the responses. I just dont understand the obvious hostility displayed toward the SBC and the graham ministry. Neither organisation has been involved in any activity that would warrant the responses I saw. I can only guess that they were offended by the ultra conservative nature of the SBC....

YOU,YOU, HEATHEN! :P

Ministers who dont behave themselves under the SBC system find themselves in need of a job. Since each church is independant of the convention and the local body can very easily dismiss an errant pastor and without a letter of reccomedation or simaliar it can be extremely difficult to find a new church.”