A story hit the media today, stating that the U.S. Military made a choice to burn Bibles sent to soldiers on base in Afghanistan. The military has a policy that unsolicited religious materials are not allowed to be sent or distributed by military personnel. Central Command General Order No. 1 specifically forbids “proselytizing of any faith, religion or practice” and is to be strongly enforced in sectors which are predominantly Muslim, for fear such material distribution will be taken as an attempt on behalf of the U.S. to proselytize and convert the local people. If such actions were perceived in this manner, the military says it could jeopardize the safety of their mission and cause possible harm to come to the soldiers on base as well as the local Muslims who might show interest in another religion.
Afghanistan is a devout Muslim nation. Although there are various Christian organizations that support professional career missionaries in the field, most missionary efforts in the area are not publicized or promoted, for safety reasons. The Bibles that were sent to a Sgt. James Watt on base in Bargram, Afghanistan were a rare find due to the fact that they were written in Pashto and Dari, the predominant languages in that particular region. The church that sent the Bibles saved and held fundraisers in order to afford the cost of the Bibles and shipping. Instead of sending the Bibles back to the church the military officials chose to burn the Bibles, stating that if they sent the Bibles back to the church they feared the church would turn around and send them to another organization within Afghanistan.
Comments
The military absolutely made the right decision. We have enough problems there without enraging the populace even more. We are not there to preach religion. God knows we have plenty of problems of our own, often as a result of religous differences of opinion here. Abortion being only one of them. Let our soldiers do what they are trained and sent to do.
There was no reason to burn the Bible, they could have just simply sent them elsewhere. I'm not even that religious, but I still feel that burning them was unnecessary.
There was no reason to burn the Bible, they could have just simply sent them elsewhere. I'm not even that religious, but I still feel that burning them was unnecessary.
HOW DARE YOU SAY IT IS OKAY TO BURN THE HOLY BIBLE. THAT IS ANOTHER BIG SIN THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO ANSWER TO THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY ON JUDGMENT DAY.
THEY COULD HAVE JUST MAILED THE BIBLES BACK TO THE UNITED STATES.
THIS IS A COWARDLY DEED. HALF OF THE FOUNDING FATHERS OF THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION. MORE THAN HALF OF THEM WERE ORDAINED CHRISTIAN MINISTERS OF THE HOLY BIBLE.
ARENT YOU TERRIFIED THAT YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO ANSWER TO THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY FOR THIS WICKED DEED.
REVELATION 21:8
BUT THE FEARFUL, AND UNBELIEVING, AND THE ABOMINABLE, AND MURDERERS, AND WHOREMONGERS, AND SORCERORS, AND ALL LIARS SHALL HAVE THEIR PART IN THE LAKE WHICH BURNS WITH FIRE AND BRIMSTONE: WHICH IS THE SECOND DEATH.
AMERICA WAS FOUNDED A CHRISTIAN NATION. IF YOU DONT LIKE THAT.... THEN LEAVE.
So the Military did the RIGHT THING? Hypocrites, Cowards. If that is OK, then we in America SHOULD BE Burning the KORAN, and we SHOULD ALSO Be Intolorant of the Muslims in America, as well as ANY Politician who Promotes Islam.
Your all a bunch of Wishy Washy Cowards. Mohomad is a LIER, and ALAH is the Devil. One day all those who burned the Bibles will be held accountable.
I am a veteran and religious. God does know what everyone one our soliders are going through but everyone has the right to choose. They choose the military for whatever reason so they should be able to choose to to read a bible or give it to someone who could use it. The ones who burned these did something very wrong our nation was built on the the believes of the bible like the Ten Commandments. That is what is wrong with Our Nation now we have gotten away from from what we built AMERICA AND OTHERS on. Only God is with the soliders when the are fighting not the ones who are afraid to hurt someones religion or affend them if they see a bible. God Bless our Troops and Forgive the ones who burned Your word.
As Christians, we believe that spreading the gospel to the world is what God wants us to do, we also believe that God places us in situations allowing us to reach out to those who do not know God. Its sad that the Bible's were burned. The Bible teaches us how to live and how to love each other. That's what is important in life. Why wouldn't we want to reach out in places were love and kindness hide in the darkness.
I am amazed that Christians cannot understand that sending a box of Bibles into a war zone is not the best way to help people. In fact, if you really think about it, it is religion that got us into to this mess in the first place. One of the reasons we are in Afghanistan is because the Afghan people were unable or unwilling to have a secular government, so American Christians responding to this situation by attempting to "spread the word" is about as counterintutive as you can get. Think about h
I have to agree with Mr. Irons on this one. You are free to practice whatever religion you choose, but so are they, and trying to push our faith on them is only going to increase the tension, resentment, and misunderstanding that is causing so much of the fighting in the first place. Let's leave religion out of this and let the soldiers work for peace. They are doing God's work, no matter what religion they are.
I am NOT of any organized religion BUT I do see a lot of BS here. Muslims have forced themselves on EVERY country. And kill those that do not choose to believe. And while I do not think burning the koran is the right way to make a point, I do find it odd that the world has fit if one koran is threatened but we can burns100's of bibles without a whisper. Guess they have the power of fear over us and we continue to let them have this power.
What would have happen if the US Military had burned a box filled with the Qur'an? What would the reaction have been too that? Has political correctness completely taken over this country? I'm not saying that the church was right for sending them... only that they should have been returned. You cannot be sensitive to the reactions of one group of individuals and not the others. If are boy's was to burn a copy of the Qur'an there would be Hell to pay. But, as Christian's we are suppose to "just g
...to finish my thought.
Christian's are to "just get over it"
But why burn them!
Bible burning in Afghanistan. I can understand removing the advertising materials but Bible burning? Like the prisoners in Gitmo who were given the Quran, special food and prayer time, the bible brings comfort to our troops. Looks like another point for Islam.
Exactly. They have the power over us. The can disrepspect all others but WATCH OUT if you dare say one word against them.
I'm disgusted by the world's tolerance and fear of all that is muslim! What has become of us? Sending bibles to the soldiers is not spreading christianity, but rather providing spiritual support to those that are christians. No one said that the bibles would be distributed to the afghans. We should have left them where they were under saddam's regime. Nothing has improved, especially now that we have a wolf in sheep's clothing, obama, who bows down to the muslim world. They are all ingrates
did you really read that, this is for all of you who keep saying it was for the soldiers. The bibles in this article were in the native languages of the afghans. Why then would the soldiers, who more than likely, all read in English.
Hey Marisa,
Thanks for the example of Christ's Love?
I think that burning them was disrespectful. They could have at least sent them back if there really is such a "danger" or whatever because of them being there. But I think that this may have been Satan's work more than anything to stop the spread of God's word throughout the world.
God bless Sgt. James Watt who is not ashamed of the Gospel. It is sad that the U.S. military believes in Bible burning. The safety of the U.S. is not in the hands of the military, but in God, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christianity is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, not a religion. Christians have been persecuted throughout the ages for their belief in Christ, not their belief in a religious system. Sgt. James Watt is a follower of Christ and desires that even M
Sending the bible to them was the first mistake. And burning them the second.
In the end nobody should be angry. The church offended the military and the military offended back.
It appears there is indeed misdirection here, but not that implied by liberal "fact checkers." Yes, the bibles were shipped during Bush's administration; the film of the soldiers holding them also was made during Bush's administration. Then Obama's administration took power and had the bibles burned, saying they were a source of consternation among Muslims. His administration frankly admits this. Bush had nothing to do with Al Jazeera's film. The Obama administration, on the other hand, had everything to do with the "solution," which was to confiscate and burn the bibles. From a May 25, 2009 posting by the liberal FactCheck.Org: "The basic facts are clear and undisputed. The Bibles were sent about a year ago to an evangelical Christian soldier serving in Afghanistan… Documentary producer Brian Hughes filmed a group prayer session... his footage became the basis for a television news report by Al Jazeera English that aired May 3 this year." (So the burning of the bibles took place after
Funny how we stand and watch people like Geert Wilders, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Robert Redeker, Oriana Fallaci, Michel Houellebecq and Salman Rushdie being threatened by practitioners of the "religion of peace" and even burn our own holy books in order not to "offend" them. What a cowardly society we live in today!
To burn the Word of God...to bow down before any type of extremists and to disregard the faith of American soldiers fighting and dying for freedopm..is less than poor leadership. It is treason against the heritage of our Founders. It is also a slap in the face of a Holy God. Patrick Henry stated, "It can not be stated too strongly or too often that this nation was founded upon the Gospel of Jesus Christ..for this very reason, peoples of other faiths are afforded..freedom of worship here." While our dismal leadership betrays true Americanism..world opinion turns against us for weakness.
I guess Patrick Henry was one of the only people that thought that. John Adams thought the world would be better off without religion. It was during Adam's administration that the Senate ratified the Treaty of Peace and Friendship, which states in Article XI that "the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion." Jefferson called the Revelation of St.John the "ravings of a maniac." James Madison, father of the Constitution, said that "Religious bondage shackles and debilitates the mind and unfits it for every noble enterprise." I think the fact that the Founders made a point of putting it in writing that America was not founded on Christian teachings is enough.
I have been sending Bibles to the troops through a Christian bood store. I would like to know how to send them myself directly so our troops can receive them. If it is sent directly to a person they get it. I sent one to a friend and he received it just fine but that was before our present Gov. leader took office so who knows now. I still have the new Testament that my daddy carried in WW two. Help us find a way to get help to the troops. God be with you.
...and yet a private citizen in the US proposes to burn Korans and there is outrage expressed by the ruling class...
This was an incredibly foolish thing to do. When you are getting shot at, you need God's protection. War is no time to show disrespect for the Almighty. No time is. The problem with the leadership in this situation is that they were too foolish to recognize the existence of God and the importance of showing Him the honor He is due.
Most of the comments here are missing the fact that these Bibles were not in English - they were in the Afghan native language. Soldiers were not reading these Bibles at all. The Bible has a verse that says 'render unto Caesar what is Caesars, and to God what is God's', basically meaning follow the law unless it causes you to violate one of God's laws. Christians are to be law-abiding citizens. However, the Bible also says to preach the gospel to all nations - so, the issue here is how to do that and still be law-abiding citizens. Sending these Bibles to a BASE was the wrong choice. Sending them to a missionary outpost would have been a better, law-abiding choice.
We live in a nation/world of double standards. One standard for Christians and Jews and another for all other forms of faith. Do whatever you want to a Christian or Jew, but dont dare offend any others. All you have to do is watch the news or read the papers to see that this is true.
God has called various people to various tasks. The primary role of these soldiers is to fight the war and to help the people of Afghanistan. Their primary role is not to distribute bibles and spread the word. The Christians in the military should still be a light unto the world, but that should be primarily through doing their job well and conducting themselves in a Christlike manner. If the soldiers distribute Bibles, that's great, just as long as it does not get in the way of their primary duty as US soldiers. Their military work should take priority over some other "missionary" work. I myself am a Christian and consider myself to be fairly religious; in fact, I grew up as a missionary and plan to pursue a career in missions someday. Nevertheless, missionaries aren't called primarily to do the work of soldiers, and soldiers aren't called primarily to do the work of missionaries. I don't agree with burning the bibles. If they didn't want them on the base, they should have sent them back to the church or to some other organization that would have used them. But I definitely can't condemn the military for not wanting to distribute those Bibles themselves. It does seem clear that they were intended for the locals, not the soldiers; and the soldiers have other things to do than give out Bibles!
I agree with what you said, but the problem the military faced was that if they shipped them back, they would probably just get shipped back again to another outpost. Also, it wasn't an active choice to burn them. Anything that is to be disposed of in an active war post has to be burned. Military policy. I wish they hadn't sent them, or had sent a letter asking. I mean, wouldn't it make sense to ask someone? It would be like if I sent a crate full of chocolate to a school for diabetics. They never asked for it, and they shouldn't have to pay to ship back something they never asked for, especially something dangerous to the people under their care.
I'm going to burn an army flag and an effigy of the person who decided to do this because the heart of Christianity has been hurt by this action.
This is an example that the radical Christians are just as scary as the radical Muslims. Sending Bibles written in Pasto and Dari is an attempt to spread Christianity to people who are violently opposed to it. It will only foment more violence. It will be more difficult to deal with the radicals and they will be able to generate a broader base. Their civilization is far behind ours. Imagine Muslims sending religious materials in an attempt to spread their faith to the early American....like the Puritans. They would have been burned at the stake.
Educating the new generations and showing tolerance to their beliefs will bring them kicking and screaming into the 21st century.
I met a man who was an Atheist German soldier in World War II. He found a "tract" (God's word written to show you what you must do to become a Christian) in a deserted home, in a fireplace. The "tract" had been partially burned. He picked it up and he read God's word, he said "I believed, I had been told all my life there was no God, but now I knew the truth" This man is now a professor at a christian university not to far from our home. He is in his mid eighties and he still believes in a God that created him and loves him and sustains him. Pray for our nation, pray for our leaders, pray for our soldiers, and pray for ALL who do not believe in God and accept his son Jesus Christ as their Lord. God's word will be delivered, it will be received by those whose heart's are ready. Hebrews 4:12
Why can't the military show Christians the respect that so many in the west try to show Muslims? Why? Well, I think because they know that there is be no dangerous retaliation and they they or maybe they are trying to appease people “An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile - hoping it will eat him last”. -Winston Churchill
They do. They have the same policy towards any religion. Any unsolicited religious materials are disposed of. Especially in areas that would cause more harm to our troops than anything. Send them the Bhagavad Gita, they will have to get rid of it too. It isn't about respecting Christians, it's about Christians respecting the Military, in which the people that sent those Bibles DID NOT. Ignorance is no excuse for possibly putting US soldiers in danger, and that is just what that church did.
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double edge sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing is hidden from God's sight. Hebrews 4:12 Burning the bibles was an OBAMANATION to the Lord. Appeasing the musslims or acting out of fear sends the wrong message to everyone and weakens our nation. The bibles were sent for the troops to encourage and strengthen them, to help them depend on the Lord for strenght and protection and no other. Have you not read the history in the bible? It was put there to learn from. By burning the bibles they just kissed their help goodbye. God is the only one who can protect and save anyone. They shoud of sent them back with a note. We as Americans celebrate freeedom and they like the muslims should honor the Book. It is sad that the Muslims honor their book more than the Americans. I pray God has forgiveness for them.
I see that the bibles were sent in their own language. Still that doesn't make it right to burn them. I would of burried them in a desolate place and God would have used them to breath his word into them when found. God's word is HOLY and we need to treat is as such. Love casts out Fear. God is bigger than our human fear.
I speak to the true followers of Jesus, here. It is obvious, from the fact that the Bibles were written in other languages, that the soldiers were not the intended recipients. The soldier was simply to be the pass-through. The Bibles were sent for the purpose of distribution to Afghan citizens. I am a follower of Jesus, myself, and I can see that very clearly. One commenter said the Bibles should have been sent to the missions. Another said that they should have been buried. Both were the best solutions, in my opinion. God's Word always makes its way to the intended heart, and its message never goes to the heart by human effort, alone. One of the Holy Spirit’s functions is to call to an individual’s heart, guiding it through Jesus, and ultimately to God. Only God knows whose heart has the capacity to be receptive to Him. When I leave tracts in unusual places, I know that God will guide His intended person to it. Never fear, fellow planters. God's Word will not fail. His Word can be burned, and just as one commenter said, the part that will grab a heart most effectively will be left unburned, blowing in the wind until it falls at the feet of the intended recipient. God knows how to overcome all attempts to shut Him down. After all, He IS the one in power. Not humans. Not Satan. God! Jesus, our Savior will bring every last person to Himself, and when the last person is brought, then the door will close and He will return for us. One last thought: I wonder what would happen if a shipment that included copies of the Qur’an, written in plain English, were sent to soldiers. Would the military burn them? I think not. The soldiers could be proselytized by local Muslims and the military would stand by, letting it happen, so as not to tick the locals off. Quite a load of hypocrisy, as I see it. Typical humans! No wonder we need a Savior.
ISIAIh 41 BRING forth your IDOLS did they PREACH to you see they can’t speak they can’t DO ANYTHING all they do is cause confusion. spalms 115 and spalms 135 thier IDOLS are FALSE cant speak can't hear cant smell and those that make them shall become like them. Jeremiah 10 they nail their IDOL down like a scarecrow it can’t move can'......t speak can’t move must be carried these are nothing but the WORK of CON men.john 10 jesus christ sais his sheep hear his voice and another voice thy will not follow and if another person tries to preach to them they WILL FLEE from him. jeremiah 5 the priests bear rule on their own authority what will you do when your judged my word is not inside them. Now here is the kicker john 5 son of man voice goes back in time mathew 16 jesus christ claims to be the son of man.‎1 cor2 mind of CHRIST preached internally and john 16 sais the spirit of truth comes in the future. Ezekiel 13 lying prophets of ISRAEL my word is not inside them saying god sais god sais god sais wrote hoping mankind would CONFIRM their WORDS. all of this is EASILY verifiable
Setting fire to quran right now and loving every minute of it.
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