darren ervin's blog

this is the second time i've heard about this already this week...messed-up, but here's the story.... written by M. Seither/Anthony Randazzo Earlier this week, a Marine stationed in Fallujah gave Iraqis silver coins, printed in Arabic with John 3:16. Coming so recently after the Koran shooting incident, the military—and the media—are not taking this lightly. The soldier’s action violated Army rules regarding the conduct of American soldiers, but it highlights an important issue for American Christians. Christians face a unique challenge sharing their faith in the Muslim world, because they represent more than just Christianity. They represent the history of the Crusades. As an American who has gone to the Middle East and shared his faith, I have seen that the people of the Levant do not let history slip easily from their worldview. Though the Crusades were hundreds of years ago, Muslim children hear stories of the Crusades in the same tone that American children learn about Vietnam and the Berlin Wall. Religion-filled political rhetoric doesn’t help the confusion. During the Gulf War, George H.W. Bush’s frequently ended his speeches about “liberating” Kuwait with, “may God bless America”, giving the war religious undertones and conjuring, in the Muslim mind, images of stories of the Crusades. Today’s American troops in Iraq represent a similarly troublesome force. While modernity says the US-backed coalition soldiers are non-religious, and only fighting for political ideals, there remains the doubt in some Muslims’ minds that religion is somehow in play. Iraqi politicians understand—mostly—that the US Army is not a religious tool. But to the average Iraqi, a man with a gun and an American flag on his shoulder passing out unsolicited Christian material sends a different message.