About things like the missionizing in Iraq...
Missionary activity has no business coming out of the barrel of a gun any more than it had in the old days coming out of the sword. Conversion by the sword may have a higher retention rate than conversion by the tract does, witness how Christianity spread through Europe from first, Germany, to Russia by that manner, but a religion whose Savior says "Love your enemy," does not need people whose response to non-belief is "Kill them all and let God sort them out."
The American army in Iraq is an occupying force, one which has no understanding of the culture, and which is most importantly, an army. Don't be deceived by propaganda, all armies are about slaughter, including the US. Even the most innocuous witnessing attempt is still coerced by that gun strapped to the soldier's back. The army is not based around loving your enemies, turning the other cheek, and the Golden Rule.
For one instance, Byzantine Emperor Basil II, when dealing with the Bulgars, blinded 99 out of every 100 of them in order to spread the True Gospel. Theodosius burned the library of Alexandria and persecuted the old faiths, in order to spread the True Gospel. Charlemagne slaughtered several thousand Saxons at Verden, in order to spread the True Gospel. The Catholics and Protestants of the Thirty Years' War and the St. Bartholomew's Square massacre had no business spreading the true Gospel by the sword. Nor did the Puritans at the Salem Witch Trials. Nor did the Inquisitors have the right to stretch people on the rack to spread the true Gospel. Nor did the Crusaders have the right to sack Constantinople and ruin it for the true Gospel.
Just because the weapon of choice to intimidate the non-believer and the Christians of the wrong sort is a gun and an Abrams tank, don't presume the Christians and Muslims witnessed to are any less intimidated and coerced.
The American army in Iraq is an occupying force, one which has no understanding of the culture, and which is most importantly, an army. Don't be deceived by propaganda, all armies are about slaughter, including the US. Even the most innocuous witnessing attempt is still coerced by that gun strapped to the soldier's back. The army is not based around loving your enemies, turning the other cheek, and the Golden Rule.
For one instance, Byzantine Emperor Basil II, when dealing with the Bulgars, blinded 99 out of every 100 of them in order to spread the True Gospel. Theodosius burned the library of Alexandria and persecuted the old faiths, in order to spread the True Gospel. Charlemagne slaughtered several thousand Saxons at Verden, in order to spread the True Gospel. The Catholics and Protestants of the Thirty Years' War and the St. Bartholomew's Square massacre had no business spreading the true Gospel by the sword. Nor did the Puritans at the Salem Witch Trials. Nor did the Inquisitors have the right to stretch people on the rack to spread the true Gospel. Nor did the Crusaders have the right to sack Constantinople and ruin it for the true Gospel.
Just because the weapon of choice to intimidate the non-believer and the Christians of the wrong sort is a gun and an Abrams tank, don't presume the Christians and Muslims witnessed to are any less intimidated and coerced.