April 21, 2003
EDITORIAL:
Rhetoric impedes efforts to provide humanitarian relief
___Here's a logistical to-do list for Baptists and other evangelical Christians who want to provide humanitarian relief to victims of the war in Iraq:
___Gather tons of non-perishable food.
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___That next-to-last box will be hardest to check.
___For years, Southern Baptists--working primarily through Baptist Men groups organized by state conventions and often collaborating with missionaries--have excelled at providing disaster relief and humanitarian aid. Wherever calamity struck, they deployed well-trained, committed crews to prepare nutritious meals and offer safe water. As they served, they earned the respect of victims. Consequently, they gained the opportunity to explain why they left the safety of their homes and traveled to far places to help people they never met: The love of Jesus Christ compelled them. Other Christian groups have sponsored similar endeavors. Together, they have embodied Jesus' admonition to minister to "the least of these"--the world's poorest, most vulnerable people.
___That task will be harder in Iraq. Not because it's desolate desert terrain. Not because the late-spring and summer climate in that part of the world is ferociously hot. Not even because it's a war zone. Baptist Men disaster relief crews areaccustomed to setting up shop in the wake of hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and famine. They have proved they can operate in the harshest conditions. They always exceed the demand.
Evangelism isn't so much about winning arguments as wooing souls. It isn't so much about lashing out at heathens as loving God's creatures.
___This time, however, they're seeking to minister in an overwhelmingly Islamic country shortly after several high-profile American Christians have angered and alienated Muslims worldwide. Suspicion of the United States and particularly U.S. Christians registers at an all-time high.
___Building support for war against Saddam Hussein's regime, President Bush repeatedly called the Iraqi leader "evil." And while no one who has seen any documentary evidence could contend Saddam is less than evil, he and several Muslim clerics successfully spun the president's words, making them sound like a religious crusade, pitting Christianity against Islam. These feelings have been compounded by a pair of religious leaders. Franklin Graham, head of the relief agency Samaritan's Purse, called Islam "a very evil and wicked religion." Jerry Vines, former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, criticized the Islamic god, Allah, and the religion's founder, Mohammed, at the SBC Pastors' Conference last summer. Now, even other Christian groups are expressing dismay that evangelical Christians would use humanitarian aid to "proselytize" Iraqi Muslims.
___These developments merit several responses:
___As Americans, Bush, Graham and Vines had a right to speak their minds. In our country, the First Amendment protects free speech, even when that speech is disagreeable to others.
___All three speakers based their comments on information they take to be factual. Saddam's heinous crimes against humanity are evil by any definition. Passages from the Koran can be interpreted to endorse violence against "infidels," or non-Muslims. And biographical information indicates Mohammed's marital history was not orthodox by today's standards.
___Evangelism is not the same as proselytism. Proselytizing carries a negative connotation of attempting to "steal" souls. However, both Christians and Muslims feel strongly about the tenets of their faiths. They each have a right to share their beliefs with unbelievers and, in fact, are expected to do so.
___Finally, the leaders' statements were ill-advised and only served to harm their cause. As president, Bush used "evil" to build political support for war. As a Christian, however, his use of the term caused others to fear Christians would use the strength of the world's only superpower to further their cause. Both Graham and Vines have earned reputations as evangelistic Christians who have led countless others to faith in Jesus. But their attacks on Islam have led millions to build up defenses against people who only want to demonstrate Christ's love. So, their intemperate language--whether others agree or not--has made Christian relief workers' jobs more difficult.
___Richard Cizik, a vice president of the National Association of Evangelicals, offered words of wisdom. "Evangelicals need to be sensitive to the circumstances of (Iraq) and its people," he told Religion News Service. "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."
___Jesus taught that love, not words, would save the souls of hurting people. Baptist ethicist Glen Stassen calls Jesus' kind of actions transforming initiatives--acts of Christian love so genuine, practical and surprising they transform the lives of unbelievers. For years, Baptist disaster relief has embodied that concept. Now, motives behind this loving, redemptive ministry are suspect. We can't take back the harsh words, but we can provide relief supplies and pray for the workers, that Jesus' transforming love would shine through their actions and earn their right to share their faith.
___Also, we can learn from this situation. Evangelism isn't so much about winning arguments as wooing souls. It isn't so much about lashing out at heathens as loving God's creatures. We are ambassadors for Christ. We must conduct our lives so that we represent our Lord well all over the world.
--Marv Knox
E-mail the editor at marvknox@baptiststandard.com ___
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