by Kimberly Blaker

At what point does it become evident that an opportunity to Christianize the Middle East is a crucial motivating factor in the support for war on Iraq?  A large number of Americans would agree it’s when our nation’s largest Protestant denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), begins taking volunteers and planning missions to the soon-to-be-fallen country under U.S. control.

The Baptist Press News reported on April 4, that the SBC is encouraging its members to make donations to feed Iraqi families, warning its members not to include tracts or other literature inside the packages that might cause authorities to reject them. 

But not to be silenced in their mission, each box will contain the following scripture from John 1:17, in Arabic: “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.”

The packages will be signed, "A gift with love from the Southern Baptist churches in America."

Furthermore, Christian missionaries, of various organizations, not just the SBC, are already prepared to cross over the Jordanian border and begin their efforts.

It’s telling to read Article XI of the Baptist Faith & Message, which says “It is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and of every church of the Lord Jesus Christ to endeavor to make disciples of all nations. . . .  It is the duty of every child of God to seek constantly to win the lost to Christ . . .”

Add to this the fact that evangelicals, fundamentalists, and religious conservatives in general, are typically associated with opposing welfare and favoring a more restrictive welfare reform that leaves many families, especially children, to suffer in poverty.  In contrast these groups do favor faith-based charities, in which the poor can be served with strings attached. All these factors combined make pretty clear that the main purpose of the SBC humanitarian aid is for Christianizing the Middle East; and feeding hungry Iraqis is secondary.

Despite President Bush repeatedly professing that Islam is a peaceful religion (surely intended mainly to diffuse accusations that this is a religious war), White House spokesperson Ari Fleischer said, on April 3, that it isn’t the responsibility of the administration to filter the groups desiring to give aid to Iraq.  This indicates that when push comes to shove, regardless of Muslim leaders and others denouncing likely attempts to proselytize Muslims in Iraq, the administration will turn a blind eye to missionary activity, while secretly praying for the evangelization.

Also telling, in the SBC’s court is Khalil Jaloub of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, who’s become an Iraqi spokesperson for the Christian evangelical movement in its effort to Christianize the Muslim world.  Jaloub has argued that it’s the goal of Muslims to convert Western society to Islam. According to the Baptist Press News reporting on Jaloub’s views, “To fight that, churches and Christians need to be trained to witness to Muslims and to demonstrate through their lives the love of Christ.”  He and other evangelicals, fail to see the paradox in their own goal to convert the world to Christianity.

What it all boils down to is a big race to the finish line to see which religion will prevail and rule the world.

Those opportunists seeking to assist the Iraqis with ulterior motives, rather than a simple desire to do goodwill, should not be allowed to forge their way into Iraq and take advantage of its citizens during a most vulnerable time. To do so would be exploitation at its finest.

Kimberly Blaker’s The Wall™ appears weekly. She is editor and coauthor of the The Fundamentals of Extremism: the Christian Right in America. Send your comments to Kimberly Blaker: TheWall@TheWall-OnChurchAndState.com  © 2002, Kimberly Blaker