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News :: Peace |
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Haiku For Pro-War Christians |
Current rating: 5 |
by Paul Kotheimer
Email: herringb (nospam) prairienet.org (unverified!) |
07 Apr 2003
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The Saturday flag-waving rally which has been competing with "Prospect for Peace" is being advertized (at no charge, presumably) on Christian radio... |
Haiku for Pro-War Christians
What part of "Thou shalt
not kill" don't you understand?
--Must be the "not" part.
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See also:
http://www.newspoetry.com
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Christianity Or Just Need A Bath? |
by Meg Laughlin
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 3
07 Apr 2003
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Jesus Gets You Over a Barrel (of Water): Strange Tactics of Evangelicals
CAMP BUSHMASTER, Iraq - In this dry desert world near Najaf, where the Army V Corps combat support system sprawls across miles of scabrous dust, there's an oasis of sorts: a 500-gallon pool of pristine, cool water.
It belongs to Army chaplain Josh Llano of Houston, who sees the water shortage, which has kept thousands of filthy soldiers from bathing for weeks, as an opportunity.
''It's simple. They want water. I have it, as long as they agree to get baptized,'' he said.
And agree they do. Every day, soldiers take the plunge for the Lord and come up clean for the first time in weeks.
''They do appear physically and spiritually cleansed,'' Llano said.
First, though, the soldiers have to go to one of Llano's hour-and-a-half sermons in his dirt-floor tent. Then the baptism takes an hour of quoting from the Bible.
''Regardless of their motives,'' Llano said, ``I get the chance to take them closer to the Lord.''
A blue-eyed 32-year-old with an abundance of energy, Llano goes out every day to drum up grimy soldiers for his pool.
He talks to truck drivers, tank drivers, computer specialists -- anyone and everyone. He goes out to the combat zone to the fighting soldiers and the combat support soldiers who keep them in supplies.
''You have to be aggressive to help people find themselves in God,'' he said.
He calls himself a ''Southern Baptist evangelist,'' and justifies the war and killing with a verse from the Gospel of Matthew, which he often recites: ``Give unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's.
''This means we are called upon by our government to fight and that is giving unto Caesar, as the Bible tells us,'' he said.
Earlier this week, word went out that portable showers might be installed here soon, but Llano was undaunted.
''There is no fruit out here, and I have a stash of raisins, juice boxes and fruit rolls to pull out,'' the chaplain said optimistically.
Copyright 2003 Knight Ridder All Rights Reserved
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/special_packages/iraq/ |
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Army Must Halt Iraq Chaplain's 'Coerced Baptisms,' Says Americans United |
by AUSCS
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 3
09 Apr 2003
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Civil Liberties Group Urges Military To Stop Activities Of ‘Southern Baptist Evangelist’
WASHINGTON - April 9 - U.S. military officials should order a chaplain in Iraq to stop offering food and fresh water for bathing to soldiers in exchange for being baptized and listening to his sermons, Americans United for Separation of Church and State told the Army today.
Americans United has asked the Army to rein in the activities of Chaplain Josh Llano at Camp Bushmaster in Iraq. On April 4, the Miami Herald reported that Llano bragged about enticing soldiers to become baptized by offering them clean water in his baptismal font.
“It’s simple,” Llano said. “They want water. I have it, as long as they agree to get baptized.”
The newspaper reported that before going through the hour-long baptism, the soldiers must agree to listen to Llano, who calls himself a “Southern Baptist evangelist,” deliver a 90-minute sermon. Llano admitted that some of the soldiers might just want the opportunity to take a bath but added, “Regardless of their motives, I get the chance to take them closer to the Lord.”
Llano also added that if portable showers are installed in the area, he plans to bribe soldiers with scarce fruit and juice boxes.
“Chaplain Llano’s actions are unconstitutional and unacceptable,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. “Our soldiers in Iraq have suffered enough hardships without having religious coercion piled on. It’s time for Llano to be shipped back home.”
In an April 9 letter to Army officials, AU Legal Director Ayesha Khan and Litigation Counsel Ilana R. Fisher asked that Llano immediately be told to cease and desist.
The AU legal team noted that chaplains are supposed to provide a variety of religious services to soldiers, not engage in proselytism.
“Especially at this time, it is imperative to be sensitive to the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of all our soldiers regardless of faith,” observes the letter. “In fact, that is one of the requirements of the job description of an army chaplain. According to the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps, a chaplain is required to be ‘[s]ensitive to religious pluralism and able to provide for the free exercise of religion by all military personnel, their family members and civilians who work for the Army.’ Chaplain Llano's actions do not exemplify this commitment to religious pluralism and are therefore not in the best interest of our troops.”
Americans United is a religious liberty watchdog group based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, the organization educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.
http://www.au.org
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Re: Haiku For Pro-War Christians |
by RDR
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
11 Apr 2003
Modified: 08:21:07 PM |
Matthew 5:43
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans (tax collectors) the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more [than others]? do not even the publicans (tax collectors) so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Romans 12:17
17 Recompense (Give back) to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but [rather] give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance [is] mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Matthew 5:9
9 Blessed [are] the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10 Blessed [are] they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when [men] shall revile you, and persecute [you], and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
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