US military looks into Bible verse on coins in Iraq
Pastor Dale Morgan
*US military looks into Bible verse on coins in Iraq*
29 May 2008 19:24:10 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Kristin Roberts
WASHINGTON, May 29 (Reuters) - The U.S. military is investigating a
Marine accused of promoting Christianity in Iraq by giving coins to
civilians with a Bible verse written on them in Arabic, U.S. officials
said on Thursday.
"They have initiated an investigation into that and there is some
evidence of an individual that was doing that," said Bryan Whitman, a
Pentagon spokesman.
The Marine has been accused of distributing the coins to Iraqis as they
passed through a check point in Falluja, U.S. officials said.
"Where will you spend eternity?" was written on one side of the coins,
according to a report from McClatchy News Service.
On the other was a Bible verse written in Arabic referring to Jesus:
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16."
If true, the Marine would have violated U.S. military rules that
prohibit the promotion of any religion, faith or practice.
"This has our full attention," Col. James Welsh, the U.S. commander in
western Iraq, said in a statement. "We deeply value our relationship
with the local citizens and share their concerns over this serious
incident."
Christians make up around 3 percent of the population in mostly Muslim Iraq.
The United States, with troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, has been accused
by Islamist groups of seeking to convert Iraqis and of denigrating
Islam. The Bush administration rejects such charges but has been
embarrassed by the actions of some U.S. troops.
Last week, President George W. Bush apologized and promised to prosecute
a U.S. soldier accused of using a copy of the Koran, Islam's holy book,
for target practice in Iraq.
Handing out or exchanging coins is a tradition within the U.S. military.
The coins are most often minted with the emblem of a unit or other
military affiliation and senior commanders have their own coins.
Often, U.S. defense secretaries hand out their coins or a "Combating
Terrorism" coin to troops in the war zone and sometimes to visitors.
Service members often collect dozens of these sought-after coins.
(Editing by Frances Kerry and John O'Callaghan)