Why Iraq Beckons

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Evangelical Christians believe they were commanded by Jesus to feed the poor--and spread the faith.

Since 1990, the number of missionaries in Islamic countries has quadrupled, according to evangelical mission researchers, who estimate they have spoken to or given Christian material to at least 334 million people in that time.

The root of the impulse to help, and convert, others is in the New Testament. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus told his disciples to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." And it should be noted that, as a result of this command, missionaries around the world subject themselves to great discomfort and in some cases physical danger to do what they see as a selfless act-providing humanitarian aid and saving someone's soul.

Though they stress the importance of humanitarian deeds, they tend to view them as linked to their spiritual mission.

"Southern Baptists have been known as people who don't just talk their faith but walk the walk, too," says Wendy Norvelle, associate vice-president for Southern Baptist relations. "We absolutely respect the people of Iraq, and providing aid for them is not dependent on their coming to believe like we believe."

On the other hand, she adds, "When we do this, people ask us, 'why?' Then the opportunity arises, and we say, 'we are followers of Christ.' We believe the Gospel is for all people and that all people should have a choice in what they believe."

One group, Frontiers, proudly describes its primary purpose this way: "Our passion is to glorify God by planting churches...among all Muslim peoples."

The most popular evangelizing tool is "The Jesus Film." Translated into 811 languages, the 1979 film was made for $6 million by Campus Crusade for Christ founder Bill Bright with the financial backing of conservative oilman Nelson "Bunker" Hunt. In November 2001, after Christian relief workers Dayna Curry and Heather Mercer were rescued from Afghanistan, it was revealed that the Taliban arrested them for showing the Jesus Film.

In fact, the call to evangelize is so powerful that some justify the use of deceptive means.

One group, Global Opportunities, is organized specifically to help Christians evangelize through a practice called "tentmaking"--placing Christian professionals in secular jobs in foreign countries in order to proselytize. On its website, the group writes with advice about how to penetrate various parts of the world. The Arab Gulf region, the group says, is a "bonanza" for engineers because of the oil industry.

Even Franklin Graham used some of these methods. According to Graham's biography, "Rebel With a Cause," during the last Gulf War, Samaritan's Purse went to Jordan under the banner "Operation Desert Save" with food and aid--and showed the Jesus Film at night until the International Red Cross complained. Graham then used the Dear Abby Any Servicemen campaign to send Arabic language Scripture tracts and New Testaments into Saudi Arabia-a country he describes as "wicked"--and smuggled them past censors concerned about cultural sensitivity by using the Dear Abby postmark. The U.S. Postal Service, acting on a complaint by Dear Abby, brought the campaign to an end.

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