They do stand on corner or go door to door bothering people. They lead a good life by example. And in the process they don't shy away from telling their neighbors or coworkers about who they are or what they believe in.
I think that is sort of what Graham's people do. I think what they intend to do is described here:
samaritanspurse.org
I don't think Graham "orders people into harms way". I have no doubt they go into harm's way willingly. Personally I respect them for that. Graham is a baptist. As it happens there have been a number of Baptist mission workers martyred or almost martyred in the Muslim world recently, though the examples I've posted below weren't affiliated with Graham's Samaritan's Purse but with other baptist groups.
December 30 (Day 364, Weakness): An Islamic terrorist killed three Baptist hospital workers in Jibla, Yemen. The terrorist slipped by government security guards by cradling his rifle under his jacket like a baby. He entered a room where hospital director William E. Koehn was holding a meeting and shot Koehn and two others in the head. Then he went to the pharmacy and shot pharmacist Donald W. Caswell in the abdomen.
The hospital workers who where shot were all Americans. They were Southern Baptist missionaries, who were prohibited by the Yemeni government from presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Those killed were:
1. William E. Koehn, 60, of Arlington, Texas (32N, 97W), who had planned to retire next October after 28 years at the hospital.
2. Kathleen A. Gariety, 53, of Wauwatosa, Wis. (43N, 88W), a purchasing agent who arrived in Yemen 10 years ago.
3. Dr. Martha C. Myers, 57, of Montgomery, Ala. (32N, 86W), who had worked in Yemen for 24 years.
Donald W. Caswell, 49, of Levelland, Texas, who was critically injured, has been in Yemen for 18 months.
biblenews1.com
Lebanese carry the body of American missionary Bonnie Weatherall after she was shot dead in the southern Lebanon port-city of Sidon November 21, 2002. The American missionary was found shot dead in southern Lebanon in the clinic where she worked helping Palestinian refugees, Lebanese security officials said. (Ali Hashisho/Reuters)
story.news.yahoo.com
Two women on trial in Afghanistan are grads of Baptist university
By Art Toalston
Baptist Press
WACO, Texas - The two American women on trial before Afghanistan's Supreme Court for sharing their Christian faith are graduates of Baylor University and members of a nondenominational church in Waco, Texas.
The two women, Dayna Curry, 29, and Heather Mercer, 24, were arrested Aug. 3 along with four Germans, two Australians and 16 Afghans for their work with Shelter Now, a Christian aid organization based in Germany.
The 24 workers were arrested, and Bibles, videos and audio tapes were seized, by the ruling Islamic authority in Afghanistan, the Taliban, regarded by U.S. and U.N. officials as one of the world's chief antagonists to religious freedom. The workers' trial began Sept. 4 in Kabul, the nation's capital.
Antioch Community Church in Waco, in an Aug. 31 news release, acknowledged that Curry and Mercer are members of the cell group-oriented congregation, which was launched in 1999 by Highland Baptist Church in Waco.
.....
Shelter Now "is a sincerely devoted group who give their heart and effort to the people of Afghanistan," Antioch Community Church's news release said. "In Pakistan, at one Afghan refugee camp of 70,000 people, they are the main providers for housing, food and water. Similar projects are also being done throughout Afghanistan. For years, they have earned the respect of the Afghan people through acts of practical service and love."
Seibert added, "Dayna and Heather, as well as other workers at Shelter Now, desire to display the love of God in practical ways by caring for those in need. Their personal lives exude and communicate what they believe about God, and they live out their love for God through practical service.
"Dayna and Heather are both women of impeccable character with an incredible heart for the people of Afghanistan," Seibert said. "They have gone there to love Afghans by serving in practical ways, from feeding programs to education to health care. We are proud of the work that they do, and we are proud to be a part of their lives."
According to a report in the Waco Tribune-Herald, Curry hails from Tennessee and is a 1993 social work graduate of Baylor University, which is affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Mercer, from Virginia, is a 1999 Baylor graduate who earned a degree in German.
biblicalrecorder.org
Actually there are a few other examples of recent baptist martyrs I could post. A couple of baptist missionaries have been killed by Muslim terrorists in the Philippines in the last year or two. Another young woman who was a baptist missionary was killed by a terrorist bomb carried on a bus full of children in Haifa Israel. But I don't want to make this post too long.
We wouldn't be discussing Franklin Graham if he hadn't made that "evil religion" statement. That was unwise on his part because it was publicized widely and will likely hamper his organizations effectiveness in doing good work. I think he was reacting to 9/11 when he said it. As to whether his statement was untrue, though, what is killing people for their religious beliefs? It certainly isn't good is it? |
