×
This is less than ideal:
US soldiers have been encouraged to spread the message of their Christian faith among Afghanistan's predominantly Muslim population, video footage obtained by Al Jazeera appears to show.The bibles were apparently paid for by a private organization. United States Central Command regulations forbid proselytizing, but it appears that some chaplains are either ignoring the rules or finding ways to circumvent them. The military can crack down on such activity within its ranks (it will be interesting to see if the Pentagon reacts to the footage), but of course it's impossible to police every individual intent on breaking the rules. It goes without saying that attempting to spread Christianity in Afghanistan is highly unlikely to win the favor of the local population. It is, however, likely that "gifting" bibles will play into Taliban propaganda, and may well lead to the torture or execution of recipients.Military chaplains stationed in the US air base at Bagram were also filmed with bibles printed in the country's main Pashto and Dari languages.
In one recorded sermon, Lieutenant-Colonel Gary Hensley, the chief of the US military chaplains in Afghanistan, is seen telling soldiers that as followers of Jesus Christ, they all have a responsibility "to be witnesses for him."
--Robert Farley
