Say, you know that enlightened, “moderate” state next to Israel? The one that everyone says is so cool with the West? The one that keeps refusing to change the laws about honor killings and declares Islam to be its state religion? Yeah, that one. Well, they just arrested a group of Christians, for the awful crime of—wait for it—evangelizing.
Eight people have been arrested in Jordan for propagating the Christian faith, according to a Saudi newspaper.
Jordanian security forces arrested eight people, mostly foreigners, after they were caught distributing missionary material to Bedouin families north and east of the Jordanian capital, Amman, the Saudi daily Al-Watan reported.
The authorities received information about the missionaries from local residents who said these foreigners were offering humanitarian assistance to poor Muslim families and distributing fliers promoting Christianity.
Sources said they were “enticing” impoverished youngsters by paying them money and calling on them to marry foreign girls.
Mind you, I can’t stand evangelists coming to my door and trying to convert me, either. But then, I just tell them to get lost and close the door. (Unless I’m in a really pissy mood, in which case I am less kind.) But it’s good to know that such a “moderate” state is so tolerant. This is the state that constantly lectures Israel on her treatment of Muslims, in particular, when discussing the Temple Mount in re: Al-Aqsa Mosque. Funny how they’re not so tolerant about their own property.
The Jordanian government prohibits conversion from Islam and the proselytizing of Muslims. The Shari’a courts have the authority to prosecute people trying to convert Muslims, according to the United States State Department’s annual report on religious freedom.
Muslims in Jordan who convert to another religion face social and governmental discrimination, the report said.
Yes, it’s another example of the famed Muslim tolerance of other religions. Tolerance. That’s why eight Christians were arrested for proselytizing.
But you see, “true” Islam is not practiced there. Even though the country is 99% Muslim, and is right next to the country with Mecca, they actually practice an intolerant derivation of Islam. “True” Islam is a religion of peace and is only practiced in a few liberal mosques in major Wetern cities with media outlets.
Well, not to play Devil’s Advocate, but doesn’t Israel have similar anti-evangelical laws?
Joshik, really? Well, if there are, please show me the last occurrence of a Christian evangelical being thrown into jail in Israel.
I’m especially interested to find that out, knowing that “Jews” for Jesus has a presence in Israel.
As far as I know, according to Israeli law, pure evangelizing is not illegal. What’s illegal is offering someone money to change their religion.
Joshik, I’ve been approached quite a few times by Muslims and Christians who wanted me to join their respective faiths. As far as I know, they’re all still free, including the one who left an evangelical comic-strip booklet in my mailbox a few months ago.
I think a nation with a state religion has every right to outlaw missionary activity, especially when the missionaries are foreigners. I think missionary activity against a state religion can very easily be interpreted as inciting rebellion.
I can guarantee you that these missionaries knew they were violating Jordanian law when they entered the country. (And if they didn’t know, the church that sent them was being incredibly irresponsible.) They decided that their holy cause was more important than local law – that’s fine, but it doesn’t make their actions any less illegal.
I think jail sentences, however, are overly harsh. The missionaries should simply have had their visas revoked, and put on the next plane back to their home countries. Their names can be kept on file to prevent legal re-entry.
Say, David, England has a state religion. Would it be okay for them to kick out all the Jews because Jews don’t adhere to the Church of England?
You’re going down a very slippery slope there. I’m a believer in freedom of religion, myself. Including in Jordan.
Please keep your readership posted, Meryl, and link us to the cries of outrage that the Presbyterians and Episcopalians, among others, will be issuing at the attacks on their co-religionists. After all, if their feelings are so delicate about the sins of Jews, think of how they’ll react when fellow Christians are imprisoned.
You’re going down a very slippery slope there. I’m a believer in freedom of religion, myself. Including in Jordan.
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Religious freedom aside, I would expect a NATION based on the “religion of peace” would tolerate other religions a bit more…
Just another example of “it’s a peaceful religion, as long as you’re a member of it, not a free thinking woman, and don’t mind living in the past.”
Meryl, – you are responding to a point I didn’t make. I didn’t say a state religion must prohibit the practice of all other religions (although that is also common.) I said it is reasonable to prohibit foreign missionaries from entering the country for the purpose of converting people away from the state’s religion.
A proper analog (using your example of England and Judaism) would be England prohibiting foreigners from entering the country if they are trying to convert the Anglican population to Judaism.
Not only do I think that would be their right, I wouldn’t even oppose the law. I consider all missionary activity to be organized harassment. It’s illegal in most places (including the US) to badger them into buying products, so why should badgering them into changing religions be any different?
Religious freedom is, by definition, incompatible with the concept of a state religion. If you support one, then you have to oppose the other. If you want to grant missionaries the right to preach anywhere and everywhere, then you must also forbid the concept of Israel being a Jewish state.