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I think it is right to respect the willingness of the Christian Peacemaker Teams to risk their lives for what they believe in.
However, the CPT website quotes, seemingly approprivingly the following…
Referring to evangelical Christians who who want to come to Iraq to convert Muslims, a bishop said they should not. “Our job now is to live it, not to preach it, and to come to unity.”
http://www.cpt.org/archives/2003/sep03/0004.html
There seems to be an assumption, which I believe is false, that you can either live the Christian life, or preach the gospel. Why not both?
Their website includes this statement from the The Canadian Islamic Congress…
While CPT is an openly faith-based group that operates according to Christian teachings and example, it is unlike most traditional missionizing and evangelistic organizations. CPT members do not proselytize or ever attempt to “convert” those for whom they offer support. Rather, they are individually and collectively motivated by their faith to devote their lives to helping the oppressed, working for justice, and fighting against war by peacefully “getting in the way” of violence against the innocent.
http://www.cpt.org/iraq/response/supportstatements.htm
Is it not possible to help the oppressed, work for justice, etc, AND, at the same time, seek to address people’s greatest problem - that they are in rebellion against God and need to hear the gospel. Believing that reconciliation with God is more important than food or security now, does not in any way mean that food and security are unimportant. If we can help the oppressed then we should. But eternity is longer than our current lives will be, so logically must be more important. I think CPT, by seemingly neglecting any desire to bring the gospel to people, fail to care for the whole person.
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