You may have heard about the 10 people being killed in Afganistan while doing "mission" work this past week. Report after report, in print and on the news channels, there's a disclaimer: they weren't prostylizing.
The Guardian (UK) --their headline is "Doctor Karen Woo Not Religious":
"The Taliban claimed responsibility for the killings, with a spokesman saying the group was shot because they were "spying for the Americans" and "preaching Christianity". Today, Woo's family rejected this, calling her a "true hero" who had no religious or political agenda.
"Her motivation was purely humanitarian. She was a humanist and had no religious or political agenda," said the family in a statement."
The Washington Post:
"The group is registered as a Christian nonprofit organization. Although its members do not shy away from this affiliation in this conservative Muslim country, Frans and others said they do not proselytize. In their work since 1966 on health and economic development projects, under King Zahir Shah, the Russians, the mujaheddin government and the Taliban, Frans said, "all along we've been known as a Christian organization. That has been a nonissue." "
Here is the orgainization, Internation Assistance Missions ,that these 10 people were involved with and its own statement:
"The second question is whether the team was proselytizing and distributing Dari Bibles. IAM is a Christian organization – we have never hidden this. Indeed, we are registered as such with the Afghan government. Our faith motivates and inspires us - but we do not proselytize. We abide by the laws of Afghanistan. We are signatures of the Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs Disaster Response Programmes, in other words, that, “aid will not be used to further a particular political or religious standpoint.” But more than that, our record speaks for itself. IAM would not be invited back to villages if we were using aid as a cover for preaching. And in particular, this specific camp led by Tom Little, a man with four decades experience in Afghanistan, has led eye camps for many years to Nuristan – and was welcomed back every time. "
As to their missions/values they state:
Quote:
IAM is an international charitable, non-profit, Christian organisation, serving the people of Afghanistan, through capacity building in the sectors of Health and Economic Development.
IAM’s core values are:
Dependency on God
Love for All
Teamwork
Accountability
Learning
Quality Work
End quote.
What makes this Christian in any sense? While it is humanitarian, it is not Christian. Nothing on their website declares the Gospel. There's nothing about faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, nothing that honors Him in any way. The only mention is "Dependency on God" which means very little.
In fact, this group prides itself in NOT sharing the Gospel! Indeed, the fact that the group and Little in particular, were invited back and not slain because they were sharing the Gospel, shows that this was a dead work. That's nothing to be proud about. Rather, its shameful. They shrink back from the ONLY thing that can give life and hope: the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
While I don't dismiss help to people who really need it, I do find that calling a group "Christian" while they admit they have no religious agenda, have no heart to share the Gospel (which is the REAL need of every Afghan), and have no public proclaimation of faith in Christ themselves, its dishonest to label this in any way Christian or to consider them dying for their faith, in any way.
Basically, its nothing more than what the World does, and it doesn't bring the light of Christ to the dead souls. Helping a blind person see (they have optomologist teams too) does nothing if he's still blind and hasn't heard of the only Savior and Lord who can heal his soul and give him true sight--spiritual eyes to truly see who God is and his need for Him.
This is just another example of how so many people are quick to slap on the name of "Christian" to a humanitarian organization. We need to be VERY cautious of doing that. "Christian" means something. According to Scripture it means one who is a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, one who has repented of their sins and turned to the only living Triune God that can save his wretched soul. "Good" works without faith in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ is DEAD and does nothing to glorify Christ and the Gospel, nor does it save a single soul. What's the use of going to Hell with eyes that see?
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