Fearing the truth

From BPNews:

A 72-year-old Southern Baptist from Myrtle Beach, S.C., has been detained for distributing Bibles in the United Arab Emirates.

Vivian Gilmer, a grandmother and member of First Baptist Church in Myrtle Beach, S.C., was on a mission trip with the Tom Cox Evangelistic Association in the Middle East country when she was charged with illegal activity by government authorities Feb. 21, according to the Myrtle Beach Sun News.

Another American, Marie Bush of Waxahachie, Texas, also is being held in Dubai.

The women are prohibited from leaving the country but are expected to be released sometime this week, Bruce Crawford, pastor of First Baptist, told Baptist Press.

In the United Arab Emirates distributing Bibles is legal as long as tracts or other evangelistic material are not distributed with the Bibles, Crawford said.

Why do Moslems fear the Bible? The Quran itself says:

It is He Who sent down to thee (step by step), in truth, the Book, confirming what went before it; and He sent down the Law (of Moses) and the gospel (of Jesus) before this, as a guide to mankind, and He sent down the criterion (of judgment between right and wrong). -- [3:3]

and also

And in their footsteps We sent Jesus the son of Mary, confirming the Law that had come before him: We sent him the gospel: therein was guidance and light, and confirmation of the Law that had come before him: a guidance and an admonition to those who fear Allah. -- [5:46]

Yet Christians are arrested for distributing the Bible. It looks to me that the Christians are showing more respect for the Quran than the Moslems are, in this case.

Posted by Jack Lewis at March 1, 2005 06:55 AM