The blog of Operation Reveille, which says it is “Helping Service Personnel with Cross-Cultural Ministry,” has some interesting advice regarding how to handle potentially controversial situations in the current combat theatre.

For example: Can I give a Bible when asked? 

The answer is well thought out, and they say you should avoid doing so.  While such an action would not inherently be proselytizing (which is defined as converting, though a more recent connotation is ‘coerced or forced conversion’) it could still appear to be.  They suggest instead that you direct the person to a place they can purchase a Bible on their own.  Another suggestion they omit: connect them with a military Chaplain.  US Chaplains are specifically “trained” and expected to interact with military personnel and local populations on religious issues.

A second topic is Can I tell locals about Jesus?

The distinction, again, is that discussion of religious topics is not proselytizing (converting).  The question might be better phrased, “Can I talk to locals about religion and Christianity?”

The short answer to the question is, “Yes, service men and women can talk freely about their faith with interpreters and counterparts as long as they offer solicited information, and as long as they do not pressure or induce others to solicit it.”

Another addition that they fail to mention is that in much of the Middle East and Asia, religion is a topic of high interest.  Due to the high density of the Islamic population, some may not even have met a Christian.

During deployment briefs, many military members will be told how to handle conversations with locals that steer onto religious topics.  Sometimes the advice is to avoid such a conversation to avoid offense, which is good advice for those that have little experience with the topic or low exposure to the local culture.  Sometimes the advice encourages the conversation, since it builds a rapport and strengthens the local cultural view of Americans (because religious belief is valued; atheism is more culturally offensive than Christianity in much of the Islamic world).

Each situation must be assessed on its own, but the Operation Reveille answers provide useful information to consider.

Courtesy of Military Christians Worldwide.