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Christian Missionaries In Afghanistan Were No Innocents
LSN Staffer Is Ex-Member Of Their Church, States They Kidnapped Her,
"Exorcised" Demons
12/11/2001 11:05:08 AM
Bill White talking to Becky Oberg
Waco, Texas -- The Christian missionaries "freed" by US forces near Kabul
early on the Afghan
campaign were no heros or martyrs, but members of a dangerous sect which,
in
the United States, kidnaps its ex-members and attempts to "exorcise" them
when
they leave the church, believing that only demons can guide their members
away
from their organization.
Becky Oberg, a journalist living near Indianapolis, and a frequent
contributor
to LSN, told us the following story:
"I was involved with Antioch Community Church (http://antiochcc.net)--same
church the two "foreign aid workers" (undercover missionaries) went to,
and
yes, I knew one of them. I was fighting a drinking problem in college,
and had
managed to stay dry for about a month. Three "friends" from the church
came
over for dinner to celebrate with me. An argument broke out over
something
from way back in my past, I was pinned to the floor, they tried to cast
out
Satan and took my weapons collection, several Native American objects (I'm
part
Cherokee), my incense burners, and a few other things. They made the sign
of
the cross on just about everything in the apartment and on the door frame.
It
was NOT fun explaining it to the police."
"The cop didn't want to take the report because I didn't want to file
charges--
I just wanted my property back and to be left alone. We were all
students, and
I didn't want the three to have legal problems because they made a stupid
mistake. Besides, they'd been close friends, and I couldn't do it
(although no
one could resist the cliche' "With friends like that, who needs enemies?")
I
wanted to resolve it peacefully, but be ready to use the cops. He took an
attitude with me, and I cussed him out since I was in the airport to go to
Missouri since my grandfather was dying. He took the report, although
somewhat
grudgingly."
She also added the following:
"Keep in mind this is Christianity carried to extremisim. I'm a
Christian, but
I don't force my religion on anyone and I tend to fight for
justice--social
gospel, libaration theology, whatever the current term of choice is.
Needless
to say this doesn't make me very popular in some churches! :) But then
again,
Jesus has been too Americanized in many of them. ... How many churches
teach
that he was a blue-collar rabble-rousing socialist concerned with outcasts
and
willing to condemn the elite?"
Libertarian Socialist News
Post Office Box 12244
Silver Spring, MD 20908
http://www.overthrow.com
(check out our messageboards -- discuss this story on-line!)
(Formerly http://www.libertariansocialist.com)
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