Marine probed over Bible coins
2008-05-29 21:09
Washington - The US military is investigating a Marine accused of promoting Christianity in Iraq by giving items to civilians in Falluja with a Bible verse on them, US officials said on Thursday.
"They have initiated an investigation into that and there is some evidence of an individual that was doing that," said Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesperson.
According to a report from McClatchy News Service, a Marine in Falluja has been handing out coins with the Bible verse for a few days.
"Where will you spend eternity?" was on one side of the coin.
On the other was a Bible verse referring to Jesus: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16."
If true, the Marine would have violated US military rules that prohibit the promotion of any religion, faith or practice.
Christians make up around 3% of the population in mostly Muslim Iraq.
Handing out or exchanging coins is a tradition within the US military. The coins are most often minted with the emblem of a unit or other military affiliation and senior commanders have their own coins.
Often, US defence secretaries hand out their coins or a "Combating Terrorism" coin to troops in the war zone and sometimes to visitors. Service members often collect dozens of these sought-after coins.