Reader Jen left a detailed comment today on my post entitled "Man on a mission," explaining the position of the Mormon Church on a number of issues — including the Israel-Palestine conflict. She also mentioned something I was completely unaware of. In her comment, she stated that Jordan actually recognizes the Mormon Church:
I do commend the state of Jordan for being the only Muslim country to officially recognize the Mormon church and to allow people in Jordan to worship in the open.
This was news to me. I had always thought that the Mormon Church had not been allowed to set up shop in the Kingdom. After doing some Googling, I found this:
In 1989, Jordan became the first Arab country to grant formal recognition to the [Mormon] Church, allowing it to establish the Center for Cultural and Educational Affairs in Amman.
To make my position clear, I do not agree with many of the teachings of the Mormon Church but I am all for facilitating the freedom of religion in Jordan and elsewhere.
Read Jen’s full comment here.
I too have found it curious that missionaries target Jordan. I mean, in many ways it is the home or right next to the home of Christianity (and other monotheistic faiths for that matter). So why are Christian — and it is almost exclusively Christian — groups targeting the country for their work. Yes, there are Muslims there, but 1) there is a great deal of acceptance amongst all the religious communities so why come stir the pot and 2) it is actually a dangerous practice to try and ‘bring someone over’ when that journey can leave you branded an apostate, leaving you with this label for the rest of your life in your homeland. Why not leave well enough alone?
and they say there is no freedom in muslim countries…ya 7eif 3ala il zaman illi khallana inwattee roosna in the name of western style ‘democracy’. No one has the right to come into someone else’s home and change the way they live, trying to demoralize a people in order to justify forcing their beliefs on them.
but it goes to show, these missionaries themselves say that its a challenge to convert muslims, and they attribute it to the oppression of us poor muslims (remember they also try to convert arab christians to their protestant, evangelical belief). Yet how is it that there are more than 20 different missionary groups in jordan alone? ‘oppression’? the laws in the country have become so liberal its almost disgusting, so where is the oppression? But they know as well as you know that it is a challenge because they refuse to acknowledge the kind of community and sense of morals and values that we share, as jordanian muslims and christians. They refuse to acknowledge that IT IS BECAUSE we know God that the majority of our youth is not inclined to drink themselves to death, that sexual transmitted diseases have an incidence of less than 0.5%, and that anyone that comes to our country is welcomed and taken care of just as you would welcome and take care of your own brother, sister, father, mother etc. Its is because we know God that families are not easily broken apart and people look out for each other.
Thank God for blessing us with such a community, Al hamdulillah
and thanks for letting me share
That is so interesting to me about there being a presence of the Church of Jesus Christ in Jordan….does anyone know if there is progress being made of similar presence in other Arab countries?
Craig, I’m sorry I’m so late with this; you may not even read this…
If you were told by Mormons that something was in “our bible” (something I can’t imagine anyone saying, nevertheless…), they would be referring to the King James version of the Holy Bible. It is the standard used throughout the church. We do not ever refer the Book of Mormon as our bible.
As far as being Christian goes…Christ is at the center of our beliefs and the church is named for Him (Mormon is a given nickname). The church does not lump itself in with other denominations at all! Most Mormons are quite keen to tell you how we are different. We are sometimes “lumped” by others into Protestantism, but we do not describe ourselves as Protestants, so don’t get too upset! In Basic Training at Ft. Jackson, my CO did not allow me to attend my church services because I was “just another Protestant” and could go that service. Nice guy.
2 Ne. 25: 26 (from the Book of Mormon)
And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.
Ash, I am glad you remembr the church. I didn’t say that you can get a scholarship. I believe we talked about BYU, the church’s university, and I informed you that the church gives scholarships to people in the West Bank and Jordan regardless of religion. Actually anyon can go and meet with BYU officials at the center I told you about and seek an application
Natasha, im surprised you didnt know! your always well knowledged and have always exceeded my expectations!
About mormon church in Amman, do you remember the old days of ACCESS ? while NETS was the first BBS in Amman, Access was the 2nd ,, i was a member of Access during the mid 1990s in Amman before full internet was introduced in 1997…
anyhow, a member in Access was named Jabra Ghneim, he introduced me to the Mormon religon and told me there is like a YMCA for Mormons in Amman between 5th and 4th circle, moreover: he said if i convert into Mormonism i will be granted a full schorlarship into the University of Utah in Salt Lake City…
Cheers,
Ash
Sami:
Learn how to spell.
Scooby
Lear to read, no one called you names. However, you chose to provide such a reply because your statement is baseless and you have no idea what churches in Jordan are doing.
Who is the low life now?
Merry xmas to you too
Sami:
Only because it is Christmas, I will not stoop as low as you. Frankly, you are a low-life that is not even worthy of a reply. If you have an opinion to share, please do so while respecting that of others. There is no need for you to use foul language or to call people names.
Merry Christmas.
Jenny,
One non-Arab Muslim, Keith Ellison, is a member of U.S. Congress
What about this guy in the Sneate? “Hussein is a muslim name, isn’t it? :O
Barack Hussein Obama
the esteemed body that also unfortunately employs this guy.
What are you worried about that guy for? David Duke used to be in the Congress, and he was the Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. And David Duke doesn’t just say stupid stuff on American TV, he goes to Iran to say stupid stuff.
Robert Byrd spent decades in the Ku Klux Klan and he’s been in the Senate since before I was born, I’m pretty sure.
But these people are not “employed” – they are elected. If bigots want to elect a bigot to represent them, there is no law against it. For better or for worse.