[Defend]

First off, I am a committed Christian who has shared my faith with Muslims, including while I was in the Middle East (not under CENTCOM - not violating any anti-proselytizing laws).

Why would I do such a thing? Two reasons. One: I believe that people coming to know the truth brings Glory to God (and yes, I do use الله [Allah], الرب [The Lord] and God interchangeably when working with Muslims) Two: I have compassion for the millions of people who are seeking truth (Muslims), and are not finding it. Offering them an opportunity to receive that truth without cultural barriers that have been built up by insensitive Christians, indoctrination, and religious teachings, is just as important as providing starving kids with food. See need, meet need. It's that simple.

The missiological term for what is being discussed in this article is "contextualization" - the presentation of information in a way that will be understood by the target audience. That same concept is used by certain elements of our Armed Forces. And yes, it ticks lots of Muslims off, and I'd be willing to bet UBL is among those ticked.

There are debates in the missiology community regarding levels of contextualization. Basically, at what point do you cease to be a "Christian"? Keep in mind that the term Christian originated as a derogatory term for followers of Christ. I usually explain my religion as a "Follower of Jesus Christ" when asked. If asked to clarify, I use the term Christian.

Finding common ground and using it to open discussion is not only acceptable, it is smart whether you are trying to put down an insurgency or lead somebody into a relationship with God. And I invite any Muslim to discuss commonalities with me.

-out