The ‘Secular Crusader’: Former Air Force JAG Looks to Drive All Christian Symbolism from Military
Persecution of Christians worldwide, particularly at the hands of Muslims, is a well-documented phenomenon despite the successful attempts by most major Western and American media organs to ignore it.
Persecution of Christians in the United States — a country where almost 80% of the population, some 240 million, is of that faith — is deemed, ipso facto, an absurdity by some and an undeniable fact by others. As a conservative yet non-fundamentalist (Lutheran) Christian, Army veteran, and former academic specializing in Islamic history, I agree that Christians are not currently being persecuted in this country. I do discern, nonetheless, a worrisome growing intolerance of the majority faith coupled with a kneejerk support of minority religions.
Particularly, and unsurprisingly, Islam.
This year alone, there have been four prominent attacks on Christian connections to the U.S. military:
– Charges of neo-Crusaderism against military supplier Trijicon for its gunsights inscribed with New Testament verses.
– Charges of neo-Crusaderism against an Army unit for daring to have a cross as part of its unit insignia.
– The branding as “a hate crime” the placing of a cross next to the the Air Force Academy’s neo-pagan worship site.
– The Army’s decision to disinvite prominent evangelical Franklin Graham from speaking at a Pentagon prayer service on the National Day of Prayer.
These four incidents all have one major factor in common: the involvement of Mikey Weinstein and his “Military Religious Freedom Foundation” — which was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize last fall.
Weinstein is a former member of the Air Force JAG (Judge Advocated General’s) Corps — an attorney — and a self-proclaimed secular crusader for rebuilding what he calls the military’s “obliterated wall separating church and state.”
Since Weinstein blames evangelical Protestants for allegedly breaching this wall, he directs most of his ire against them. They don’t hesitate to return fire, often citing Weinstein’s own intemperate, crass words. Weinstein gets plenty of support from the media, as is obvious from a sympathetic 2009 Harper’s article with an inflammatory title: “Jesus Killed Mohammad: The Crusade for a Christian Military.” The piece quotes him at length and takes his assertions at face value.
I will leave it to Weinstein’s evangelical Protestant opponents to question his salvation status; however, his misrepresentations of history — Christian, American, and even Islamic — are certainly fair game and call into question his logic and motives. If Weinstein were simply the head of a “religious watchdog group,” working out a personal animus against Christians and Christianity in the military, we could perhaps ignore him, but his views appear to be not just influential but gaining traction among some elements of the Obama administration.
Weinstein’s favorite trope is that the American military is somehow being turned into a “Crusader” army by the nefarious Protestants within its ranks, as exemplified by the “Crusader” unit heraldry which, according to him, “continues to add more fodder to the argument that we are Crusaders. … It’s exactly what fundamentalist Muslims want.”
Here is the unit symbol for the Army hospital at Ft. Carson, CO, which so offended Weinstein on behalf of the world’s Muslims:
Note it’s inscribed with “For God and Humanity” — not “For God and Americans” or “For God and Christians.” And it’s a hospital, not a combat unit.
I must confess my doubts that Weinstein found 43 people on Ft. Carson, as he claims, who are somehow offended by a cross being connected to a hospital.
I endeavored to scrutinize all the U.S military’s unit symbols and insignia at its heraldry site, but gave up after a few hours and only being able to check perhaps 20% of just the Army’s units. Even that small statistical sampling came back with dozens of U.S. Army units whose official symbols include crosses, such as the 5th Air Defense Artillery:
And the 112th Infantry Regiment, which sports not just one, but two crosses:
Some wag once penned, “Occasionally nations abolish GOD. GOD always returns the favor.” French researcher and historian Alexis de Tocqueville, explaining the United States to his European countryment in the 1830′s wrote: “[Christian] Religion in America.. .must be regarded as the foremost of the political institutions of that country; for if it does not impart a taste for freedom, it facilitates the use of it.” de Tocqueville wrote of ‘religion”, I altered his statement to indicate “Christian”, because he was not writing of Buddhists, or Hindus, or Shintoists, or Taoists. Or Muslims. The United States was conceived and born a Christian nation. We have deserted the GOD of the Bible, and HE graciously will allow the rewards of the path we have chosen, just as HE did with ancient Israel.
The parallels with ancient Israel are numerous. I’m glad to see other people know what I know. Unfortunately the end of it all didn’t go well and I believe that the parallels will follow to that extreme……..cannibalism. Truly sad days indeed! I don’t see any revival in our future just as Israel didn’t, it all eventually ended in their defeat and destruction by foreigners with a Satanic god.
Does anyone dare ask him why he has an anti-Christian bigotry? Or, ironically, do they fear that exposing his hatred and prejudice might subject THEM to be called an anti-Semite? Imagine a Christian trying to scrub our institutions of any reference to our Judaic roots and the howls of indignation, accusation, and outrage would be deafening. Why is this be allowed to happen without the usual tactic (name-calling) being used to rightfully describe the attacker? This happens too often in our country and it’s about time the anti-Christians are outed and stopped.
The odds are that Mikey Weinstein is a secularist who is also contemptuous of traditional Judaism. This guy is almost certainly pro-abortion and an advocate for gay marriage. Moreover, I bet he is also hostile towards the state of Israel.
I couldn’t agree with you more. There certainly is a template for this type of perverted individual. You have to wonder just how mentally stable he is and how he lives with all that virulent hatred just waiting to strike and destroy. And any adult man who still calls himself “Mikey” must have more than just a few loose bolts.
I did some research after posting my comments and found out Mickey Weinstein refuses to confront radical Muslims. He goes out of his way to ignore the evils associated with some so-called minority religions.
Once you Jews drive all Christians from the public forum, who will defend you from the Muslims?
Here, again, we have radical, leftist Jews attacking Christians.
Why is it Weinstein’s business to denude our military of every vestige of Christ? Who made him the arbitor of what our military should and should not allow as symbols? Why do Jews find Christianity and Christians so abhorrent yet are SO tolerant of Islam–i.e. NYC and the mosque near 9/11?
What is even more puzzling is that our government and military actually give him credit and listen to him.
His website and affiliations are replete with radical leftist Jewish organizations. I noticed though that he does not show his contributors.
He is doing his part to destroy America-one tradition at a time. And we, the majority, just sit back and watch him work. I just don’t get it.
A Jewish lawyer crusading against Christian expression in the US military? Interesting. I was raised Catholic but have been utterly lapsed since I was about 16 (I’m 33). I’ve grown up with and been friends with Jews my entire life; I never even noticed a distinction, besides the spate of bar and bat mitvahs when we were all 13. I went to private school and then Columbia University and then worked at a famously Jewish Wall Street law firm for about 2 years. But it wasn’t really until I was partially absorbed into the bosom of my ex-fiancee’s politically liberal, Reform Jewish family that I realized just how prevalent, casual, and off-handed – that is, ingrained – the anti-Christian animus is among some Jewish families. How many, I don’t know. Every such comment never failed to surprise me, though I never lost the basic feeling, created by my lifelong experience, that this sort of thing was ephemeral and basically unserious. But now when I see things like this, this Mikey Weinstein person, who is obviously basically an asshole, organizing initiatives like this, I admit my former-almost-family-in-law’s comments come percolating up and arouse a not entirely honorable sensation within. Hopefully this idiot’s attempt to subvert our nation will fizzle out quickly.
If you were truly a ‘lapsed Catholic’ then you wouldn’t be so emotionally affected by this article or the subject matter. ‘Lapsed’ people generally prefer a separation of church and state over climates of blatant proselytizing in institutions like the military.
Furnish sounds like a holy warrior, and while this article is designed to get the blood boiling in easily offended, hardcore religious Christians, it’s basically a half baked rant/cry, not anything like a balanced piece of journalism.
If you’re lapsed, it means you don’t buy into the maximalist, dogmatic interpretation of your religion; it means you would support toning down the fundamentalist Christian tendencies that are rampant in certain isolated quarters of the military, like Weinstein is trying to do.
If Mikey Weinstein didn’t have a Jewish name, you might have a different viewpoint altogether.
So first you attempt to redefine the meaning of “lapsed Catholic” and then sneak in a veiled accusation of antisemitism.
Nice.
Excuse me if I don’t accept your right to make the rules. I notice that you did not attempt to refute or explain Dan’s anecdote.
Huh?
I didn’t ‘redefine’ lapsed Catholic, since it was never officially defined on this thread. Perhaps you have a particular understanding of the meaning of the term that you’d like to share.
Also, how can I refute or explain the anecdote? I wasn’t there. Wouldn’t do much good for me to explain something I didn’t witness. The only thing that needs explaining is how what happened with a girlfriend’s family years ago and miles away ties into this article.
Maybe you’d better explain what you want from me here. Don’t be afraid to spell it out.
Jewish disdain and prejudice for them is little known by Christians because it is generally concealed by Jews. My daughter married into a Jewish family and I too was struck by the contempt and malice expressed toward the goy when talking among themselves. The Coen brothers got it right in A Serious Man, as did Philip Roth in his fiction. We are, to them, The Other. Many Jews find this bias reprehensible, of course, particularly those who appreciate the rock solid support Evangelicals have for Israel. But many Jews find themselves squirming over allies like these. Like Sarah Palin, they lack education and the right clothes. Quite simply, they are inferior. Everybody is an Other to somebody.
interesting conversations. for years, I had battles with my muslim in laws about the Jewish 5th . they tormented me about Jews stating that Jews were Christianity’s real enemy. they said, Jews hate Christians. It got to the point where I am got physical. it never did but I would harbor very ugly thoughts about Muslims not only because of the teachings of their Koran but because of their hatred of nearly everything. my response always was, “but it was the muslims who committed genocide against the Christians.” and they would admit that and justify it by saying, their religion gives them license to kill infidels. Christians know that muslims want to kill them and muslims don’t hide that fact. However the jew hates you, too and wants to kill you. the jews were the bolshevik leaders who murdered over 20 million Orthodox Christians.” For years, I was in denial. now, I see the ACLU and jews like weinstein doing whatever they can to destroy Christianity. It was my ancestors and yours, who made this country great. I think its time for all Christians in the USA to fight back and save this country with the same ferocity and fanatism as our forefathers. they would have NEVER EVER tolerated this assault on the religion of Jesus Christ. we need to start pushing back. I only pray its not too late for America.
It’s interesting that, as an Air Force JAG attorney, Mr. Weinstein would be responsible for DEFENDING a charge of ‘neo-Crusaderism’ raised by others of his odious Ilk were he still on active duty. Fortunately, as an American citizen and Veteran, Mr.Weinstein is entitled to his opinion and has the Freedom of Speech to proclaim his views. Like Mr. Weinstein, I too am an American citizen and Veteran so I can proclaim my own views in re: Mr. Weinstein; specifically that he is a raging loon!
Perhaps Mr. Weinstein’s own antipathy towards the US Army’s heraldry could be viewed as jealousness towards the military organization from which his own branch splintered. Mr. Weinstein is not a warfighter in a Military Branch that severely segregates those who fly and those who do not. As such, Mr.Weinstein should be assigned to the 99909th “Whining Pencil Pushers” whose battle cry “We need a group hug!” is displayed on a yellowish-green standard.
Tim,
Your, “..legal utilitarianism” is the name of the game in this sad day and age.
Thank you for your service, piece on PJM.
“Weinstein is a former member of the Air Force JAG (Judge Advocated General’s) Corps — an attorney — and a self-proclaimed secular crusader for rebuilding what he calls the military’s “obliterated wall separating church and state.”
In other words, he is yet another creepy Marxist Lawyer Inbred by Ivy-Idiots who are systematically destroying Free America by every legal means necessary.
Stop Marxist Lawyers, Marxist Law Professors and useful idiots Law Students before they completely ruin whatever remains of our “Life, Liberty, Property and pursuit of Happiness.
Sad part, when the Marxist Lawyers bring about another of their holocausts by helping to wipe Israel off the face the planet these same Marxist Lawyers will place blame on ‘Christian Crusaders’ instead of looking at their own actions.
Ivy-Inbred Marxist Lawyers, Laws Professors and Law Students are mentally diseased with evil creepy things.
Very well written and well thought out Timothy. On one point I have to disagree with you – I think Christians are being persecuted in this country. Certainly not to the point of being jailed or stoned for their beliefs – but in light of all the mis-truths about Christianity and the ‘war’ being waged against it in the name of ‘offended’ – yes it is under attack – and attack is persecution is it not?
As you are probably aware – this is a war of resentment (and attrition) on the part of the left/progressives. For the past 100 years they’ve been increasingly (progressively) successful at obfuscating real history in favor of their own version – to the point where – among other things – school text books no longer mention Christianity and the Founding Fathers on the same page. Nowhere has their point of attack been more vociferous than when it comes to the religious beliefs of our Founding Fathers. The ‘big question’ – were the Founding Fathers Christian – and more specifically – were they guided by Christian principles when they wrote the Constitution and the Bill of Rights? Of course they were – we – and progressives – know this. They just can’t admit to themselves that such truths are self-evident. They wish to obliterate these truths with their own – that this is not a nation under God.
Slowly – painfully (for me) – they are winning. (Will we let them?)
Why? For that you have to look at the situation from their perspective. They know that the last thing most Christians wish to do is offend anyone. They however – have no such qualms – this gives them the upper hand right off the bat. Feigning offense at every turn has gotten them to the point we are at now – as this article so eloquently points out. Their goals are in sight – and with help (dare I say encouragement?) of the bully pulpit and the Bully in Charge — Obama — they believe it’s simply a matter of ‘cleaning up’ the last remnants of the signs of offensiveness.
Personally I am offended at the actions of people like Weinstein who seem to have nothing better to do than go around finding things to be offended about. Since when did it become law that nobody should have to be offended?
You poke a finger in my chest and I’ll poke a fist in your face.
It is long past time to push back – and better late than never.
No, no! You must turn the other cheek. Unless, of course, you’re a cafeteria-christian; a little faith, no obedience; ah, some hope; repentance- no thank you!… baptism, not really! Love your neighbor as yourself? Well, maybe… but only for extra credit. What has scripture to say on the subject?
“Turn the other cheek” is taken too far and out of context, I believe. You do recall Elisha cursing a group of 42 youths for calling him “bald” and telling him “to get out of their city?” They were mauled to death by two bears. Jesus also used very harsh criticisms when talking about other religions and the Jewish establishment at the time. Christians are NOT supposed to be quiet, but for some reason they are. It is time we rise up and stop being everyone’s whipping boy. The only reason Christians are being picked on is bc they allow it to happen. If they defended their faith the way Muslims do, no one would dare even bat an eye at us.
Typical pouge JAG REMF backstabber. Stay away from actual soldiers and Marines Mr. Weinstein or you may find God very quickly.
I feel extremely sorry for Mikey. He is so warped and shattered by his hatred of Christianity that he supports the religion that comtemporaneously wants to destroy all Jews. Mikey needs to understand his self-hating, self-loathing conscious and unconscious feelings and thoughts. May I suggest a course of therapy with an outstanding psychiatrist with or without Prozac. This should help him relieve the crushing dysfunctional feelings he lives with every day. Please Mikey help yourself before you direct your overwhelming psychotic feelings inward and off yourself. Maybe you have a spiritual advisor who could help deal with the intense self-hating thoughts.
May God help you.
Funny that the usual anti-semites who vilify Israel and Jews over any perceived sleight towards the religion of peace are strangely silent when someone Jewish attacks Christianity. Why the silence from Rachel Corrie’s parents or George Galloway? Because a leftard means hypocrisy is a way of life, eh?
Question: Is not the word God an English word for Allah and vice versa? Likewise is not the word Deo a Latin word meaning God/Allah? In doing his work, this clown is showing hatred and spite for the Religion of Peace, isn’t he…ISN’T HE.
These mutts always go after the easy targets like the military and ignore the motto inscribed on the Supreme Court, because they know the Court won’t tolerate nonsense like this directed at them.
“Baal” is a Hebrew/Canaanite word for “lord/master,” but YHWH specifically banned His worshipers from addressing Him as, “My Baal,” because of its association with a pagan god.
No, Fred, it is not! “God”, in the christian scriptures, is identified as the Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ. “Allah”, a ficticious entity ,is the babylonian moon “god”; NOT the Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ. God is the Creator, Maintainer and Redeemer of mankind. Allah is a mythical demon who advocates robbery,rape, theft, lies, murder, kidnapping, child molesting, torture and other satanic pursuits.
Is it not surprising how many choose satan over God?
Just as the masses chose Barabbas over Jesus Christ?
Jew or muslim they are both the same in regards to their religion and everyone elses.
Floggin’ middle eastern religions will be the death of mankind.
Christianity’s a Middle Eastern religion, too.
Near East?
Judiasm and Islam are both sematic and have very similar components. However, Christianity is very different. it is Mithraic. Mithraism is Persian (remember the 3 maji who found Jesus-the fact that he was a jew has nothing to do with Christianity. Jesus just happened to be a Jew.
The Persian Maji weren’t looking for Jesus just for the hell of it. It was foretold in their Zoroastrian faith.
Notice Christianity has baptism by water, holy communion, worship on Sunday’s, the halo-symbol of the sun, born on December 25 to symbolize the conquering of light over darkness, the Holy Spirit (god’s essence), born of a virgin, Jesus’ rescue of Mary Magdellan from stoning (mo. or Moses would never do such a thing), resurrection, and heaven and hell- all of these come from Persia. (Just a note- the Freemasons( most of our founding fathers)were mithraic, too). Christians need to stop associating themselves with Judiasm and Islam. They are more closely related to Zoroastrianism/mithraism than any other religion.
To HEP-T
Your “comment” qualifies you as absolutely ignorant of matters religious. Will you please attempt to redeem yourself by producing some evidence for your assertion?
Many secular Jews regard serious Christians as Fascistic storm troopers.
Just like they’ll never be able to stop kids from praying before a big test, they’ll never be able to stop soldiers praying before a big battle.
Exactly.
As the old adage goes – there are no atheists in foxholes.
as one who has occupied numerous foxholes, I can assure you that you are (sincerely, I am sure), mistaken in thinking that “there are no atheists in the foxholes.” Some men die, calling for their mamas; some cursing God; some just die. True, a perceived need of God motivates some men to shape up. But only a few. Most deny or rationalize, and continue on with their favorite sins as opportunity arises. With reference to Heaven, our Lord, Jesus Christ said, Mt.7.13-14, that “…few shall enter there”; because the path to Hell is broad and easy, and the road to heaven is hard, and the gate narrow.
Lk.9.23-24 tells us just how narrow that gate is.
Exactly. And despite the angry innuendo, nothing in this article shows Mikey is trying to prevent soldiers from praying before battle. What he’s trying to do is prevent blatant proselytizing and ensure freedom of religion so that any soldier can pray the way he wants rather than how the army tells him to.
Anonymous: Nice try, schizo.
Weinstein IS trying to do his part at secularizing America and in the process destroying the values and traditions that made America the most treasured and beautiful nation on this planet.
Such patent lying is typical of your rants. Tell us O grand puba of debate, what sources you used to allege that our military is proselytiizing our soldiers? And the old canard of separation of church and state will not cut it.
Then tell us how our military unit logos using Christian symbology are a threat and hinder anyone’s freedom of religion? Facts only, please.
Finally tell us, who is the guarantor of the freedom of religion as posited in our Bill or Rights?
No! What he is trying to do is what the Navy did to Chaplain Klingenschmidt. Chaps was booted out of the Navy after he prayed in Jesus name at a Christian funeral for a Christian seaman.
This is about stopping Christians from having Christian worship.
He’s not just after Christians; he’s after ALL religions. The whole point of crushing any religious element in our armed forces is to make it as unappealing as possible to religious people who want to serve their country. So we’d be left with an army of people just like Weinstein who take their orders from marxists, not the Constitution; and who think the armed forces exist to enslave the American people, not protect them.
Name another religious group who has had a chaplain booted out for saying a prayer typical of that religion. Name one other religious group who had instructions not to conduct a funeral or any other service in a way totally different from that groups standard form of worship.
There isn’t any.
The Christians are merely the first target. Once they’re either booted out or otherwise silenced, then it will be other religions in the marxists’ sites.
The Army does not tell their soldiers how to worship, or if they should worship at all. There are Muslim, various Christian, Jewish and Buddhist chaplains that I know of. I suspect there are Sikh, and Hindu as well. Services (using the term generically) are available, posted in the appropriate areas for all these faiths and include meetings for pagans, Wiccans, etc.
Therefore “Mikey” is attempting not to prevent blatant proselytizing and ensure freedom of religion, but actually attempting to unconstitutionally restrict the free exercise thereof… this is nothing new, it happens every time a soldier is told to keep his religious views to himself and away from his military life.
No! What he is trying to do is what the Navy did to Chaplain Klingenschmitt. Chaps was booted out of the Navy after he prayed in Jesus name at a Christian funeral for a Christian seaman.
This is about stopping Christians from having Christian worship.
Baloney. There is no freedom of religion issue here. What Mikey and your feckless ilk are attempting to do is bully faith out of existence because your hostile to the entire idea of the divine. Freedom FROM religion is your ultimate goal.
The first step is force privatization of religion, the next step burden it with taxes and restrictions, then eventually eliminate its entire presence to render it meaningless. This is always the method of bullying despots hostile toward the idea that man not God. Castro lite is what you are.
If Christians were really the intolerant bigots anonymous cowards like you attempt to market us, you wouldn’t be standing in public running your mouth. And if we Christians were really the proselytizing tyrants you would like to make us to be, you wouldn’t be voicing your dissent without threat.
Timothy Furnish is absolutely correct.
“Freedom FROM religion is your ultimate goal.”
Damn right. America is not a theocracy, never was and never will be.
I don’t see anyone here saying America is a theocracy, nor that it should be.
You will never be able to separate the REASON from the FAITH of those who created this country. Because they were guided by BOTH reason (man must be free) and faith (man has free will), they came to the conclusion that freedom OF religion–not freedom FROM religion–must be an absolute right in this country.
You can finesse it however you want, freedom of religion boils down to freedom from religion as far as I”m concerned. The idea that I have to sit there with a straight face as somebody insists that the earth is 5,280 years old and that evolution is a Marxist plot, and if I don’t agree I have to leave America, is absurd. Some people here might actually agree with me on that one.
By the same token, the notion that Jesus is the Son of God who walked on water and was resurrected from the dead, is also absurd, and I sure as hell don’t ever intend on being forced to sit still for it as if it is self evident truth. You can believe what you want, but don’t expect to be able to force me to.
American Democracy also means protection of the minority from the tyranny of the majority. I know that upsets some people, and I know some people want to blame the decline of religion on Marxists, or Jews, or Islamo-fascists, but it has more to do with Darwin and the scientific revolution of the last few centuries that show the bible to be a fairy tale.
We’re not in the Twelfth Century anymore, and America’s military is not the Crusaders, much as some people here wish we were.
Nobody is making you “sit still for it.” You have the freedom to ignore it. You don’t have to leave this country to ignore it. You just have to walk away from whoever is talking about it; or change the channel, or click your mouse.
You obviously have no clue that words have actual meanings. Freedom from religion is the same as freedom from choice. By eliminating religion, you have eliminated others’ freedom of choice.
Or you can substitute religion with any number of beliefs. For instance:
Believing basketball is a great sport is a bunch of nonsense. Therefore, we must stop basketball games from being broadcast to our armed forces overseas. We must insist that no basketball team insignias be displayed by any of our soldiers. We must forbid any basketball players from visiting our armed forces and doing insidious prosletyzing things like signing autographs or giving out basketballs.
One last thing: America is not a democracy. It is a democratic republic. BIG DIFFERENCE. Once again, words have actual meanings.
Your straw men are silly! You have not been required to stipulate to an age of the earth, leave the country, or believe the scripture. Your real problem is that you wish to live a sinful life, and cannot do so without a load of guilt unless you can somehow dispose of Him Who rewards the obedient and punishes the disobedient- on an eternal basis.
The alternatives are: To abandon your sins and obey Jesus Christ, or to abandon Jesus Christ and make yourself a slave to your sins. Your choice.
Deportation is not warranted in either case. What you believe about the age of the earth does not mitigate your personal responsibility to the God Who created you, loves you, died for you, and wants very much to reward you eternally; but only if you will become the kind of person He wants you to be,
the kind of person who will live in love and peace with all His other children. The New Testament tells you how to do that. Read it, if you wish, and you will see that if you choose to love and obey Jesus Christ your eternity will be a pleasant one.
American Democracy also means protection of the minority from the tyranny of the majority.
You’ve provided all the stereotypes, not sure where the 5,280 years comes indicating gross ignorance of even the stereotypes, but I think you’ve flipped the script sport.
I think what we are witnessing here is the majority suffering from the tyranny of the small but deluded and deceived vocal minority. Speaking as one of those “simple” Christians, I’ve come to the conclusion we’ve been a little “too” tolerant as of late.
Damn right. America is not a theocracy, never was and never will be.
You seem to be completely clueless about Christianity from whatever bigoted sources you’ve educated yourself, so let me clue you in on a misperception you have – at least about Christianity. A theocracy was and is an abomination to the One True God. Set that to memory if you would so I don’t have to keep correcting you.
Please, kind sir, tell what part of the Holy Bible has been dis proven? Tell me exactly what parts are not true? Tell me where the “fairy tale” is. I am very curious as to know. My God, my Bible says you are a fool.
Exactly, ret7army. I am an atheist, and as far as I know, the only atheist chapel guide at Lackland (Flt 322/3723 BMTS-Apr80). The concept was freedom of religion, to worship as you see fit, until your religion says to kill me, then it’s not a religion, it’s a political system, and it’s okay to kill you in self-defense and eliminate your religion for trying to overthrow the government. This has been a tenet for some time, and we have eliminated or arrested any group that fits this bill. Except Muslims.
For those who insist upon the founding fathers Christianity and the founding of America based on Christians, you forget they were about a hundred fifty years apart. The Cromwellian crackdown is what caused the Pilgrims to want to leave in the first place, to found a place where man could worship as he saw fit. While all the founding fathers (or most of them) may have practiced some form of Christianity, they were, uniformly, opposed to control of the Government from a religious standpoint, and in fact, wanted no religion established as the state religion to prevent the kind of theocracy they saw in the rest of the world.
In short, they wished to remove, or prevent the inclusion to begin with, of ANY religious doctrine, because they knew that if they gave a basis for religous control, another religion would take over.
Therefore, the concept, as Christian as they were, was for a SECULAR government to control matters in a secular way, fair and even to ALL religions, because it was supression of ONE religion by another that caused them to leave in the first place.
They also realized that, while sixty (or ninety-nine, just to pull another number out of thin air, which people do in these circumstances) percent of the people then MAY have been Christians, they were not ALL the SAME Christians, and some of THOSE branches had recently, and would be again, at war with each other. The last thing they wanted was a fractured government because it represented any ONE religion.
And Mikey, take it from me. You’re wrong, on several counts, but especially you’re wrong on the count that you want to remove any symbol because it stands for any religion or religious icon, unless you’re trying to remove ALL of them, COMPLETELY. Since you’re not, we’ll just put this one down to absolute drivel and a complete lack of sincerity for the cause.
John Adams said “our constitution was made for a moral and a religious people and is wholly unsuited for the governing of any other.”
This sounds reasonable.
I first heard of Mikey in regards to the proselytizing at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado. I don’t have a strong opinion of symbols in logos. That’s not the main issue. There was hardcore proselytizing at the USAF Academy, and Weinstein was right to point it out, and the military was right to take action to end that abuse of the system, or at least try to.
I hate to break it to some of the people here, but America is not a theocracy, atheism does not equal Marxism, and the founding fathers were by and large not hardcore religious zealots, but men of reason and science.
The founding fathers were not religious “zealots” by their standards, but by modern standards they would look like real “Bible thumpers” to you Anonymous.
The whole constitutional convention was about to fall apart after weeks of bickering until the only known Deist of the group suggested beginning each day with prayer as they had done for every meeting when they were fighting for independence. That Deist would of course have been Ben Franklin. The prayers that they prayed would seem extremely zealous by modern standards.
Obviously, you have not read the many prayers of founders such as George Washington. If memory serves some of these prayers were still taught in public schools all the way through the 1800′s.
The Cromwellian crackdown is what caused the Pilgrims to want to leave in the first place, to found a place where man could worship as he saw fit.
Not quite. The Pilgrims and later New England Puritans were, like Oliver Cromwell, Calvinists who sought to worship God in their own way and prevent other people from doing the same. Most of them fled to New England before the English Civil War brought Cromwell to power. The Cavaliers who emigrated to Virginia to establish plantations of slaves growing cotton and tobacco were more likely to be fleeing from Cromwell and his stern religious regime.
So, according to Weinstein, the Red Cross shouldn’t display red crosses anymore?
The Red Cross famously refused to allow the Magen David Adom, Israel’s version of the Red Cross into the international organization, saying that the Star of David would only confuse people, meanwhile the Red Crescent (the Moslem version) was welcomed with open arms, including placing the Islmaic crescent on its logo.Next time, you want to make a point about religous bigotry you really should do some historical homework.
Almighty God, and most merciful father, who didst command the children of Israel to offer a daily sacrifice to thee, that thereby they might glorify and praise thee for thy protection both night and day, receive, O Lord, my morning sacrifice which I now offer up to thee; I yield thee humble and hearty thanks that thou has preserved me from the danger of the night past, and brought me to the light of the day, and the comforts thereof, a day which is consecrated to thine own service and for thine own honor. Let my heart, therefore, Gracious God, be so affected with the glory and majesty of it, that I may not do mine own works, but wait on thee, and discharge those weighty duties thou requirest of me, and since thou art a God of pure eyes, and wilt be sanctified in all who draw near unto thee, who doest not regard the sacrifice of fools, nor hear sinners who tread in thy courts, pardon, I beseech thee, my sins, remove them from thy presence, as far as the east is from the west, and accept of me for the merits of thy son Jesus Christ, that when I come into thy temple, and compass thine altar, my prayers may come before thee as incense; and as thou wouldst hear me calling upon thee in my prayers, so give me grace to hear thee calling on me in thy word, that it may be wisdom, righteousness, reconciliation and peace to the saving of the soul in the day of the Lord Jesus. Grant that I may hear it with reverence, receive it with meekness, mingle it with faith, and that it may accomplish in me, Gracious God, the good work for which thou has sent it. Bless my family, kindred, friends and country, be our God & guide this day and for ever for his sake, who lay down in the Grave and arose again for us, Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
from George Washington’s prayer journal
The US military is a de facto Christian organization. All military ceremonies include a benediction, a nondenominational, but distinctly Christian prayer. What other religion calls God, “Our Father?” Now, the military isn’t as blatant about being a Christian organization as it used to be (Hint: Battle Hymn of the Republic was written for the troops during the Civil War, and it is most distinctly a Christian Hymn- the entire song is about the Second Coming of Christ and what it means for us men).
This is the most disgusting piece of drivel I have ever read at this site.
What former JAG Weinstein has encountered in the US military are efforts to convert Jews to Christianity – aggressive efforts. So, he has decided that the best defense is a good offense. You don’t like it? Too bad; deal with it. You Christians have brought it all on yourselves. When your missionaries stop trying to steal Jewish souls in YOUR army, former JAG Weinstein won’t have reason to make war on the Christian religion.
For my money, NO JEW should ever sign up in an American unit, and Jews would leave your country en masse and come HOME where they belong – here in ISRAEL. You Americans do not deserve us or our money. But these are decisions I do not get to make. Weinstein and his family have decided to remain in Exile – so they are doing what they can to protect what few freedoms Jews may still have in your land.
I’ll be shocked if your have the guts to print my comment.
Ruvy must epater himself quite often, it seems.
Ruvy, American Christians are the only truly staunch ally Israel has. If you want us to stop our support, just say so. Many of us would rather not spend are treasure and blood any longer defending ingrates such as yourself. However, because you are not God Ruvy, we will nonetheless continue with our support because He has commanded it. Furthermore, the “few freedoms Jews may still have in [the U.S.}” are the same freedoms everyone else has. And those freedoms are more numerous than in Israel. Finally, no one can steal anyone else’s soul. Thinking they can is just evidence of your own sinful insecurity.
For those of you who wish to see a U.S. freed from Christianity, I just have one thing to say: Allahu akbar infidels?
Ladies and Gents,
Thanks for your comments on my article, but almost all of you are focused like a laser beam (a little Clintonian lingo there) on Mikey Weinstein–but I did write quite a lot of the article on the pro-Islamic slant of Obama Administration, especially AG Holder. Isn’t anyone at all concerned about that–or about the Air Force burning Bibles in Afghanistan last year, when Qur’ans are “revered” at Gitmo?
I did notice that, Timothy.
However, by the time I got done reading the comments, it was clear that everyone was fixated on the Jewishness of Miikey’s surname and the apparent Judeo-Marxist plot to murder Christianity.
Pity.
I would say yes and no. Yes — concerned about the cavalier burning of Bibles versus the reverence required for the Qu’ran at GTMO — because of the double standard. But probably no, for many people, because Western Christians have, in fact, generally gone the route of the medieval iconoclasts and agreed to understand material items (like printed books) as utilities and symbols, not as intrinsically holy.
I’d guess what you are getting at, of course, is the over-the-top-ness of BURNING the Bibles as if that were a gesture of obeisance to an imputed Muslim distaste for them. On that point I would certainly agree. Our cultural standard is that no one’s religious text has to be burned to make any kind of point, even if others find it offensive. We should uphold OUR cultural standard in that matter, particularly because it relates to matters of conscience and intellect. Burning ideas out of offense is not our thing. If we want to hang onto that bedrock concept in our culture, we need to apply it wherever we are in authority. Agents of the US government don’t burn Bibles, period, just as they don’t burn any other books.
Since I wasn’t among the earlier commenters, I guess this isn’t technically an answer to your question.
And you wonder why the Jewish-American community has no trust for the evangelicals in this country. The amount of anti-semitism in these comments is repugnant and an inditement of the American mind. But then again self-righteousness is not just the purview of the elite secularist is it?
There is a confusion here on the part of some commentators between Mr. Weinstein and the Jews. The man is no more Jewish that Mr. Obama. Anyone who claims otherwise doesn’t understand what it means to be a Jew. To be a Jew is to uphold the covenant with the Lord God, or at least to revere God and try to live up to it. To be a modern Jew is to also recognize that Jesus, descendant of the House of David, was the fulfillment of a Biblical prophecy. Where, in any of this, do you see Mr. Weinstein and his beliefs? He is an apostate, not a Jew, and those who confuse apostates and Jews do Christianity no favor. To stand in truth requires discernment, because there is so much untruth masquerading as truth these days. Come on, people, you can do better.
Evangelicals cannot logically question the spiritual status of anyone profesing “christianity” as they all contend for salvation by grace alone or by faith alone. “Alone” means “without anything else”. Ergo,if simply trusting Jesus guarantees eternal salvation(it does not), as they falsely claim, then, logically, one’s works, deeds, actions, behavior, can have no impact on that salvation. The necessary consequence of their false teaching is that one may rob, rape, kill and burn with spiritual impunity. Now can we see why we have two generations of amoral folks at large?
All sorts of rationalizations and denials can be offered to defend this prime, false doctrine of evangelicalism, but scripture, logic and commonsense combine to refute it and to identify it as the basic cause of amorality in the USA. Lets not confuse “evangelical” with “christian”.
Anonymous,
I am not an “Evangelical Christian”–in the sense of belonging to the much-maligned wing of non-liturgical Protestantism–but nonetheless the picture you paint is a caricature of their beliefs. Sola fide does not mean that one can profess belief in Jesus’ death and resurrection and then go on to live amorally, as you claim. It means that one is justified, regardles of good or bad works, before God by Christ’s atonement. BUT it ALSO means that a person is expected to live, as a sanctified Christian, loving God and loving one’s neighbor as oneself.
I am not overly fond of the Pat Robertsons of the world, either–but grossly distorting their theological beliefs is not only inaccurate but a smear. It’s every bit as ridiculous as a hard-line Baptist claiming that Catholics are all “fish-eating papists,” destined for Hellfire.
The amoralit rampant in America is not the fault of the evagelical (or any other) Christians–it’s largely the fault of the secularists.
Apologies for the typos in my last post; in my defense I’ll please a long day at the Georgia Renaissance Festival with my two young boys, and resultant fatigue!
A point about Bible burning: while it IS true that doing so is a legitimate means of disposing of old and unusable Bibles, it’s also equally clear that that does not apply in the case of Bagram Air Force base because 1) the Bibles were still in good shape, however “offensive;” and 2) the AF spokesman cited clearly was equating the burning of the Scriptures with burning of “trash.”
“PLEAD.”
I better quit while I’m ahead.
Proselytizing: All christians are commanded to proselytize, Mt.28.18-20, which is just what the Lord, Jesus Christ, here commands the apostles, not only to do themselves; but to teach “all nations”, ie, all men, to do also.
And their words, Lk.10.16; Mt.10.40, on His authority, carry the same weight as do His words, which require us to do ALL He commanded. The christian who does not evangelize thereby disobeys his Lord, falls from grace, and is headed for Hell unless and until he repents.
Further, the christian is commanded to love all men, and to do to others as he wishes them to do to him, Lk.10.25-28; Mt.7.12.If someone had information that would keep me out of Hell and get me to Heaven, I would want him to love me enough to bring me that message. Evangelizing is loving, and should be respected even if the information offered is in error and requires correction. We must obey God over men, Acts 5.29, and He commands all men to evangelize.
Descans,
Mikey is clearly not a Religious Jew. But can you tell us why so many Ethnic Jews are (a) apostate and (b) vehemently hostile to American Christians and American Christianity, people who have welcomed them as Jews have never been welcomed in any other country before? I have my own suspicions based on the number of them who are Red Diaper Babies whose parents and relatives “made” the Bolshevik revolution before Stalin turned on them. We (Christians) are, in their eyes, all Czarist Agents one step from fomenting pogroms. But tell us your explanation for the constant assault on American Christians by the Mikeys (and the Soroses, and Axelrods, and Rivkins, and Wolfs, and Rudd(nitzky)s and Dorhns (Orensteins) and Mahers and and and..?
He’s probably one of those hippie retards who joined to get out of being drafted and sent to ‘Nam, stayed and became a Chaplain and now is still doing the left/libtard dance all over everything. An AF Colonel/O6 chaplain told me “It’s peacetime, like 1931; no one cares about fighting off bad guys, you shouldn’t either” in April 2000– didn’t know where to contact his ass 18 mos. later after 9/11 to call him a little bitch or I would’ve– so they probably all weren’t damn glad he retired and maybe why this dude had a career. Air Force is like that… lack of direct combat for ‘em makes ‘em a bit soft.
To Ruvy: We do not try to steal jewish souls, we try to save them. Our Lord, Jesus Christ, made it clear, Jn.14.6, that no one comes to the Father except through Him. And He is Divine. We are not prejudiced against jews, as some of us,(me, for instance), are ethnic jews, and we worship a jew, the God-man, Jesus Christ, Jn.1.1-14. Since the New Testament teaches us that there is no salvation outside Jesus Christ, how can we claim to love you, and not try to convert you?
And, if you’re so sure you have the right answer to the question, “What must I do to be saved?”, why not share it with all who will listen- if you love them enough to have a real concern for their eternal welfare? And, if you choose not to love them, what is wrong with you?
To Mr. Furnish. Nonsense! Now, read slowly and carefully, and you may take notes if you wish.
Sola Fide means that one is saved solely, only, without anything else, by a momentary mental act in which one believes that God, for the sake of Christ, has forgiven his sins. Check the exact wording in baptist, methodist, presbyterian, etc. manuals. What they expect, and what they claim God requires, are two different animals. Scripture repeatedly says that one must love and obey Jesus Christ to be saved. All evangelical creeds specifically deny that premise. All also insist that, after that magic moment in which one is “saved”. one cannot fall from grace, and be lost, no matter what he does. All evangelical credos also so state. The necessary consequence of these two satanic doctrines is that one may sin with impunity subsequent to his “salvation” by a mere mental moment. That is not a misrepresentation, but a collocation of facts, presented logically. Evangelicalism is neither scriptural nor logical; rather it is demonic, contradictory of scripture and internally contradictory.
Oh my. wow. great post W.T. A rare read but a pleasure.
white (paper) tiger
“All also insist that, after that magic moment in which one is “saved”. one cannot fall from grace, and be lost, no matter what he does.”
You have stated the belief of “Calvinists”???
Even ultra-Calvinists do not believe that a person who accepts Christ as Saviour can immediately return to the slime pit of sin without retribution.
They would say the person was never saved.
More importantly not all “Evangelicals” are Calvinists. Many are Arminians. Most fall somewhere in between.
Your straw-man argument indicates you are not a “real” Christian.
Take the beam out of your own eye before trying to remove the speck of sawdust out of someone else’s.
Mr Furnish: Thank you for your article concerning the the armed forces’ attempt to placate Muslim sensibilitites while being patently offensive to Christians. You obviously tried hard not to have the forum devolve into Jew hate based on Weinstein’s last name. As you can see, when one of the players has a jewish backgroung anti-semitism will inevitably rear its ugly head even to the exclusion of all other issues.
Liberal/Left Jews and Christians, aided and abetted by left-wing synagogues,churches,academia,and media are alike in that they present their necks to be sliced by the jihadists. The Koran means what it says. Death or subjugation is the fate of all other religions and peoples in Muslim countries. Personally, I think that Franklin Graham has it exactly right. Islam is evil and produces evil among its adherents. Homicial ttacks on adherents of other faiths,honor killings and execution of homosexuals should suffice to prove the point. Conservative Christians and Jews must not allow ourselves to be divided from each other. We face a determined and implacable enemy who believe that they are mandated by God to destroy us all. We must not give the enemy the advantage of our foolishness. Barack Hussein Obama has clearly aligned himself with the enemies of the United States. THAT is the danger. Weinstein is merely an indicative footnote.
To Dan: At a wedding dinner in the family of my Chrisian fiance the priest stood up and told an anti-semitic joke. I was offended but remained silent and seething. We know the vile history of anti-semitism up to and including the present time. We have both heard our share of anti-semitic comments. That Jews should react to this with hostility of our own should not shock you.
The fight for Iwo Jima in 1945 was one of the bloodiest of World War II. A tiny island in the Pacific dominated by a volcanic mountain and pockmarked with caves, Iwo Jima was the setting for a five-week, non-stop battle between 70,000 American Marines and an unknown number of deeply entrenched Japanese defenders. The courage and gallantry of the American forces, climaxed by the dramatic raising of the American flag over Mt. Suribachi, is memorialized in the Marine Corps monument in Washington, DC. Less remembered, however, is that the battle occasioned an eloquent eulogy by a Marine Corps rabbi that has become an American classic.
Rabbi Roland B. Gittelsohn (1910-1995), assigned to the Fifth Marine Division, was the first Jewish chaplain the Marine Corps ever appointed. The American invading force at Iwo Jima included approximately 1,500 Jewish Marines. Rabbi Gittelsohn was in the thick of the fray, ministering to Marines of all faiths in the combat zone. He shared the fear, horror and despair of the fighting men, each of whom knew that each day might be his last. Roland Gittelsohn’s tireless efforts to comfort the wounded and encourage the fearful won him three service ribbons.
When the fighting was over, Division Chaplain Warren Cuthriell, a Protestant minister, asked Rabbi Gittelsohn to deliver the memorial sermon at a combined religious service dedicating the Marine Cemetery. Cuthriell wanted all the fallen Marines – black and white, Protestant, Catholic and Jewish – honored in a single, nondenominational ceremony. Unfortunately, racial and religious prejudice was strong in the Marine Corps, as it was then throughout America. According to Rabbi Gittelsohn, the majority of Christian chaplains objected to having a rabbi preach over predominantly Christian graves. The Catholic chaplains, in keeping with church doctrine, opposed any form of joint religious service.
To his credit, Cuthriell refused to alter his plans. Gittelsohn, on the other hand, wanted to save his friend Cuthriell further embarrassment and so decided it was best not to deliver his sermon. Instead, three separate religious services were held. At the Jewish service, to a congregation of 70 or so who attended, Rabbi Gittelsohn delivered the powerful eulogy he originally wrote for the combined service:
” Here lie men who loved America because their ancestors generations ago helped in her founding, and other men who loved her with equal passion because they themselves or their own fathers escaped from oppression to her blessed shores. Here lie officers and men, Negroes and whites, rich men and poor . . . together. Here are Protestants, Catholics and Jews together. Here no man prefers another because of his faith or despises him because of his color. Here there are no quotas of how many from each group are admitted or allowed. Among these men, there is no discrimination. No prejudices. No hatred. Theirs is the highest and purest democracy …
Whosoever of us lifts his hand in hate against a brother, or who thinks himself superior to those who happen to be in the minority, makes of this ceremony and the bloody sacrifice it commemorates, an empty, hollow mockery. To this, then, as our solemn duty, sacred duty do we the living now dedicate ourselves: to the right of Protestants, Catholics, and Jews, of white men and Negroes alike, to enjoy the democracy for which all of them have here paid the price …
We here solemnly swear that this shall not be in vain. Out of this and from the suffering and sorrow of those who mourn this will come, we promise, the birth of a new freedom for the sons of men everywhere. ”
Among Gittelsohn’s listeners were three Protestant chaplains so incensed by the prejudice voiced by their colleagues that they boycotted their own service to attend Gittelsohn’s. One of them borrowed the manuscript and, unknown to Gittelsohn, circulated several thousand copies to his regiment. Some Marines enclosed the copies in letters to their families. An avalanche of coverage resulted. Time magazine published excerpts, which wire services spread even further. The entire sermon was inserted into the Congressional Record, the Army released the eulogy for short-wave broadcast to American troops throughout the world and radio commentator Robert St. John read it on his program and on many succeeding Memorial Days.
American Jewish Historical Society
Sir: Great Comment! We can thank Woodrow Wilson for the rampant segregation that existed in the US Military until Truman. Before Wilson the US Military was a integrated force, its historical fact.
Onward Christian Soldiers. America was founded upon Christianity. Read our history leading up to the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.
American was founded upon freedom of religion. Christianity was founded upon Judaism. Perhaps that is what you meant to say.
I recently went to VMI. On entering the chapel I was struck by the symbolism. There was no evidence of Christian or Jewish iconography. Instead, there was a large mural at the front depicting the cadet charge at New Market. That was far more moving and representative of the unified morals and ideals of the Corp and their spirituality than the usual images.
Like I said, everybody is an Other to somebody. It’s baked into the DNA.
David,
A chapel is not a place to have unit, school, branch of service or even national pride reinforced, however “moving”–it’s a place for prayer and worship of a higher authority: God. Your view seems to agree with Weinstein that it’s somehow unbecoming to acknowledge that the vast majority of Americans, as well as the members of the military, believe in the God of the Bible. Why is that?
112th Infantry Regiment and the 5th Air Defense Artillery, as well as MANY other units have “shields” from their battle field experience in France during “The Great War” (aka World War I).
The crosses are the Croix Lorraine:
“The Cross of Lorraine is part of the heraldic arms of Lorraine in eastern France. It was originally held to be a symbol of Joan of Arc, who was from Lorraine. Between 1871 and 1918 (and again between 1940-1944), the northern third of Lorraine was annexed to Germany, along with Alsace. During that period the Cross served as a rallying point for French ambitions to recover its “lost” provinces. This historical significance lent it considerable weight as a symbol of French patriotism.”
While based upon a religious symbol, it is also the symbol used for liberation from German Forces in both WW I, and WW II.
The RED CROSS used by medical personnel of MANY countries is another religiously rooted symbol that has transcended its’ initial “Christian” connection. Treating the injured and wounded, and humane and safe conditions of confinement of prisoners IS A CHRISTIAN rooted ethnic. Some countries military forces as well as many irregular, paramilitary and hostile enemy combatants USE THE RED CROSS as a target to shoot at, not a symbol of “noncombatants” and no shooting allowed.
Mr. Weinstein disgraces the very military service that provided him with his college degrees (USAFA Class of 1977). Mr. Weinstein is a non-Observant Jew that, (based up my viewpoint after reading several articles and his book) has a intense dislike for Christians, and a simmering rage against Evangelical Christians. I do not know the root of it, and frankly while I agree that in “some” military units the presence of Evangelicals with an active “witnessing” of their personal beliefs impacted upon the mission , and unit cohesiveness, that is NOT a reason to regulate all Christian beliefs and symbolism away either. (And I am a practicing Catholic, I “never” lost Jesus to begin with, and sometimes found “annoying” in the workplace the chatter of “witnessing,” by Evangelicals.) So yes, I found it “uncomfortable” on occasion too, but I would not prohibit ALL discussions/situations of occurring either.
I am not attacking the faith he was raised in. I am just publicly disagreeing with someone that wishes because he finds something “uncomfortable” (and has found a following among rapid atheists and like minded folks), wants to eliminate what he finds “uncomfortable from existence, and erase all evidence that it did exist!
Ole Sarge: Exactly right! I did not go into depth about the histories of even the three unit crests which I adduced, but of course many of them are based on World War I or II campaigns in Europe. They are still, nontheless, crosses and as such seem to enrage Mr. Weinstein.
He is the logical result of a society where, for several decades, people have been told that they have a right NOT to be offended. We reap what we sow.
When that renegade Jew comes across anything that is timelessly true, and cannot
be traced back to the activity of people, his quest will have been in vain. Especially when it is the last thing he encounters before he receives passage to
where eternity is spent.
For, there is more to life than the definable.
“It occurs to me that a little religious communication might be a bad idea at this stage of the game. Myself, I pray to Mohammad, Buddha, and Mr. Jesus H. Christ himself, and any other religious honchos I can come up with, there is no such thing as an atheist in a combat zone.” R. Lee Ermey, Siege at Firebase Gloria.
“It occurs to me that a little religious communication might NOT be a bad idea at this stage of the game. Myself, I pray to Mohammad, Buddha, and Mr. Jesus H. Christ himself, and any other religious honchos I can come up with, there is no such thing as an atheist in a combat zone.” R. Lee Ermey, Siege at Firebase Gloria.
Sorry had to fix it.
“It occurs to me that a little religious communication might NOT be a bad idea at this stage of the game. Myself, I pray to Mohammad, Buddha, and Mr. Jesus H. Christ himself, and any other religious honchos I can come up with, there is no such thing as an atheist in a combat zone.” R. Lee Ermey, Siege at Firebase Gloria.
Sorry had to fix that!
What Mr. Weinstein, and others bent on obliterating “religion” from the military, forget is that the officers in the field and the future officers in the various academies are responsible for the well-being of their men and women. That includes the spiritual well-being for those that have a religious faith. As an officer, even if not a believer, religion plays an integral part in many people’s lives. The attempt to remove it from every aspect of their military life is only going to harm the men and women of (any) faith that serve.
There are many misinformed comments on this post regarding the intent of the founding fathers. The founding founders intent was clearly spelled out by the Treaty of Tripoli which was signed in 1796 and ratified by the Senate. Google or Wikipedia the entire text. Here is a very relevant excerpt:
–>
Art. 11. As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion,—as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen,—and as the said States never entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.