Military Atheists Offended by “God Bless America”
Jason Torpy of the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers has complained over a poster in the halls of a Simi Valley government building.
The poster features a God Bless America / God Bless You prayer sandwich as well as a reference to Psalms 33 indicating Christian requirements for such a blessing. This display is primarily religious in nature, co-opting patriotism to promote their personal Christian beliefs. This is disrespectful to nontheistic military personnel…
Interesting, isn’t it, that atheists are so intent on framing an issue as “Christian” they continue to assign ‘exclusive Christian’ intent to things like passages from the Hebrew Bible — which is, of course, Jewish.
It’s also fascinating that Torpy is so hypersensitive to religion that he thinks the phrase “God bless you” or “God bless America” “disregards atheist service members.” (He even said it violated the prohibition against “establishment of religion.”) Simi Valley atheist Stuart Bechman went as far as to say if the City Council wouldn’t take it down, they needed to put one up “specifically honoring foxhole atheists.”
Contrary to such an asinine assertion, one does not have to appropriate the language of a group to “regard” or otherwise show it respect. Saying “God bless you” does not “honor” one group over another.
That Torpy and Bechman do not believe in God or like the use of the word “God” in those who speak to them does not diminish the respect behind the well-wishes. The military went for years yearning for the open support of the American public. When it is offered, Torpy gets offended at how its offered? How magnanimous.
“Merry Christmas,” anyone?
An appropriate response, rather than revulsion, would be “thank you.”
Just a bit fey on your part JD.
Unless Christians decide to separate Christian based new testament scripture from Hebrew based Old Testament scripture and put a new label on it, then both books will continue to be used for contiinuity.
I’m not sure you quite understand the concept of government sponsored religion. It doesn’t matter if the offending object is or Hebrew origin or Christian. NO religion may be favored, preferred or proselytized over another or over non-religion.
If the poster were Buddhist or Hindu the offense would be the same.
The reason why you are seeing more remedial steps taken against Christian offenses is because there are more of them. Dominion Christisn elements in the armed forces are on a concerted campaign to dominate religious belief and proselytize their basrtardized form of Christianity. Their offenses are many and well documented.
Now if you are a moderate and well mannered Christian you must stop placing yourself in the way. The steps to remove Dominionism apply to Dominioon Christians only not law-abiding Christians.
What offenses? Your accusation could be equally applied to any “recruiting” religion, from Mormonism to Islam. Just because a group desires to convert does not mean it “offends” any law or policy. You are ascribing motivations as you please, not as demonstrable by any fact.
It’s interesting to see an MRFF representative so eloquently and plainly state that only the ‘right kind’ of Christian is deserving of free exercise. So much for religious freedom and the Constitution, eh?
@JD
JD, the “right kind of Christian” is one who practices his faith within the parameters established by the First Amendment and all the Supreme Court rulings and decisions made a part thereof.
Those, whom are defined as “Dominion Christians” are clearly operating outside the scope of Christianity as we know it and are a powerful right-wing political and military force as well as a violent sect of Christianity. One has only to Google “Christian Reconstructionism and Dominion Theology” to read the awful history of these religious bodies run amok.
Dominion Christianity is dedicated to the overthrow of the US Government and in that regard are traitors to the Constitution. As you know Dominionism requires that its doctrines be held above civil law and that in order of importance, God must always be first, family second and country a distant third. This obviates any obligation for Dominionists to defend the constitution.
America is a secular representaive Republic in which all religions may flourish but none dominate.
@Richard
It seems you don’t realize how disconnected from reality your indictment is.