A Tale of Two Chaplains: The Hypocrisy of Mikey Weinstein and Tom Carpenter

Mikey Weinstein’s MRFF and Tom Carpenter’s Forum on the Military Chaplaincy
advocate “Do as I say… not as I do.”

Last week, the Forum on the Military Chaplaincy’s hypocrisy was on full display. Tom Carpenter, a homosexual lawyer and former US Marine fighter pilot, co-chairs the Forum and seems to be its primary voice. Carpenter berated the religious expression of Air Force Chaplain Sonny Hernandez and called him unfit to serve — while the Forum Carpenter simultaneously leads says it supports a military chaplaincy with “free and diverse religious expression.”

It seems Carpenter and his Forum only support diversity of religious expression when they agree with the content of that expression.

Last week Carpenter also seemed to join with Michael “Mikey” Weinstein — a Forum ally — in criticizing military chaplains who attended an awards event hosted by the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty, a group of chaplain endorsers that advocates for religious liberty within the military. The Forum re-posted reports on the MRFF’s accusations with the ominous statement that the “Air Force [is] in hot water again,” and didn’t contravene one of its own who agreed with Weinstein’s acerbic calls for punishing the chaplains. When others defended the chaplains, Carpenter weighed in by saying they were “clueless” about the rules and regulations regarding wear of the uniform. Carpenter clearly felt Chaplain (MajGen) Dondi Costin and the other chaplains in attendance were in the wrong.

So why didn’t Carpenter feel so strongly about his own event?

In early April, the Forum on the Military Chaplaincy hosted Read more

The Homosexual, Anti-Christian Agenda and the Military

Hypocrisy, Immorality, & Problematic Issues

by Sonny Hernandez

The world is a dangerous place for Bible-believing Christians. In the Middle East, radical Islamists are telling Christians “accept us or die,” while in the United States, homosexuals are telling Christians “bake us a cake or we will sue.” This forceful reproach is the stipulation that is now being foisted upon the Armed Forces by homosexual activists who will relentlessly calumniate anyone who opposes their sexual lifestyle.

Bible-believing military chaplains have a constitutional right to express their faith convictions in the military, despite what some liberals seem to think. Recently, I published an article titled, “The Transgender (Homosexual) Lifestyle: A Military Chaplain’s Perspective.”  In response to this article, I was held in derision by innumerable homosexual supporters who categorically decried my article as judgmental hate speech. I was also accused of forcing my beliefs upon others and inciting fear to cause dissension between the Church and the LGBT community. Bible-believing military chaplains should expect hostility because of their faith convictions.

This is why I found many of the responses perplexing especially since Read more

Column: Drafting Women Violates Religious Liberty

tarkingtonMargaret Tarkington, a professor of law at the Indiana University McKinney School of Law, wrote an interesting perspective on the recent developments regarding women in combat and drafting women. In short, she has no problem with women being allowed to be in combat if they want to be. But, she thinks that forcing every other woman to sign up for the draft as a result could violate their religious liberties [emphasis added]:

The conscription of women raises significant religious liberty concerns for women (including many LDS, Islamic, Orthodox Jew and other Christian sects and religious traditions) who devoutly believe that their primary calling in life is to be a mother, raising their children in a safe and loving home. The First Amendment is intended to secure the free exercise of religion. For myself, the most important “free exercise” of my religious convictions is being able to be a mother and to raise my children at home.

While women should have equal opportunities to join and advance in the military if they so choose, it is a different matter to force Read more

The Transgender (Homosexual) Lifestyle: A Military Chaplain’s Perspective

On June 30, 2016, Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced that transgender service members in the US military can now openly serve their country without fear of retribution.  If transgender service members can openly serve without fear of retribution, are military chaplains allowed to “openly” serve with biblical conviction without fear of retribution (see National Defense Authorization Act)? According to the Constitution, yes, but according to opponents of religious liberty for Christians, no!

The transgender, homosexual propaganda that is manifesting itself within society is hostile towards Christians. The Armed Forces ultimately reflect the culture from which they are drawn. Nevertheless, Christians should expect hostility (2 Timothy 3:12). Around the world, proponents of Islam are beheading Christians who will not accept their vile religion, while in the US, Christians who decry sexual immorality (bestiality, fornication, homosexuality, and transgender) as a sinful practice are ostracized and publicly vilified as unloving bigots who are infused with hate. This can be concurred as recently an Army base abruptly cancelled a prayer breakfast that Read more

Army Secretary Fanning Headlines Gay Parade

Secretary of the Army Eric Fanning recently rode through San Diego on a rainbow-striped BMW in a sign of same-sex pride:

fanningparadeThe Secretary’s personal security detail may need a little more training on blending in.

Secretary Fanning was the “grand marshal” of the San Diego Pride parade, which one veteran recognized as a significant social event [emphasis added]:

As a symbol, having an openly gay military leader means something, said George Hotaling, 29, a gay former Army officer who volunteered at the rally.

“It’s absolutely huge. To have someone who is that high-ranking, it normalizes it,” said Hotaling, who is married to an active-duty Navy officer.

The US military has developed an interesting dichotomy between sexual expression and religious Read more

Martyrdom, Sacrifice Do Not Absolve Wrong

John Sutter, a CNN columnist, recently repeated what has become a tired — and ultimately baseless — argument: The tragic murder of homosexuals means homosexuality needs to be accepted.  He expressed his disbelief that the terrorist attack in Orlando hadn’t generated waves of conversions in ideology:

Even in the wake of one of the deadliest mass shootings in history, one that specifically targeted members of the LGBT community, politicians and religious leaders are unable to offer unalloyed support…

It’s a nonsensical proposition on its face. The death of a group of people who share a common characteristic does not suddenly legitimize that characteristic. When a man goes on a killing spree targeting sex offenders, for example, sex offenders do not suddenly become honorable, moral, or defensible. Their offense does not justify, warrant, or legitimize their murder — but neither does the murder legitimize their immorality.

Sutter goes a step further, though, and says American citizens who oppose homosexuality “branch from the same tree” as Islamic terrorist Omar Mateen:  Read more

Push Continues for US Military Sikh Service

sikhtrioIn an era in which US military claims the only thing people need in order to serve is the ability to, a swath of American Sikhs is still left wondering, “What about us?”

In recent “gay pride” celebrations, senior leaders have repeated the mantra that because homosexuals sacrificed and fought in war zones, they earned the right to serve — even if they had been violating military regulations or moral standards.

Whether you agree with that logic or not, Sikhs have a far stronger case, having Read more

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