If you can get past the title, Dr. James White’s article “Strippers Going to War” has an interesting perspective on religion in the military.  Dr. White is Professor of Theology and Culture at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

White’s topic is the Christian reaction — or over-reaction — to perceptions of sin or evil in the culture.  In one example, he cites the case of Pastor Donald Crosby of the Kingdom Builders Church of Jesus Christ in Warner Robins, Georgia.  (The story was originally covered by USA Today via WMAZ in Macon, Ga.)  The pastor enrolled his son in the local high school, only to discover their mascot was…a demon:

He’s been collecting signatures of protest ever since, saying that a pitchfork-wielding mascot sends the wrong message to teens.  “Hundreds of children gather into one place at one time chanting ‘Go Demons.’  It’s the equivalent of us gathering into a church on Sunday morning and shouting ‘Go, Jesus’ or ‘Hallelujah Jesus,’ the pastor maintains.

Interesting thing is, that’s not at all the history behind the mascot:

School principal Steve Monday says that the origin of the mascot isn’t religious at all.  In fact, it started in World War II from the 7th fighter squadron at Robbins [sic] Air Force Base, which earned its nickname in the South Pacific who were known as the “Screamin’ Demons.’  The school adopted the name in a show of patriotic honor to the squadron.

White takes the stand that the pastor’s reaction isn’t right; in fact, it’s “just dumb.”

Even more interesting, however, is the fact that the supernatural “Demons” live on.  The 7th Fighter Squadron Screamin’ Demons now fly out of Holloman AFB, New Mexico, in the US Air Force’s premier fighter, the F-22A Raptor.

Given the recent complaint over “Christian” symbology on a military patch, think anyone will complain about the “spiritual” connotation of the name or the patch for the 7th FS?

Seems unlikely.  It’ll probably happen at the same time they complain about the similarities to the atheist symbol on another patch:

For what its worth, Demons live on at the Air Force Academy, too.  The USAFA Falcons even defeated some demons recently.

In a reportedly majority Christian country, and in a military that conspiracy theorists say has already been taken over by religious fundamentalists, why hasn’t any Christian publicly complained or threatened to file lawsuits over symbology such as these?  After all, Weinstein has done the same thing over a red cross on a hospital’s emblem.

It’s entirely possible that Christians have brought up the issue in the past, though it seems evident their complaints didn’t go anywhere.  Why not?

Simple.  Dr. White is right.

It’s just dumb.