God and Country

Some people take issue with the presence of military chaplains serving within the borders of the US, but the religious ministry team of a Marine Expeditionary Unit showed that soldiers stateside sometimes need their spiritual resources brought to them, as well.  The unit was in field training during Easter this year:

While training is the number one priority, seven religious services were held to allow the service members to practice their faith even Read more…

Bagram Air Base’s chaplains organized a Run for Jesus 5-Miler in which nearly 600 US servicemembers attended a sunrise Easter service followed by a run around the base.  One group even carried an 8-foot cross.

The 82nd CAB Chaplain’s team hosted the first “Run for Jesus” on Bagram Apr. 8. Held on Easter Sunday, the 5-mile race began with a sunrise service hosted by three of the CAB Chaplains. More than 560 people completed the track around Bagram Airfield.

Nearly 700 photos of the event are available on the unit’s Facebook page (in Part I and Part II).

Other US servicemembers in Afghanistan were also able to take time Read more…

In his weekly radio address, President Barack Obama highlighted the “lessons from Easter” that can

The story of Christ’s triumph over death holds special meaning for Christians, but all of us, no matter how or whether we believe can identify with elements of his story…

The President was criticized by some for saying that Jesus experienced fear and doubt during his earlier speech at the White House Easter prayer breakfast.

This Easter, celebrate the resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ, and take a moment to remember those who defend our freedoms while deployed around the world. They, too, will celebrate His resurrection — even in small outposts in Afghanistan, the Middle East, the Horn of Africa, and elsewhere. And then they’ll stand up, adjust their gear, and step out on their next mission, always at their Nation’s call.

The early morning sun drifts above the horizon during Easter sunrise services at Camp Liberty, Iraq. (Photo by Sgt. Mark Matthews)

Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council notes that a US servicemember raised the “rainbow flag” over an American base in Afghanistan, as indicated by the serviceman’s wife’s Facebook post:

The flag is recognizable as the symbol for the homosexual “movement,” though it remains unclear why someone needs a flag to advertise the fact they’re sexually Read more…

Though facing some criticism for ‘ignoring’ Easter this year, President Obama hosted a White House iftar breaking the Ramadan fast last week.  From his statement at the event:

Tonight is part of a rich tradition here at the White House of celebrating the holy days of many faiths…People of different faiths coming together, with humility before our maker, to reaffirm our obligations to one another, because no matter who we are, or how we pray, we’re all children of a loving God.

The President recalled the sacrifice of Army Specialist Kareem Khan, whom he also highlighted at the same event in 2009.  Khan, an American Soldier and Muslim, was killed in action in Iraq in 2007.

This site previously noted the lack of original thought on the part of some activist atheists.

• In response to Christmas, they want their simultaneous anti-religious displays.
• In response to Vacation Bible School, they want an atheist counter-Bible School.
• In response to a Christian concert event, they want an atheist counter-event.

Now, in response to Easter, they want, well, an atheist counter-celebration of Christ’s resurrection, apparently.

Last year this site noted that Michael Weinstein’s research assistant Chris Rodda held up for derision the military Christian celebrations of Easter in the combat theatre. Despite the criticism by Rodda and Weinstein’s organization, which oddly includes “military religious freedom” in its name, the celebration of religious holy days in the combat area is perhaps one of the most explicit examples of religious freedom in the US military.

This year, the MRFF continued its attacks Read more…

This Easter, celebrate the resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ, and take a moment to remember those who defend our freedoms while deployed around the world.  They, too, will celebrate His resurrection — even in small outposts in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere.  And then they’ll stand up, adjust their gear, and step out on their next mission, always at their Nation’s call.

The early morning sun drifts above the horizon during Easter sunrise services at Camp Liberty, Iraq. (Photo by Sgt. Mark Matthews)

FoxNews had a headline article on Christmas highlighting “Christmas in Afghanistan.”  One of the more interesting parts of the article:

Afghans who support the coalition troops respect the holiday, [US Marine Chaplain (Capt) William] Kennedy said.

“We’re in a Muslim country, but the Muslims venerate Jesus as a prophet and the people I’ve met, whether it’s the locals or ANA (Afghan army), the mullahs, they respect the fact that we’re a religious people,” Kennedy told AFP.

(In a contrast to the Chaplain’s supportive perceptions of the local population, an activist group once tried to claim public American military celebrations of Easter were “convinc[ing] the Muslims we’re on a crusade.”) 

While Americans celebrated freely in Afghanistan, local Iraqi Christians “toned down” their Christmas celebrations in Iraq over fear of attacks.  It appears American military Read more…

A few days ago, this site noted that a self-described religious freedom organization, Michael Weinstein’s MRFF, had criticized deployed servicemembers for publicly celebrating Easter in the combat theatre.

In an interesting convergence of topics, a message by President Obama recently cited just such a celebration of Easter–and not by just any servicemembers, but by a unit of deployed fighter pilots.  A fascinating photo (below) helps explain.

In his “holiday greetings” distributed on 3 April 2010, the President commented on “war time” observances of Easter, saying:  Read more…

Have a joyous celebration of the resurrection of Christ, and take time to remember our troops deployed around the world.

Sailors worship at Easter. (DoD Photo)

Last September, Chris Rodda, a researcher for Michael Weinstein and his Military Religious Freedom Foundation, wrote an article enumerating her “Top Ten” list of Christian travesties in the US military, emphasizing acts which “convince the Muslims we’re on a crusade.”  A less combative version of this same list was re-published in the US Air Force’s Attitudes Aren’t Free just a few weeks ago.

At number 8, Rodda lists this rather interesting way in which the US military is showing the Muslim world America is on a crusade:  Read more…