Tag Archives: christian

Navy Chaplain’s Visit Highlights Religious Diversity

The Navy Chief of Chaplains, Chaplain (Rear Adm) Mark Tidd, recently visited the USS Carl Vinson and its support vessels.  The Navy article recounts some highlights, but also has an interesting quote from the strike group’s command Chaplain:

“On board Vinson, we have about 15 different faith groups represented, and we are committed to this diversity,” said [command Chaplain (Cmdr) Keith Shuley]. “He comes from a Christian background, and Read more

You Can Talk Like a Fighter Pilot, but Should You?

It seems everybody wants to be a fighter pilot, or at least pretend to be one.  Many people seem to quote fighter pilot movies without knowing what they’re actually saying.  Some quotes are accurate (pilots do say “Fox 3” when firing AMRAAMs and “Fox 2” when firing Sidewinders, a la Will Smith in Independence Day); others, not so much (pretty much everything in Top Gun).  While most fighter pilot-sounding quotes may just sound cool, quite a bit of real fighter pilot lingo is laced with sexual innuendo through the use of “clever” linguistic games.

Are you sure you want to play?  Read more

Is “There Are No Atheists in Foxholes” Offensive?

A seemingly benign local article highlighted the roles of various National Guardsmen in their units and communities.  Speaking of Chaplain (Maj) Steven Veinotte, it said

Major Steven Veinotte of Campton has seen the truth of that old adage that there are no atheists in foxholes.

“I think that’s natural,” he said. “It’s part of human nature, when the pressure gets ratcheted up, you tend to ask God for more things.”

However, Jason Torpy’s Military Association of Atheists Read more

Chaplains Bring Messages of Hope, Religious Freedom

US military Chaplains are deployed in the Horn of Africa

to establish lines of communication with local religious leaders.

Chaplain (CAPT) Jon Cutler and Chaplain (LtCol) David Terrinoni met with religious leaders and visited a Catholic orphanage.  While their main goal was to interact with the locals, the Chaplains also ministered to the needs of their own team:

“There is religious diversity here, but no synagogues, which make me glad Chaplain Cutler could visit,” said Chief Petty Officer Richard Anthonissen…

Cutler was able to serve Anthonissen in a way that only a rabbi can.

“During my last [CTFJ-HOA] tour, there were only Jewish lay-leaders available,” said Anthonissen. “While they meet your faith needs, a rabbi is much more – a rabbi is a teacher who makes you think and challenge your assumptions in a good way.”

Elsewhere, Chaplain (MajGen) Cecil Richardson, Read more

AU, ACLU File FOIA over Rock the Fort, Rock Beyond Belief

Americans United for the Separation of Church and State and the American Civil Liberties Union have filed a Freedom of Information Act request over recent concerts at Fort Bragg.  (More accurately, they skipped the FOIA office everybody else has to use and sent a letter directly to the Secretary of the Army.)

Interestingly, the letter presents a schizophrenic perspective.  On one hand, they say Fort Bragg’s interaction with Rock the Fort was “unconstitutional.”

we believe that the actions of [Chaplain (Col) David] Hillis and the Department of the Army, in coordinating, planning and supporting last year’s Rock the Fort concert, violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

On the other, they demand to know if Rock Beyond Belief is truly being Read more

Can Atheist Rock Beyond Belief meet Army Restrictions?

The truth of the US Army’s equitable treatment of “Rock Beyond Belief” has already been addressed.  Oddly, though, many people don’t know that RBB may not be able to meet the restrictions imposed upon it by the Army even if it does find the funding it needs to proceed.

What restrictions are those?  Well, the same ones put on the Christian “Rock the Fort,” of course:  Content.

Unnoticed by many has been the fact Fort Bragg restricted the content at “Rock the Fort.”  As noted in the After Action Report:

The bands and speakers stayed within the parameters that we gave them as directed by LTG Helmick, Read more

US Army Says Soldier “Erred” in Treatment over Christian Concert

According to various reports, a US Army Staff Sergeant marched a group of Soldiers to a voluntary Christian concert put on by BarlowGirl at Fort Eustis.  When some said they didn’t want to attend, they were marched back to their barracks and told to stay there, without access to their personal electronics and nothing to do but clean the barracks.

This was a result of a “miscommunication,” according to the Army; there was no “malicious” or even “intentional” act.

The company commander found out Read more

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