Tag Archives: Religion

Trijicon Gunsight Maker Sales Grow

According to a Michigan news site, the “Bible-references flap” from earlier this year (which was frequently misrepresented) hasn’t put a damper on the bottom line of Trijicon, the maker of advanced (and popular) gunsights for weapons.

In fact, it might even have helped.

Tom Munson, director of sales and marketing at Trijicon, said the company has removed controversial Biblical verse references from inscriptions in its military orders but still includes them in commercial sales to hunters, collectors and others. He also said the company this year is on track for more business than last year under its military contracts, despite Read more

Number of Chaplains Opposing DADT Repeal Increases

The Alliance Defense Fund previously wrote a letter to President Obama in which 41 retired Chaplains, speaking freely since they are outside military service, opposed the repeal of the policy known as “Don’t ask, don’t tell” on religious freedom grounds.

Last Friday they added to that number, with 25 new signatories.  As noted at the ADF,

The letter states, “By raising homosexual behavior to the same protected class as innate, innocuous characteristics like race and gender, the armed forces will cast the sincerely held religious beliefs of many chaplains and Service members as rank bigotry comparable to racism.”

The release of the letter nearly coincided with Read more

Army General Denies Equating Religion, Racism

A firestorm erupted in the media last week when LtGen Thomas Bostick, a member of the “working group” on “Don’t ask, don’t tell” repeal, was quoted in the Washington Times apparently equating religious opposition to homosexuality with bigotry and racism.  From the Washington Times editorial “A New Gay Army:”

Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick, the Army’s deputy chief of staff in charge of personnel matters who spoke about “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” before several hundred troops at the European Command headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany. “Unfortunately, we have a minority of service members who are still racists and bigoted and you will never be able to get rid of all of them,” Lt. Gen. Bostick said. “But these people opposing this new policy will need to get with the program, and if they can’t, they need to get out. No matter how much training and education of those in opposition, you’re always going to have those that oppose this on moral and religious grounds just like you still have racists today.”

The Times provided no source for their information.  The US military subsequently released a statement in which Bostick denied making the quotes:  Read more

Bat Signal Busted, Weinstein Declares War Back On

After what was supposedly an amiable interlude, Michael Weinstein and his self-founded Military Religious Freedom Foundation are now officially back at “war” with the US Air Force Academy.  The reason?  The Air Force beat Weinstein to the press.

The Colorado Springs Independent reports the Air Force Academy issued a press release critical of an as yet unpublicized MRFF accusation that the Academy was allowing a private group to ‘improperly proselytize’ in public facilities.  The reported press release, which is unsigned, undated, and available only on some local news sites, was unusual in its initiative, as well as its subtle criticisms of Weinstein and his MRFF:  Read more

US Soldier Calls Training “Propaganda Against Islam”

SPC Zachari Klawonn, who has previously voiced vague complaints of mistreatment in the military because of his Islamic faith, recently gave an interview to the Arabic language channel of al Jazeera.  The segment was reportedly titled “The Right In America Declared War On Islam Inside and Outside America.”  In the interview, Klawonn has nothing positive to say about the US military — even as he wore the uniform on-screen:

Interviewer: …How can you be talking about suffering when the military establishment claims that it is the most open toward minorities toward women, and toward all those who suffer in society in general?

Zachari Klawonn: …The reality is that there is a sense of Islamophobia and there is a big misunderstanding of the Islamic faith and that contributes to people’s negative notions coming into the military.  Also the training we get and the information we are subject to constitutes propaganda against Islam.

He also demurred, again, when asked to specify how he had been mistreated:

Interviewer: …Can you give us some examples of the harassment you are talking about, which you experienced personally?

Zachari Klawonn: Sure, I received numerous disrespectful comments and even harassment to my personal property from an array of soldiers, even in some instances from the command itself.

Interestingly, according to CNSNews, Klawonn “informed” his commander Read more

US Military Participates in Muslim Celebrations

An official Army press release notes that senior members of the American military participated in Islamic Iftars in Iraq, sharing meals that broke the Ramadan fast with Iraqi locals and military servicemembers.  Leaders described the meals as an opportunity to display unity, understanding, and respect for Islam:

LtCol Mark Olds, the planner for one of the Iftars on Basra, said the dinners were an opportunity for US forces to show their unity with Iraq.

“We wanted to show our understanding and respect of Muslim traditions and practices by hosting an Iftar dinner for our Iraqi partners Read more

US Military Chaplains Minister, Mentor in Africa

Illinois National Guard Chaplains are reportedly part of deployment MEDFLAG 10, a “joint medical exercise aimed at providing humanitarian assistance to the local people” in the African Congo.

While the Chaplains serve their own units, they also have the opportunity to liaise for strategic impact:

In addition to supporting U.S. service members, the ministry team is engaging with chaplains of the armed forces of Congo.

“Our Congolese counterparts showed special interests in discussing areas of trauma, family care and post-traumatic stress,” said Krumrei.

The Illinois National Guard ministry team is conducting a three-day workshop with FARDC chaplains, aiming to bring peace within the country and to the people, said Krumrei.

Religious Faiths Coexist in US Military

In an apparent effort to thwart conspiracy theorists, the US military has occasionally taken to publicizing what is obvious to the casual observer within the military.  Over the past few years, for example, the military has posted a variety of news articles noting servicemembers of all faiths and no faith have the protected ability to exercise their ideologies even while serving.

Just this week, the Navy published an awkwardly-titled but sincerely-written piece from the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, “Members of Differing Faiths Peacefully Coexist on Navy Aircraft Carrier.”  Obviously, members of different faiths peacefully coexist throughout the military, though some might allege otherwise without substantiation.  The article offers a concise and fairly comprehensive coverage of the efforts by the US military to appropriately ensure the religious rights of its members:  Read more

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