Tag Archives: Religion

Navy Chaplain Delivers Presidential Sermons

The Washington Post revisits the background of Navy Chaplain (Lt Cdr) Carey Cash, the Chaplain for the Evergreen Chapel on Camp David, the Presidential retreat.  Previously, Time momentarily called the Chapel the Obama’s “home church,” which lit off a firestorm of controversy and denials.  The current article takes the more cryptic form in describing the situation as “The Pastor Who Has Obama’s Attention.”

Much of the article describes Cash’s background, including his time in combat in Iraq and his book, A Table in the Presence.  It includes a short description of what the author calls “Cash’s controversial views on Christian proselytizing Read more

Chaplain Honored for Serving All

Chaplain (Maj.) Bradley West, a US Army Chaplain, was presented with the Gen. Methodej Kuban Medal by Chaplain Mirek Jordanek, Chaplain for the Czech unit stationed at Forward Operating Base Shank in Afghanistan.

The award was named for a Czechoslovakian Catholic chaplain killed in Auschwitz in World War II, who encouraged believers of all denominations to worship together.

As has been noted many times before, there is a shortage of Catholic Chaplains in the Armed Forces.  Chaplain West, a Protestant, was fulfilling his duties to see to the spiritual needs of all of his troops when he Read more

US Soldiers Practice Faith, Free Exercise

Nearly 100 American Muslim soldiers gathered at Fort Jackson to pray as a group to mark Eid al Fitr, celebrating the end of Ramadan.  The call to prayer was led by Chaplain (Lt Col) Abdul-Rasheed Muhammad of the US Army Chaplain Center and School.  The Chaplain lauded the soldiers’ participation, saying

We want (the Soldiers) to be empowered through the spiritual foundation that Islam provides.

When members of the military fail in their respect and protection of religious liberty, Read more

MAF Responds to Indonesian Earthquake

Missionary Aviation Fellowship, a Christian aviation and missions organization, has already begun to assist in the humanitarian crisis following the magnitude 7.6 earthquake in Indonesia.  The MAF has had aircraft and a small team in the country since the tsunami in 2004, and has already been supporting local governments in response to the crisis.  Their assistance is in demand, with

the phone…ringing off the hook with requests from the Red Cross and others

The MAF has requested prayer support, and financial donations to support the humanitarian relief can be made through their website.

Chaplain Serves in Dirty Jobs

An Air Force Chaplain in Iraq has drawn the attention of his fellow servicemembers for his willingness to struggle, strain, and sweat right alongside them.

In the Air Force news release (“Chaplain Veers From Straight, Narrow Care”), Chaplain (Capt.) Chad Montgomery has worked under Humvees, helped mix cement with civil engineers, and has even been the “criminal” attack dummy for military working dogs.

He notes that some people (both in and out of the military) may have the wrong perception about what a Chaplain does: 

“I don’t think people realize or know what your job is unless they do it,” the chaplain said. “I think people just think chaplains play with flannel graphs or something, just tell Sunday school stories.  Read more

Weinstein Sues Chaplain over Prayers

According to a court filing, Michael Weinstein, president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, and his wife Bonnie are suing Jim Ammerman and Gordon James Klingenschmitt.  Ammerman is the head of the Chaplaincy of Full Gospel Churches, which is also named in the suit.  The CFGC was one of Klingenschmitt’s endorsing agencies.  Klingenschmitt is a former US Navy Chaplain who was court-martialed and discharged after he disobeyed orders not to appear in uniform at a protest event.

Weinstein filed the suit due to the allegedly threatening remarks from the defendants.  The accusations against Ammerman in the lawsuit are somewhat vague:

[Ammerman] made speeches and statements attacking Mikey and his family and containing virulent anti-Semitic comments.  He described Mikey as a madman…and said other hurtful and despicable things.

Weinstein seems to say that Ammerman’s comments were offensive, but does not say that they were threatening.  In response to Ammerman’s speeches, Weinstein said he was “undeterred.”  His main concern was that Klingenschmitt was “Ammerman’s…henchman.”

Klingenschmitt publicized an “imprecatory prayer” quoting the Psalms asking God to, among other things, make Weinstein’s “days be few:” Read more

Fighter Pilot Divorce Rate Lower than Average

In an apparent reversal of popular stereotype, the Air Force Times analysis of Air Force marriage statistics claims that fighter pilots actually have a divorce rate lower than the rest of the force:

Airmen in career fields with the highest deployment tempos don’t get divorced more than those who spend most of their time at home station. Fighter jocks, supposed playboys, actually get divorced less than the force as a whole.

Read more

1 … 343 344 345 346 347 … 378