Tag Archives: Religion

al Jazeera Revisits US Military and Christianity

Near the end of June, al Jazeera aired a program called “Fault Lines” that again brought up the issue of religion in the US military (see prior discussion).  The episode was hosted by Josh Rushing, a former US Marine turned al Jazeera reporter.

The “Fault Lines” program can be viewed as Part I and Part II. The program begins with a pan out from a US church with Rushing saying

Many on the Christian right describe the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, well, in similar terms as the Taliban and al Qaeda: as spiritual wars of the highest magnitude.

The prejudicial statement, which describes a minority view as if it was a commonly accepted American perspective, Read more

Book Review: Never Surrender

LtGen Jerry Boykin
Faith Words, 2008.
Topic: Military/Christian Experience

Never Surrender is the memoir of Lt Gen (Ret) William G. “Jerry” Boykin, a name familiar to many even outside of military circles. It documents his military career and much of his personal life, in his “journey to the crossroads of faith and freedom.”

In a career that spanned more than three decades, General Boykin was predominantly a member of Special Operations units, including being one of the initial cadre (and ultimately a commander) of the Army’s elite Delta Force. He was involved in virtually every combat action since the early 1980s, from the aborted rescue attempt of the Americans held hostage in Iran to the hunting of war criminals in the Balkans.

According to the book, Read more

Liberty Counsel Files Complaint with Navy

According to their press release, the Liberty Counsel has asked the US Navy to reverse a decision in which “religious speech” had to be removed from a “Navy for Moms” website.  In addition, according to the Liberty Counsel,

Navy for Moms community guidelines were also recently revised to prohibit the posting of religious discussions except for prayers offered for sailors.

These kinds of restrictions on private speakers using a government-sponsored forum are not required in order to avoid a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Read more

Christian Military Leaders Targeted, Intimidated

Michael Weinstein and his Military Religious Freedom Foundation have routinely called for court martial, punishment, and have even implied harm against military members publicly associated with expressions of religious thought.  Weinstein has reserved particular vitriol for senior officers, including the Chief Chaplains of both the Army and Air Force, the Secretary of the Army, the members (and Chairman) of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, military academy leadership, and others.  His intent appears to be to silence or exclude Christians by changing military policy and public opinion where he can, and intimidation using public excoriation where he cannot.

It is likely that the MRFF’s criticisms of military leadership will continue.  They have already leveled criticism at the Obama administration’s selection for the new Secretary of the Army, New York Republican Congressman John McHugh.

Michael Weinstein called McHugh “suboptimal” Read more

UPT Planes Grounded

Many logistics functions, like support, aircraft maintenance, and administration used to be largely conducted by enlisted Airmen.  As a result of budget decreases and manning decisions, however, much of these jobs are now done by civilian contractors.  This adds some complexity to the issue of conducting military operations, as when a labor strike recently grounded the fleet at Vance Air Force Base.  (Operations are still suspended at the base.)

The Air Force isn’t even a party to the labor conflict, as the dispute is between two external organizations.  Still, it is the victim of the work stoppage.

The base even had to bring in augmentees from other bases just to man basic life-saving functions like the Fire Department.  Officially, however, the Air Force remains “neutral” in the labor dispute.

Soldier Shot for Religious, Political Reasons

Abdulhakim Muhammad, an American Muslim convert who fired an automatic weapon into a US Army recruiting center in Arkansas, has said that he did so because of the US military’s past actions against Muslims.  His barrage killed one soldier and wounded another. 

Muhammad, whose original name was Carlos Bledsoe, said his actions were

for the sake of God, for the sake of Allah, the Lord of all the world, and also a retaliation on US military.

According to the news report, Muhammad Read more

US Military Chaplain Distributes “Bibles” to Iraqis

US military Chaplains serve all.  They serve regardless of faith or lack thereof.  They provide counsel and reassurance independent of affiliation.  While staying true to their own religious tenets, they aggressively support all personnel with whatever they require to meet their spiritual and religious needs.

That’s why it is not surprising that a US military Chaplain recently handed out religious texts to local Iraqis. Read more

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