Tag Archives: Religion

National Day of Prayer: May 1st, 2008

From the Presidential Proclamation,

Americans of many different faiths share the profound conviction that God listens to the voice of His children and pours His grace upon those who seek Him in prayer…I ask the citizens of our Nation to give thanks, each according to his or her own faith, for the freedoms and blessings we have received and for God’s continued guidance, comfort, and protection.

A background on the tradition can be seen here.

Some have complained that the National Day of Prayer has been “hijacked” by the “religious right.”  This perception is probably due to the fact that Christians have been the most enthusiastic about supporting the observance.  As explicitly stated by the National Day of Prayer “task force,” each American is free to observe the NDP as they desire, or not at all.  Though they are expressing this “tolerant” view, some participants of the alternative “inclusive” NDP plan to picket the observances coordinated by the NDP task force.

According to the Dallas Morning News, Air Force Deputy Chief of Chaplains Brigadier General Cecil R. Richardson will speak to a Dallas-area observance of the NDP on “Prayer as Our Tradition.”   As with all military associated events, “persons of all faiths, cultures and generations are encouraged to attend.”  General Richardson has been selected to become the next Air Force Chief of Chaplains.

Congressional Call for Chaplain Investigation

As noted on the Charlotte Observer, Rep. Sue Myrick (R-NC) has called for a

government investigation of all US military chaplains who were approved by Abdurahman Alamoudi.

All military Chaplains are required to have an endorsement by an ecclesiastical body.  Alamoudi formed the American Muslim Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs Council, which provided such an endorsement for Muslim Chaplain candidates.

Alamoudi is now serving 23 years in jail on terrorism related charges, after having been involved financially with Libya and with an assassination plot on Saudi Prince Abdullah.

Though Myrick has been criticized for her statement, it is noteworthy that Rep. Charles Schumer (D-NY) voiced the same concerns over 5 years ago.

Depending on the source, there appear to be approximately a dozen Muslim Chaplains in the military.  Notably, one government web article in 2006 stated that there were more Muslim and Jewish Chaplains than there were Catholic per military observant.

Cadets Experience Religions

Last week, a few West Point cadets got a break from the daily grind and took a drive to Jersey City, where they visited a variety of religious organizations.   According to several news reports, the sights included Christian, Coptic, Hindu and Islamic religious facilities.  The cadets slept on the floor of the mosque in sleeping bags for two nights.

The trip was part of a “Winning the Peace” class, whose objective is to help the cadets understand that decisive armed combat is not necessarily solely responsible for “victory.”

The US Military Academy should be lauded for exposing young officers-to-be to the cultural elements (including religion) they will experience once commissioned.  The USMA cadets demonstrated mature, independent and critical thought, even when at least one of their speakers Read more

Weinstein Speaks, Cadets Listen…Impatiently

If ever Michael Weinstein needed proof that cadets could not be brainwashed by religious propaganda, it was his own presence at the Air Force Academy Wednesday afternoon that provided it.

Weinstein was invited to speak at the Academy after he complained about the speakers at February’s Academy Assembly, the topic of which was “Dismantling Terrorism.”

Unlike any of the previous speakers, however, Weinstein made no claim to have any authority on the ongoing war on terrorism.  Instead, Weinstein has made a name for himself, and the “foundation” he created, by repeatedly suing the US military for its alleged support of Christianity.  Weinstein’s Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), formed just a few years ago, has sued the Air Force Academy for Christian favoritism (the suit was dismissed), more recently sued the Secretary of Defense on behalf of a Kansas soldier (notably, after running ads seeking plaintiffs), and even threatened to add the Academy Assembly incident to his current lawsuit.

Weinstein did not even suggest he would offer a “balancing” perspective on Islam or global terrorism, which is what other advocacy groups had called for.  Instead, he said he wanted to “deprogram” the cadets from the content they heard in February.  While the point of the Academy Assembly was terrorism, Weinstein very evidently made Christianity the topic of his MRFF symposium. Read more

Chad Hennings Addresses Pentagon Airmen

According to AF.mil, Chad Hennings–an Air Force Academy graduate, former A-10 pilot, and former defensive lineman for the Dallas Cowboys–recently spoke to airmen at the Pentagon on the Air Force’s “Wingman Day.”

Hennings, now retired, has his own website and motivational speaking career.  While his faith doesn’t come across as a pivotal factor on his website, he is fairly well known for his Christianity.  He also founded Wingmen Ministries.

Weinstein to Speak at Academy

As previously noted, the Colorado Springs Gazette has reported that the Military Religious Freedom Foundation will present an “alternative view” on Islam and the War on Terror at the Air Force Academy on April 9th.

As one of the speakers, Weinstein has maintained that the military is overrun with fundamentalist Christians, who he recently referred to as

homophobic, misogenistic (sic), anti-Semitic and Islamophobic [with] a virulent desire to subordinate the Constitution … to…the weaponized gospel of Jesus Christ. (the Aspen Times).

To counter this, he plans to show portions of a soon-to-be-released documentary (in which he and his family play a role), which focuses on

Christian anti-Semitism as the model for all religious hatred, exposing the cross as a symbol of a long history of violence against Jews and Moslems.

Reza Aslan, another invitee, is also on the record sharing Weinstein’s beliefs.

The Academy forum is being held under the auspices of academic freedom.

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