Tag Archives: religious freedom

Mount Soledad Cross “UnConstitutional”

The long-running ACLU lawsuit against the Mount Soledad cross in San Diego reached another milestone at the 9th Circuit, with a three-judge panel ruling the cross is unConstitutional.

A war memorial cross in a San Diego public park is unconstitutional because it conveys a message of government endorsement of religion…The court said modifications could be made to make it constitutional, but it didn’t specify what those changes would be.

The 9th Circuit panel did not direct that the cross be torn down.  Instead, Read more

Senate Confirms Feldblum — ‘Sex Trumps Religion’

Before retiring for the holidays, the US Senate confirmed Obama appointee Chai Feldblum to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Feldblum is the person quoted in the longer version of the “Christian Military Perspective on DADT,” published at the Journal of Faith and War, saying

when religious liberty and sexual liberty conflict…I’m having a hard time coming up with any case in which religious liberty should win.  (The Weekly Standard, May 15, 2006).

Feldblum was a law professor at Georgetown University and Read more

Letter: DADT Repeal Creates “Propaganda” for al Qaeda, Taliban

A letter to the editor in a local Colorado Springs newspaper raised the spectre that open homosexuality in the US military might actually help America’s adversaries:

I can’t wait until the Taliban and Al Qaida use this [DADT repeal] law as a recruiting tool for hardcore Muslim insurgents in its proof just how infidel America is when its government endorses homosexuality by law.

Notwithstanding the rhetoric, he’s right.  Islamic extremists have cited America’s “moral depravity” as reason for attacking it.  Openly allowing Read more

Frontline Faith Project Gives Soldiers Comfort

The Frontline Faith Project, started by local Catholic parishioner Cheri Lamonte, is distributing mp3 players to American servicemembers with homilies, religious music, readings, and prayers:

Cheri Lomonte started the grassroots Frontline Faith effort last spring after learning that some servicemen and women can go months without having access to a military chaplain.

“The soldiers in the field … once they get it, they want their best friend to have it too…. And the feedback we are getting is: “I get to hear Mass every day” or ” I get to hear these prayers.”

Importantly, the CNN article notes the FFP is not Read more

Doug Wilson: Gay Advocates Asking the Wrong Question

Douglas Wilson, most well-known for his long-term debate and friendship with Christopher Hitchens, has a short post on the issue of homosexuality in the military.  He is yet another voice highlighting that many who supported repeal miss the point (perhaps intentionally) when they try to characterize those who oppose repeal.

The public discussion has thus far, in its sophomoric talking points way, addressed whether straight servicemen are willing to “serve alongside” their openly homosexual peers. This question would obviously include evangelical Christians. But this is not the question at all.

Anybody who has spent any time in the military knows that it is not a bastion of righteous behavior. If you join, you will serve alongside fornicators and drunks, and you will learn how to work together with them. Adding patriotic poofters to the mix is a non-issue, and barely worth discussing.

He’s absolutely correct.  There are certainly legitimate issues of sexuality in the military, but those discussions have been ongoing for decades — reference gender.  Therefore, it is not the central issue on this topic.

The issue is this. Homosexual Read more

Iowa Pastor Helps Soldiers Keep the Faith

A local news channel interviewed interviewed US Army Chaplain (Col) Lance Kittleson as he described his role as a spiritual support for Soldiers:

As a chaplain in the army, [Kittleson is] the senior pastor and administrator of a military congregation of more than 5,000 soldiers at bases all over Iraq.

“My job is to make sure the commander is informed on religious implications of his mission as well as provide direct support to our soldiers: Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, whatever they may be,” Col. Kittleson said.

He says faith is very important during a time of war.  Read more

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