Chaplains, Shinto Priests Bless Air Force Fire Trucks
In an interesting “multicultural blessing,” local Japanese Shinto priests and an Air Force wing chaplain conducted a “dedication and blessing ceremony” for a new fire truck at Yokota Air Base, Japan:
The rituals featured a formal reading of prayer and a food and drink offering to the Shinto gods…
After the Shinto priests’ ritual, Maj. Oscar Fonseca, 374th Airlift Wing chaplain, offered up prayers for the fire engine.
The Mission Support Group commander “offer[ed] prayers” during the Shinto blessing:
The Airmen’s views on the mixed-blessings were interesting. From the chaplain:
“I believe that the dual blessing here today is a sign that we are all one big family,” Fonseca said.
From one of the Airmen fire fighters:
“I feel that any blessing that you receive, regardless of religion, is a good thing,” Smith said.
For entertainment and cultural exposure, the ceremony was interesting. From a theological perspective, though, the chaplain isn’t correct in saying “we are all one big family.” And it is disappointing to see an Airman say ‘any blessing will do.’ There are stories and urban legends of people who try to claim bits of every religion — on the off chance that one of them might be the magic pill to do the job.
God isn’t a security blanket, get out of jail free card, nor a magic omen. There is only One Way — and few there be that find it.
Repeated at the Stars and Stripes.
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If anyone believes that “any blessing that you receive, regardless of religion, is a good thing,” I am curious to know, “By what authority do you base this upon?” The Bible has over 1, 189 chapters, 31,000 versus, and 774,000 words, and no where does God’s Word affirm this nonsense.
Jesus is not your flu-shot, genie in the lamp, or your fairy god-mother, He is your Lord. Treat him that way and not according to your delirious imaginations or childish conceits!
Read your Bible chaplain and stop listening to Satan. #RepentChaplain
Wow…I’m shocked at this response. We want other countries to respect our religious beliefs but we don’t respect theirs?
To say this Chaplain is listening to satan is ridiculous.
And its no wonder why we have so many problems in the world, sad, really sad.
Sir/Ma’am, maybe if you stop worrying about what others think about us and start worrying more about what God thinks about us, then you will understand why we have so many problems in the world.
First, when a chaplain wears a cross, they are representing Christ. If someone is going to represent Christ, then His word must be the standard to measure their conduct. My point in the article post, is to explain that it is fallacious for the chaplain to say that “we are all one big family” in blessing a fire truck with a Shinto Priest. Does this chaplain not realize how many gods a Shinto Priest affirms? Obviously not. If he would have, maybe the young Airman could have been advised that any blessing that you receive, regardless of religion, “is not a good thing.” The Lord is a jealous God who demands that we ascribe to Him the glory due to His Name and not to anyone else.
Second, if you read Genesis 3, you will see that the Devil, in the manifestation of a serpent, elevated himself above God’s Word. When any minister adds or subtracts to God’s Word, they are doing the same. Either a chaplain is a mouthpiece for God or for the Devil.
Finally, when you say, “We want other countries to respect our religious beliefs,” what do you mean? There is only one belief that matters which is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. All others are fiction, and carnal imaginations. Do you not realize that even the most vilest and God hating people that are at enmity against God will one day confess Him as Lord, regardless if they are saved (born again) or they are propelled straight to hell (Phil 2:9-11). This is why we have to lovingly speak the truth. The Gospel must be preached by letting the nations know, “Repent and believe in the Gospel” (Mark 1:14-15). True love warns….
Well, #BibleBelievingPreacher, the world is not all about us good sir. I know of no empirical evidence to say what deity is higher-up on the food-chain than another, and apparently that preacher’s true faith in what he believes to be true in my opinion is very honorable.
What a deity may think of us in the long term will be up to that deity to decide, not us. When I meet a deity I will be delighted to share my life experiences on earth, good or bad, and move on.
I feel sorry for you in many ways, your closed-mind is not becoming a person of faith at all.
Dear Sir or Ma’am, your statements are dishonest. You are aware of a deity that is elevated above all. Unfortunately, you love your sin which is why you suppress the truth. God has given us His Word but you don’t read it because you have elevated yourself above God which is the same thing the Devil did (Gen 3).
By what standard do you define “true faith?” Faith is a gift of God. Christ voluntarily sacrificed Himself to the pangs of hell (which we deserve), and he was perfectly obedient to His Father (something we could never do). God then crushed His son with the full weight of His justice (Isaiah 53). Because of this, God can declare a person just because Christ imputed His righteousness to the person who comes to Him by faith, which is a “gift of God not of works” (Eph 2:8-10).
Do you really believe that true faith is accepting all religions and calling it one big happy family? Ask yourself two questions: Have you ever lied? Have you ever made a mistake? I am certain you will say yes to both of these questions, as everyone will (because the Bible affirms this), which is why you need to stop being wise in your own eyes. If you do not embrace the Scripture (God’s Word), then everything you propagate will only prove how absurd your argument really is.
In closing, when you meet your deity, please do not romance your aberrant beliefs that you will share your life experiences and move on. I love you enough to tell you that you must repent and believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ alone, or else you will one day stand before God naked and He will judge you with hell. On that day, you cannot say that you were not warned. Hell is a place where you will have an eternity to realize how wrong you were.
Repent and believe in the Gospel.
Respectfully,
p.s., you are right about one thing. The world is not about us. Soli Deo Gloria
JD, first thank you for allowing the dialogue between me and #BibleBelievingPreacher, my last comment…promise!
BBP – Thank you for your frank information, I, truly delighted you are enlightened by your deity. (Yes, I’m being serious). I’m also not being dishonest because I told you what I wanted you to know. I know nothing of a deity, nor do I want to. I know nothing of a hell, nor do I want to. I believe (educated) that everything will work out one way or another. But, I’m no fool, humans can be cruel and hateful.
When I was a child my mom took me to the churches she played the organ and/or sang in the choir. I went because she wanted me to keep her company and I enjoyed singing in the choir too. I was not asked to be or do anything special, nor did I want to. We listened to the preacher(s)–mostly, read the bible and everything else you do at church. I wasn’t enlightened by any of it then, or now, nor do I want to be.
My “aberrant” belief’s, wise or not, are mine and I have a very clear conscience. If there is an almighty deity (as you believe) then it’s possible that I’ma burning; it is what it may be. Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays…I’m cool with either one.
I commend the Christ-like patience and kindheartedness of watchtower.
And I thank BBP for showing us the inner workings of the mind of a Christian. Or to be fair, some Christians. [Hard to tell if this is real or a parody – like this: http://www.landoverbaptist.org/%5D