USAF Enlisted POW Cites Need for Faith
In a interesting case of coincidental timing, at the same time Michael “Mikey” Weinstein was demanding the removal of Bibles from POW/MIA displays — Bibles that represented “the strength gained through faith” in captivity — the longest-held enlisted POW, retired Capt. William A. Robinson, was telling Airmen at Lackland AFB about the faith he needed to survive [emphasis added]:
“I had faith in myself, faith in those around me, faith in my country and faith in my God,” said Robinson.
Capt Robinson’s story was mentioned here in 2013 — the first time a POW/MIA table was attacked. (Notably, the IG and EO office defended the table then, and the story died.) Of course, it isn’t just him. Retired USAF Col Fred Cherry said the same thing, as have many other POWs.
Faith in God helped them survive, and it helped them return with honor.
That’s why it is fitting that POW/MIA displays, which have symbols representing many aspects of separation and captivity, generally include a Bible.
This isn’t to say these former POWs would ‘demand’ a Bible on a POW/MIA table — no one else is making that demand, either. But it seems fair to say that these former POWs — in whose memory the table is set — did gain “strength through faith” and would appreciate the symbolic setting of the table, including the Bible.
That’s not enough for Mikey Weinstein, whose hatred for Christianity is so strong that he called a Bible on a table “illicit” and
a pernicious example of unconstitutional, fundamentalist Christian primacy, supremacy, exceptionalism and triumphalism.
And why is a Bible such an affront to Weinstein? Well, because Jesus.
Since Weinstein likes to cite numbers, it is notable that he has a few “clients” — one, in one case — who were offended by the Bibles, none of whom was a POW/MIA. By contrast, the ACLJ reported more than 120,000 signatures on their opposing petition defending the Bible.
Notably, Mikey Weinstein would probably say Gen Robbie Risner “spiritually raped” his fellow POWs, as he went so far as to order them to pray and attend church services. Because that’s the kind of classy guy Weinstein is.
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OK, so “faith in God” works for some. How exactly does that correlate to a New Testament Bible and Christian faith exclusively being the “God” in that equation?
Does this mean you support other religious texts on a POW table since they provide faith in God(s) or other dieties?
All you’ve shown is an airman’s statement of opinion you need faith in God.
Whose God? The oldest religion in the world, Hinduism has several to choose from. They’ve also got 1B followers. Does that make them more or less right than the 1B Catholics? Or the 1B Muslims?
You may be able to have some opinion that faith matters, but don’t be so arrogant and egotistical to lay claim to which one.
@jordan ray
For the record, the ceremonial script refers to a “Bible,” which contains both the Old and New Testaments.
That said, as the scripts stated, it is a religious text that is symbolic — just as every other element on the table is. Given that the vast majority of Americans and servicemembers would say they align themselves with some version of Christianity, it seems a reasonable symbol. Not only have no Hindu or Muslim POW/MIAs publicly complained, but they’d also probably be loathe to dishonor their comrades through such pettiness.
You, apparently, were not.
Interesting that you’re so quick to claim someone is “arrogant and egotistical,” when you’re the only one in this conversation that has actually managed to force their views on anyone else (thanks to a willing VA). No one else did anything.
Your righteous indignation is aimed in the wrong direction.
Jordan Ray,
It is not an opinion about faith. It is a indisputable fact! Apart from Christ, all you are left with is absurdity. You need to realize that the ones that love you the most, will tell you the most truth. Repent of your sins and believe in Christ. He is your only hope, and I love you enough to tell you this truth.
In Christ,
I would also agree that the Bible represents a religious text that is symbolic of ALL religious beliefs, not just Christianity. I have even seen service members of Muslim faith “touch” the Bible in respect to that end.
In my 37+ years of Military and Government service I’ve NEVER heard of anyone going bonkers over a Bible on the POW/MIA table…NEVER!
I will have to disagree that there are no indisputable facts regarding religious beliefs, after-all, that is your personal opinion and another subject altogether.
Muslims do consider the Bible a holy text, as well as the Torah. That’s why Muslims refer to all Abrahamic religions as “people of the Book.”
The Quran was supposed to “fix” what was “corrupted” by Christianity (which was supposed to “fix” the Torah), which is part of the reason there are a lot of half-stories in the Quran for which you have to go to the Bible to get the rest of the details.