Publisher of Banned Poster Decries Attacks on Religious Freedom

Grant DiCianni is the son of Ron DiCianni, the artist responsible for the “Peacemaker” poster Michael Weinstein so infamously “forced” the Air Force to remove from a Mountain Home AFB dining hall.  He also represents the production company for the print. He previously released a statement decrying the Pentagon’s censorship of both the poster and the virtue it represented.  Yesterday, he published another piece in the Christian Post and had these choice words:

I have discovered that, and I say this in trepidation, those tasked to stand up to dictators and rogue nations can’t even stand up to one anti-Christian bully here at home… Read more

FFRF Objects to Ohio Holocaust Memorial Design

Update:  The memorial was approved, though some expect a lawsuit.  It seems some in the atheist community are hesitant to criticize the memorial out of fear of being accused of insensitivity or anti-Semitism (a hesitation not seen when the issue is a cross, rather than a Star of David).  A commenter on another site had a fairly objective observation:

When symbols are used to represent historical/cultural events, the fact they are religious should not be a sole justification for not using them — only when the intent of the symbol is to promote a religious viewpoint do they become a problem.

In fact, to tell Jewish Holocaust survivors that they cannot be represented by on the most import icons of their internment and murder would be a terrible insult…Jews were forced to wear a Star of David on their exterior clothing to mark them for abuse by the Nazis…

The next logical question, then, is whether a cross can adorn a memorial if its purpose is “not to promote a religious viewpoint.”

Also at Foxnews.

Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, the husband and wife team that make up The Freedom From Religion Foundation, have called on their supporters to fill the gallery in the Ohio State Capitol today as a meeting is held on a proposed holocaust memorial.

The FFRF’s objection?  The Holocaust memorial contains a large Star of David, which raises “constitutional concerns.”

Despite the FFRF’s apparent revisionist thinking, Read more

Air Force Officer: Save Money by Ending Chaplaincy

An Air Force pilot blogging at PickYourBattles.net recently suggested ending the military chaplaincy would be a “win” for both recent budget issues and the Constitution:

With all the talk of cutting warfighters yet again, and remarks about being creative in solving the budget issues, I find it interesting that there has been no discussion of cutting the chaplain corps in its entirety.

He gives four reasons for his suggestion:

First, their existence is a violation of our Constitution [specifically] Article VI (the same article that requires military officers to swear to support the Constitution)…

Second, the nation has become more secular Read more

Michael Weinstein Sees New Christian Conspiracy in Old Regulation

In a little noted message in April, the US Marine Corps quietly tweaked their uniform policies.  One of the changes dealt with the wear of religious items.

According to the Marine Times,

According to the changes announced in Marine administrative message 207/13, signed April 17, Marines may now wear:

– Articles of religious apparel that are not visible or apparent when worn with the uniform.
– Visible articles of religious apparel with the uniform while attending or conducting religious services or while in a chapel or other house of worship.
– Visible articles of religious apparel with the uniform, but only with special approval.

The Marine Times staff writer, James Sanborn, was in awe Read more

Army Chaplain Changing of the Stole

The head of the South Carolina Army National Guard Chaplain corps transferred from Chaplain (Col) Steven Shugart to Chaplain (Col) Lawrence Dennis is a traditional “changing of the stole” ceremony:

The stole signifies the faithful execution of the spiritual mission of the Chaplain Corps…

Maj. Gen. Robert E. Livingston Jr., the adjutant general for South Carolina…called Shugart a “warrior’s chaplain.”

Both the outgoing and incoming lead State Chaplains had Read more

Catholics Support Military Religious Freedom Coalition

Archbishop for the Military Services, Rev. Timothy Broglio, announced his support of the recent coalition advocating for religious freedom in the US military:

The Archdiocese congratulates the Family Research Council and all the members of the Restore Military Religious Freedom Coalition on their announcement of the formation of the coalition.  The Archdiocese looks forward to working closely as an ally as all seek to ensure the continued protection of the 1st Amendment Rights of Free Speech and the Free Exercise of Religion of the men and women of the United States Military.  No one who raises a right hand to defend the Constitution should sacrifice one of its fundamental principles!

“Likewise, the Archdiocese applauds the work of Doctor Fleming and all those Members of Congress who continue to work so diligently to ensure the 1st Amendment Rights of Free Speech and Free Exercise of Religion of the men and women of the United States Military.”

This is particularly notable because the coalition Read more

Congressman Explains Military Religious Freedom Bill

On FoxNews (video), US Rep John Fleming (R-La) said the NDAA clause the House passed and the Senate cleared through the Armed Services committee says that:

…military members are fully entitled to express their faith, as long as it is within certain confines, which would be military readiness, good order and discipline, military necessity, and of course without any coercion to others, and for some reason, the [Obama] administration has been against that.

That’s what Michael Weinstein calls a “nasty amendment” that is a “license to kill?”  On its face, it is a preeminent and explicit Read more

Hasan: The Challenges of Finding a Clueless Jury

As jury selection continues in the Fort Hood massacre case, a potential juror seemed to express disbelief when the prosecutor asked him if he “had formed an opinion on whether Hasan is guilty.”

“He sits here in a wheelchair because of wounds he sustained on that particular day,” the colonel said. “In terms of 13 victims and who the shooter was, I have an opinion that Maj. Hasan was the individual who pulled the trigger.”

Given that the Judge keeps having to remind US Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan not to refer to himself as “the shooter,” that might be a hard opinion to avoid.

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