Independence Day, 2013

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…”

“We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions…”

“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence…”

Read the Declaration of Independence at the Archives.gov site.

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Buddhist Chaplain to Open Army Meditation Center

Chaplain (Capt) Thomas Dyer, the US Army’s Baptist-preacher-turned-Buddhist-Chaplain is opening a meditation center in Afghanistan.

The Bagram Dharma Center in Afghanistan will be classified as a “faith-based resiliency center,” and it gives [Chaplain] Capt. Thomas Dyer…a better way to connect his Eastern beliefs, Southern roots and Middle Eastern deployment.

The article goes on to describe what it will be:  Read more

DoD Articles Highlight Military Oath, Sort of

A half-dozen US Marine Corps press releases (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) recently highlighted a group promotion ceremony in which these Marines “reaffirm[ed]” their oaths before they deployed.  All of the articles were identical except for the person, which is common for “hometown news releases,” or articles written primarily for use by local newspapers in a servicemember’s hometown.

What made the framing text interesting was its repetition of the oath of office…or, at least, most of it [ellipsis original]:  Read more

Fort Rucker Hosts Vacation Bible School

US military chapels provide a wide variety of spiritual support for troops and their families, and the traditional summer Vacation Bible School is one important part of that.  Fort Rucker’s program this year included a full-scale Wilderness Tabernacle:

The tabernacle takes the things that you and I might read in the Bible and brings them to life,” said Spiers. “What we do with the children, since there is an old-testament basis and message with the tabernacle, is bring the symbolism of the old into the new-testament because it’s Read more

Airman Reprimanded for Calling on Mikey Weinstein

An Air Force Airman claims he received verbal reprimands after he was dissatisfied with the Air Force’s response and complained to Michael “Mikey” Weinstein in 2010:

I met with the Cadet Wing Chaplain here at the time and the incident was forwarded up the chain-of-command. After over two weeks of nothing being said to anyone…I decided to bring this to MRFF’s attention. Mikey and MRFF were all over it and came down hard on USAFA.

I received verbal reprimands from Read more

Chaplains Support Guard Supporting Community

When the Guard deploys to support a disaster area, US military chaplains deploy to support them.  Yes, there are often churches or pastors in the area, but the chaplains are focused on the military men and women, and are uniquely trained and experienced to help them accomp lish their mission:

“As chaplains we work as a ministry of presence” said Chaplain (Capt.) Jeremy Dunn…“Right now we are filled with a sense of purpose: to help those both physically drained and spiritually shaken.”

No matter where US troops go, their spiritual support, and Read more

Hasan Jury Can Hear About Unborn Child

Update: Judge Col Osborn denied Hasan’s request for yet another delay, during which he was considering hiring an attorney after having asked to represent himself.

Military judge Col Tara Osborn said the jury can hear about the cries of a pregnant Soldier who was killed during the Fort Hood massacre:

A military judge says witness testimony about a dying pregnant soldier’s cries of “My baby! My baby!” will be allowed during the murder trial of the Army psychiatrist charged in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting rampage.

That’s particularly interesting because the Army chose not to file a murder charge for the unborn child, even though the UCMJ permits it.  The child would have nearly been four years old by now.

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Liberty U: Michael Weinstein Calls Christian Aviation Education “Horrifying”

Michael Weinstein — a self-described advocate of religious freedom — apparently has no limits to his disdain for Christianity.

Sojourners Magazine recently published an article on Liberty University’s School of Aeronautics — more specifically, their concentration in Unmanned Aerial Systems.  Provocatively titled “Drones for Christ,” author David Swanson sets out to describe

How Jerry Falwell’s Liberty U.—the world’s largest Christian university—became an evangelist for drone warfare.

Problem is, Swanson doesn’t succeed in his telling, because Liberty doesn’t Read more

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