Ranger Memorial Cross May Be Next Atheist Target

Jason Torpy, the former Army soldier and atheist vicariously offended when he saw the Camp Pendleton cross on the internet, may have another target.

As noted previously, crosses are used frequently in US military memorials around the world.  Torpy has already demanded that the Argonne Cross be removed from Arlington National Cemetery, and that the US Marine Corps remove locally raised crosses on Camp Pendleton — something he only knew about because he read a local (positive) news article.

Now, another memorial may face the same atheist anger.  Four US Army Ranger trainees lost their lives in a training incident nearly 20 years ago, and their fellow soldiers remember them:

On Feb. 16, 1995, four young men training to become a part of the elite military force died of hypothermia after a river rose rapidly and flooded a swamp they were training in during a mission.

A modest wooden cross marks the spot…

Photo credit: DEVON RAVINE \ Daily News

Rangers make an annual trek to the location:    Read more

Army Chaplain Spreads Faith in Kuwait

In the words of an official US Army news article, a military chaplain “spreads his faith” during his deployment to Kuwait:

When [Chaplain (1LT) David] Frommer is not directing services, the Yale University graduate with Third Army/ARCENT’s assistance has been able to administer religious support to Soldiers throughout Kuwait and Afghanistan, as well as have service members transported to Camp Arifjan for spiritual guidance.

Chaplain Frommer is described as the US Army’s first “cantor,” Read more

Airman’s Bible Controversy Continues

One of these Bibles has been declared a “national security threat.”  Can you guess which one?

The controversy over Michael Weinstein’s assertion that a Bible was a “national security threat” doesn’t seem to have abated even with their dwindling supply.  From the Air Force Times:

Air Force Sergeants Association CEO John “Doc” McCauslin said the Defense Department allows each service’s insignia to be Read more

USAFA Reports on Faculty Input to Palm Center DADT Report

Continuing the theme of publicizing the praises of DADT repeal, the US Air Force Academy noted some of its professors contributed to the Palm Center report — and they had nothing but good things to say.

Col. Gary Packard Jr., the Behavioral Sciences and Leadership Department head, and Dr. Steven Samuels, a professor in the same department, are two of four service academy instructors who contributed to the study, which found that repealing DADT had no effect Read more

Jason Torpy Praises, Criticizes Military’s Support for Atheists

Despite Chris Rodda’s claim that highlighting the US military’s support for all of its troops — including atheists — is somehow bad, Jason Torpy of the one-man Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers recently praised Fort Bragg for doing just that:

Ft Bragg chaplains showed openness to nontheists in allowing the [Niose] event at Watters Family Life Center on Ft Bragg. This is a positive step forward, showing openness from the chaplaincy and community-building by the local humanist community.

While it undermines the MRFF narrative that the US military is a coercive Christian complex, it remains true that the military supports all of its servicemembers, without regard to religious belief, to the extent the mission and resources allow.

Unfortunately, Torpy went beyond that topic and attempted Read more

Charitable Giving and the CFC: 2012

This is an updated version of the regular discussion of the Combined Federal Campaign.

Whether or not you believe in the concept of the exact tithe, charitable giving remains one of the basic tenets of Christian living. Besides “passing the plate” on Sunday, the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) is one of the more popular means through which members of the military have an opportunity to give.


Link

What is the CFC?

The CFC, which has been announced through a variety of official releases, is a government-sanctioned means of collecting charitable contributions from federal employees. It runs every year from September to December (CFC-Overseas runs a slightly different schedule), during which volunteer representatives make “100% contact” with their fellow employees to inform them of the charitable giving campaign. Military members (and other government employees) are given the opportunity to make one-time contributions or give monthly deductions from their paychecks to any of thousands of approved charities.

Why should a Christian use the CFC?  Read more

Buddhist Shrine to be Removed from National Park

Local Albuquerque papers noted that a Buddhist stupa was going to be removed from New Mexico’s Petroglyph National Monument because it was unconstitutional:

The National Park Service said Monday that park service will remove the ten-foot structure containing Buddhist relics from the park this week after getting an opinion from the Department of Interior’s solicitor general. The solicitor general ruled last month that keeping the Buddhist stupa violates the Constitution on established religion.

The story of the stupa is somewhat complex, as the NPS “bought” the stupa when it gained possession of the land from the original owners (after a legal battle) in the 1990s.  The Park Service didn’t raise the monument, nor does it Read more

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