Military Atheists, Michael Weinstein Attack Religious Beliefs. Again.

How many data points does it take to prove a trend?

Michael Weinstein has, yet again, shown that his “religious freedom” organization is concerned primarily with encouraging the government to restrict religious freedom based on the content of peoples’ religious beliefs in relation to the US military:

American Atheists Inc., the Freedom from Religion Foundation and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, in an Aug. 6 letter to Mabus and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert, argued the Marine Corps base has denied them equal treatment by first stalling and then denying their requests for access…

“We are disturbed that the government is giving such extensive support, including assets, resources and personnel, to a single sect of Christianity,” the three groups wrote in their letter to Mabus. “Even more troubling is the ‘doomsday’ nature of the CCCM. … The last thing Camp Pendleton needs is a large group of well-armed Marines convinced of an imminent doomsday crisis.”

Notice the groups give lip service to the issue of “governmental preference,” but they focus on the content of the religious beliefs.  Those beliefs aren’t just crazy — because crazy is still permissible — the critics claim the beliefs are dangerous.

That’s been a common theme of Weinstein’s for years — with every Read more

General Welsh becomes 20th Chief of Staff of the Air Force

General Mark Welsh became the 20th Chief of Staff of the Air Force last week.

While he is an immensely popular General already, the video and photos of the ceremony in which he became the chief have inspired a slew of responses with one question more indicative of a high school prom than a military event:

What in the world was the General wearing?

It is reminiscent of the Hap Arnold uniform designed a few years ago — which was shelved.  The odd uniform had some commenters nervous that (yet another) Air Force uniform change was on its way, but, to this point, that does not appear to be the case.  If that’s the first “issue” the new Chief has, it can’t be that bad…

American Atheists Belittle US Declaration of Independence

There’s a word to describe being so irrationally in opposition to something you fail to see even the obviously noble or good.

The activist organization American Atheists stepped in it recently when they took to Facebook to defend their newest billboards that mock the religious beliefs of the presidential candidates:

We think the future of the United States is serious business, and its leadership should not be based upon the influences of religion in our political system. Take Rep. Paul Ryan’s comments, for example. Ryan stated, “Our rights come from nature and god, NOT from government.” Is this the type of leadership we need in our country?

American Atheists were so quick to demean Rep Paul Ryan, a conservative Catholic, that they didn’t bother to recognize he was paraphrasing the US Declaration of Independence. American Atheists ended up denigrating precisely the “type of leadership” that founded the Read more

Marilyn Monroe and the General

[Marilyn] Monroe was famous for her quips and sexual innuendos. When asked what three men she’d like to be trapped on a deserted island with, she responded Joe DiMaggio, Albert Einstein and Hoyt Vandenberg – her husband, the scientist and the Air Force general respectively.

Now that’s not something you hear everyday, and from an article written by a wing commander, no less.  General Vandenberg was a US Military Academy graduate and the second Chief of Staff of the Air Force.  Vandenberg Hall (or “Vandy”), one of the residence halls/dormitories at the US Air Force Academy, is named after him, as is Vandenberg AFB in California.  It seems Marilyn Monroe had a thing for him.

Muslim Soldier Sentenced to Life in Prison

US Army PFC Naser Abdo has been sentenced to more than two life terms (with no possibility of parole) by a federal court for his plan to kill fellow Soldiers in the cause of “jihad.”  Abdo “remained defiant” even during his sentencing:

“I will continue until the day the dead are called to account for their deeds,” Abdo said in a low, gravelly voice through the cloth mask.

He was reportedly wearing the mask because he had been spitting Read more

Clinton: Religious Liberty is Falling in World

The US Department of State recently released its 2011 Report on International Religious Freedom covering 199 nations and territories.  US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the state of religious freedom is worsening in the world:

“When it comes to this human right- this key feature of stable, secure, peaceful societies- the world is sliding backwards,” Clinton said.

While much of the publicity has focused on Egypt and Libya for obvious reasons, Secretary Clinton’s statement is particularly enlightening in that two of the primary countries called out in the report are Iraq and Afghanistan — whose governments have only survived because of the support of the United States and the sacrifices of its military.

In other words, religious freedom is suffering Read more

Chris Rodda Shows MRFF Opposition to “Wrong Kind” of Christians

Chris Rodda, the researcher for Michael Weinstein’s Military Religious Freedom Foundation, recently answered an email from an MRFF critic who questioned their stance against the Holman Bibles.  Much of the reply was pedantic or boiler plate from their other replies (another MRFF employee, Andy Kasehagen, has also published identical thousand-word copy/paste replies to different critics’ emails).  The meat of her reply, though, was interesting:

The reason for MRFF’s actions to get the official military emblems removed from the Holman Bibles was much more than just the constitutional issue of a government entity endorsing religion.

The Holman Bibles also contain a large section of materials promoting an organization called the Officers’ Christian Fellowship (OCF)…The other issue with these Bibles is that they violate the JER and specific branch regulations that prohibit the endorsement of a non-federal entity. The OCF is a non-federal entity, so allowing an official military emblem on a book promoting the OCF, as these particular Bibles do, is in clear violation of these regulations.

While Rodda repeats the MRFF position, the military — which enforces its regulations — disagreed.  After all, if there was any such violation, it Read more

Hasan Fined by Military Court for Religious Beard

Accused Fort Hood shooter US Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan — yes, he is still in the US Army — has been fined by his military judge for refusing to shave.  Hasan is required to abide by military dress and personal appearance regulations, which generally prohibit beards.  (As noted earlier, beards are also prohibited in the militaries of some predominantly Islamic countries.)

Beards are a violation of Army regulations. Hasan’s attorneys say he keeps declining to shave because he believes that doing so would violate his Muslim faith.  Read more

1 … 312 313 314 315 316 … 608