The Journal of Faith and War reprints a well-written commentary on the repeal of the policy most commonly known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in the US military. Written by retired Cols Al Shine* and Don Snider, “The Right to be Wrong” forwards a simple premise: If homosexuality is to be permitted in the military, the military must have a decidedly — and explicitly — neutral stance between both opposing ideologies: Read more
US Army Spc. Guenter Nyanankpe was baptized at Forward Operating Base Salerno in Afghanistan last month.
“Baptism symbolizes the death and resurrection of Christ,” said US Army Chaplain (Capt.) Seung-Il Suh…”You go under the water, meaning you are dead and buried. And when you come up again, that symbolizes resurrection.”
Nyanankpe seems to indicate he ‘grew up’ Christian, but his Chaplain Read more
US Army Chaplain (Capt) Somya Malasri is currently in Australia with his unit, where he is leading Buddhist services for both American servicemembers and their Australian hosts.
An Army article notes Chaplain Malasri is “evangelizing” in his travels around the world:
A chaplain for 10 months now, Malasri is spreading the teachings and philosophies of Buddha to soldiers on multiple continents.
In an interesting perspective, Chaplain Malasri says “it’s not necessarily Read more
It is important to start by saying that 10-year-old Braydon Nichols reminded the world a few days ago that more than just Navy SEALs died in the Chinook shootdown last week. His dad died, too; Army Chief Warrant Officer Bryan Nichols was the Chinook pilot. Seven other American military members died: the other 4 helicopter crew and three US Air Force Special Forces.
Stories are slowly leaking out, and the military has yet to announce more specifics on those killed. Family members, however, are telling some stories. [Updated below with names provided by the Department of Defense.]
As told by his widow, Kimberly Vaughn, Navy SEAL Aaron Vaughn was a “selfless” and noble man: Read more
Michael Weinstein and his associates in his self-founded and awkwardly named Military Religious Freedom Foundation frequently rely on anonymous anecdotes, unsubstantiated accusations, or claims they cannot publicly support beyond vague innuendo.
In short, Weinstein’s credibility relies immensely on “trust me.”
Unfortunately for him, he’s long since lost any semblance of credibility, thanks in part to his researcher, Chris Rodda, who has had some issues with this in the past.
Rodda once belittled supporters of a Christian group at USAFA, claiming their support was a manufactured letter-writing campaign — despite public evidence Read more
Tullian Tchividjian, grandson of Billy Graham and current Pastor at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, has an interesting article with application to Christians in all walks of life, including the military:
In becoming a Christian, we don’t need to retreat from the vocational calling we already have-nor do we need to justify that calling, whatever it is, in terms of its “spiritual” value or evangelistic Read more
US Navy Chaplain (CAPT) Jon Cutler is the director of Religious Affairs for CJTF – Horn of Africa. In late July, he met with religious leaders in Tanzania to communicate the US military’s religious freedom and coordinate for future cooperation.
Cutler highlighted the US military’s religious plurality and freedom to his hosts in East Africa:
“My close friend and Muslim Imam, Shakur Ali, Africa command chaplain [U.S. Air Force Colonel] Jerry Lewis, and I are visiting Dar es Salaam from August 10 to 15 [during Ramadan],” Cutler told the religious leaders. “It’s unheard of for a Jew, Christian and Muslim to be friends Read more
Not everyone can be right all the time, but when it comes to journalists, you think they’d at least try.
Reprinted at the Huffington Post, Religion News Service writer Kimberly Winston wrote on the recently approved “Rock Beyond Belief” to occur at Fort Bragg next spring. Her article reads like a press release, not a news report. Explaining the background of “Rock Beyond Belief,” she says
[Rock the Fort], staged by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, received more than $50,000 in financial support from the base, according to records obtained by local atheists through the Freedom of Information Act.
As the Army already pointed out, that’s a mischaracterization of the “records obtained.”
Winston then makes a statement that is known to be categorically untrue: Read more