Tag Archives: Religion

Army Starts Recoupment Action against Atheist Former Cadet

According to NBC News, the US Army is starting the process to recoup the cost of atheist former Cadet Blake Page’s West Point education:

In a memorandum dated Dec. 12, the superintendent of West Point Academy, Lt. Gen. David Huntoon, did recommend to Army headquarters that Page be honorably discharged and that recoupment — in the form of money or service as an enlisted soldier — be waived.

The response, signed by Thomas R. Lamont, assistant Army secretary, approves Page for an honorable discharge, but disapproves the waivers. In the Jan. 28 memorandum, he orders the West Point superintendent “to conduct a recoupment investigation.”

The Army could demand up to $250,000 or order Page back to active duty, where he previously served enlisted before Read more

Weinstein Threatens US Military with Another Lawsuit

In October of last year, an atheist Army Soldier, SSgt Victoria Gettman, lodged complaints after a mandatory suicide prevention briefing ended with a military chaplain taking the stage and offering a candlelit prayer.

The incident seems fairly benign, and merited little attention at the time.  Now, though, it seems Michael Weinstein is weighing in with (yet another empty) promise to file a lawsuit:

Mikey Weinstein, founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, doesn’t consider Gettman’s case closed, and he and his litigation team intend to pursue an “aggressive” federal lawsuit if the Army fails to rectify Gettman’s complaints.

The article contains an important quote from Gettman [emphasis added]:  Read more

Secretary of Defense Outlines New Benefits for Homosexuals

Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who put darkness for light
and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter!
Isaiah 5:20 (ESV)

As part of the effort to ensure everyone gets treated “with equal dignity and respect,” outgoing Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has announced access to military benefits available only to homosexuals:

It is a matter of fundamental equity that we provide similar benefits to all of those men and women in uniform who serve their country…Today, I am pleased to announce that after a thorough and deliberate review, the department will extend additional benefits to same-sex partners of service members.

According to the SecDef memo (PDF),

These [new] benefits shall be extended to the same-sex domestic partners and, where applicable, children of same-sex domestic partners, once the Service member and their same-sex domestic partner have signed a declaration attesting to the existence of their committed relationship.

The new DoD policy emphasizes these benefits are available only to homosexuals.  Heterosexuals cannot sign the same statement and Read more

Weinstein Threatens US Military with Yet Another Lawsuit

Michael Weinstein, frequent critic of religious freedom in the US military, has “threatened” so many lawsuits that he’s long become the boy who cries wolf.  (Besides, the “wolf,” in the case, has yet to survive the first Motion to Dismiss — four times.)

The US Army has once again raised Weinstein’s ire by — shockingly enough — researching the ability to train chaplains the same way it trains other soldiers.

Weinstein finally got around to commenting on a subject noted here a month ago:  The US Army is researching the ability to use simulations to train chaplains for battlefield scenarios, much like it does for medical personnel.  As noted at the time:

Chaplains [already] go through training on how to survive the bullets and explosions…This simulator…will give chaplains multiple opportunities to experience real-life scenarios and practice their ministry in a controlled environment.

Weinstein would have none of it:

“We are gong [sic] to put the pedal to the metal on something like this. If necessary, we will consider intervening in federal court,” said Mikey Weinstein…

Laughably, even the otherwise-friendly article noted Weinstein’s vendetta Read more

America as Ancient Rome: Impact of Moral Decay

Update: Also discussed at the Christian Post.

We’ve reached a point where people are afraid to actually talk about what they want to say, because somebody might be offended. We’ve got to get over this sensitivity; it keeps people from saying what they really believe. It muffles people, it puts a muzzle on them; and, at the same time, keeps people from discussing important issues while the fabric of their society is being changed…

Dr. Benjamin Carson, Sr., the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast:

Why is it so important that we educate our people? Because we don’t want to go down the pathway as so many pinnacle nations that have preceded us. I think particularly about ancient Rome. Very powerful. Nobody could even challenge them militarily, but what happened to them? They destroyed themselves from within. Moral decay, fiscal irresponsibility. They destroyed themselves. If you don’t think that can happen to America, you get out your books and you start reading, but you know, we can fix it.

Watch the video.

Quote from the 17:00 minute mark.

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Weinstein Admits Error, “Endorses” Caslen for West Point Supe

Contrary to a prior prediction that Michael Weinstein would seethe at the thought of LtGen Robert Caslen taking the helm as Superintendent of West Point, it seems Weinstein has chosen to do the complete opposite:

I am pleased to announce that the Military Religious Freedom Foundation fully endorses the United States Senate’s confirmation of the President’s nomination of Lt. General Robert Caslen to the position of Superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point.

If only it were that simple.  The “endorsement” (cross-posted) is a veritable portrait in self-contradiction and capriciousness.  Weinstein says he is “pleased,” but later says he has “non-trivial trepidation” — yet also “wishes him well.”  Demonstrating both his repetitive redundancy and intellectual inconsistency, Weinstein says he has no idea what Caslen will “actually do,” but “he incontrovertibly deserves and merits [sic] the chance to do it.”

During Gen Caslen’s involvement in the Christian Embassy controversy in 2006, Weinstein said those involved in the scandal were equivalent to al Qaida, Iraqi militant Muqtada al Sadr, and deserved to be court-martialed.  Two years later, Weinstein Read more

Article Calls on US Military to Repeal Ban on Sikhs

Simran Jeet Singh, a doctoral student at Columbia University, wrote a Huffington Post blog entitled “Repealing the Ban Against Sikhs in the Military:”

Assistant Attorney General Tom Perez from the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice…repeated a constant refrain he has heard from the Sikhs in Oak Creek: “We love this country and want to show our love for it. But we still aren’t allowed to serve in the military.” The Assistant Attorney General then said he would elevate the Sikh desire to serve in the military to the highest levels of the Obama Administration.

The article is interesting in touching on a subject not often discussed, but it also reflects that lack of consideration.  For example, as commenters on the article noted, it was sensationally titled:  There is no ban on Sikhs — or any other religious person — serving Read more

US Military Expected to Expand Homosexual Access

Multiple news sites reported the ‘leak’ that the Pentagon was preparing to expand the list of military benefits available to homosexuals.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has not made a final decision on which benefits will be included, the officials said, but the Pentagon is likely to allow same-sex partners to have access to the on-base commissary and other military subsidized stores, as well as some health and welfare programs.

Competing articles offered differing lists of benefits expected to be extended (and refused).  Apparently, “gay activists” were leaked differing information.

Secretary Panetta’s proposed replacement, former Senator Chuck Hagel, has indicated he similarly supports the extension of benefits.

Some articles noted that there is a “fine legal line” to walk, since the Read more

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