Category Archives: Government and Religion

Justice Scalia Defends Religion in the Public Square

This isn’t actually news: Justice Antonin Scalia has long said nothing in the US Constitution requires the government to scrub all appearances of religion from the public square. He did put a new twist on it this time, though, essentially saying the government can favor religion over non-religion:

“I think the main fight is to dissuade Americans from what the secularists are trying to persuade them to be true: that the separation of church and state means that the government cannot favor religion over nonreligion,” Justice Scalia said.

There is nuance to that statement. Scalia had Read more

Mikey Weinstein Reveals Anti-Christian Bias in Patrick Henry Interview (Video)

Michael “Mikey” Weinstein was recently invited to Patrick Henry College to be interviewed as part of its “Newsmaker” series. The interviewer was Marvin Olasky, editor in chief of World News Group, which produces WORLD Magazine.

Olasky started the interview by presenting Weinstein with a variety of situations pulled from the media regarding expression of religion in the US military, querying Weinstein as to whether he felt there was a problem with the particular event.  His answers were almost exclusively no, though he started to hedge as he figured out where the conversation was going.

Olasky asked about events in the military from four different religions over a period of just a few minutes, and Weinstein addressed each one succinctly. When Olasky broached a Christian topic, however, Weinstein Read more

Pat Robertson on Air Force Oath (Video)

When the Air Force reversed its position and allowed enlistees to omit “so help me God” from their oath of enlistment, Pat Robertson had this response:

There’s a left-wing radical named Mickey Weinstein who has got a group about people against religion or whatever he calls it, and he has just terrorized the armed forces. You think you’re supposed to be tough, you’re supposed to defend us, and you got one little Jewish radical who is scaring the pants off of you…

It’s just crazy. What is wrong with Read more

POD Headlines Military Concert

POD — a heavy/new metal band — recently headlined Hansen Fest 2014, a concert festival at Camp Hansen in Okinawa, Japan.

The goal of MCCS Okinawa entertainment is to find the right bands and the right genre of music based on the preference of the service members on that particular camp, according to Hatfield.

“A lot of Marines on this camp like Rock n’ Roll, so that’s what we brought here,” said Hatfield.

The crowd swelled in numbers as rock band P.O.D. took to the main stage…

The band performed for two hours. Throughout Read more

New Air Force Lead Lawyer on Religion, Homosexuality

Homosexual activists recently emphasized the fact the US Senate just confirmed a “gay attorney” as the new General Counsel of the US Air Force. Mr. Gordon Tanner has taken on the civilian role akin to the uniformed JAG of the Air Force.  Tanner also retired as a Reserve JAG; interestingly, he may have worked on courts-martial or discharges enforcing the ban on homosexuals even as he continued to serve.  Still, those activists missed the more newsworthy expression of Tanner’s view on religious expression and homosexuality in the military:

May a member of the armed forces who has a sincerely held belief in opposition to same-sex marriage be subject to adverse personnel action or similar other adverse action, if he or she shares those personal views on the subject in a personal capacity?

Tanner: No. A member of the armed forces Read more

Critics Target US Military Chapel Services. Again.

A video (which you can watch here) of US Marines worshiping God to Days of Elijah — complete with “oorah!” added to the lyrics — went “viral” a week or so ago, spreading across the internet in a bold display of faith and freedom.

And a few atheists really didn’t like that.

It seems Rock Beyond Belief — a one-hit wonder that staged an underwhelming stage show at Fort Bragg — has degraded into a repository of atheists bellyaching about Christians exercising their religious freedom while serving in the US military. Having learned about the video, their Facebook page launched an “investigation” — because some Marines in the video “don’t appear happy to be there, as if they were forced:”  Read more

Air Force Oath: “So Help Me God” Optional Again

Update: The Air Force declined to release the legal opinion behind the decision to alter the AFI last year requiring “so help me God” to remain in the oath.  The reason: attorney-client privilege.

After seeking guidance from the Department of Defense, the Air Force immediately implemented a policy change making the oath “so help me God” optional during the oaths of office and enlistment.

The Air Force will be updating the instructions for both enlisted and commissioned Airmen to reflect these changes in the coming weeks, but the policy change is effective now. Airmen who choose to omit the words ‘So help me God’ from enlistment and officer appointment oaths may do so.

Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James said the Air Force takes religious freedom seriously:

“We take any instance in which airmen report concerns regarding religious freedom seriously,” Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James said. “We are making the appropriate Read more

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