Category Archives: Government and Religion

Independence Day, 2013

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…”

“We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions…”

“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence…”

Read the Declaration of Independence at the Archives.gov site.

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DoD Articles Highlight Military Oath, Sort of

A half-dozen US Marine Corps press releases (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) recently highlighted a group promotion ceremony in which these Marines “reaffirm[ed]” their oaths before they deployed.  All of the articles were identical except for the person, which is common for “hometown news releases,” or articles written primarily for use by local newspapers in a servicemember’s hometown.

What made the framing text interesting was its repetition of the oath of office…or, at least, most of it [ellipsis original]:  Read more

Airman Reprimanded for Calling on Mikey Weinstein

An Air Force Airman claims he received verbal reprimands after he was dissatisfied with the Air Force’s response and complained to Michael “Mikey” Weinstein in 2010:

I met with the Cadet Wing Chaplain here at the time and the incident was forwarded up the chain-of-command. After over two weeks of nothing being said to anyone…I decided to bring this to MRFF’s attention. Mikey and MRFF were all over it and came down hard on USAFA.

I received verbal reprimands from Read more

Hasan Jury Can Hear About Unborn Child

Update: Judge Col Osborn denied Hasan’s request for yet another delay, during which he was considering hiring an attorney after having asked to represent himself.

Military judge Col Tara Osborn said the jury can hear about the cries of a pregnant Soldier who was killed during the Fort Hood massacre:

A military judge says witness testimony about a dying pregnant soldier’s cries of “My baby! My baby!” will be allowed during the murder trial of the Army psychiatrist charged in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting rampage.

That’s particularly interesting because the Army chose not to file a murder charge for the unborn child, even though the UCMJ permits it.  The child would have nearly been four years old by now.

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Liberty U: Michael Weinstein Calls Christian Aviation Education “Horrifying”

Michael Weinstein — a self-described advocate of religious freedom — apparently has no limits to his disdain for Christianity.

Sojourners Magazine recently published an article on Liberty University’s School of Aeronautics — more specifically, their concentration in Unmanned Aerial Systems.  Provocatively titled “Drones for Christ,” author David Swanson sets out to describe

How Jerry Falwell’s Liberty U.—the world’s largest Christian university—became an evangelist for drone warfare.

Problem is, Swanson doesn’t succeed in his telling, because Liberty doesn’t Read more

Air Force Atheist Ponders Spiritual Fitness, Officially

An official article by Moody Air Force Base’s Public Affairs Senior Airman Jarrod Grammel is entitled “Atheist ponders spiritual fitness.”

As an atheist, people sometimes ask and wonder where I get my sense of purpose. I don’t believe that God created me and has a special purpose for me in life, but rather that I’m the result of 4 billion years of evolutionary success on a minor planet of an average star in a universe with at least 100 billion galaxies.

And that’s perfectly fine with me. My purpose Read more

Christian Fighter Pilot General John Russell Dies

General John P. RussellThe Orlando Sentinel published the obituary of Christian Fighter Pilot and US Air Force Brigadier General John P. Russell, also known as “Deacon.”  General Russell flew the F-86 Sabre in 54 combat missions during the Korean War, as well as the F-84F, F-100, F-107. and A-7D later.  While the wing commander at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, he participated in the evacuations of Phnom Penh and Saigon.

Recalling some of his life, his brother recounts a tale that may fall under “the good old days:”

The future general and a fellow fighter pilot were flying side-by-side from South Carolina to Washington, D.C., in the 1950s when they received permission from the Federal Aviation Administration to pass over Mill Creek, W.Va., at 2,000 feet.

Russell didn’t mention it was Read more

Atheist Call their own Monument Mere Counterpoint, Attack

The group American Atheists recently installed a granite monument in front of the Bradford County courthouse in Starke, Florida.  The group placed the monument there as the result of a compromise, after a local Christian group refused to remove their Ten Commandments monument — and then both groups filed First Amendment lawsuits.

David Silverman, the American Atheists president, called his own monument a “counterpoint” and an “attack.”

“We’re not going to let them do it without Read more

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