Category Archives: Government and Religion

Mikey Weinstein’s Friends and Allies in Military High Places, Part 2

Despite his claims the US military is overrun by Christians trying to take over the world, Michael Weinstein seems to have more public allies in military leadership positions than he has public enemies. In addition, Michael Weinstein seems to have some very well-placed friends in the US military, despite his claims he is a David fighting an institutional Goliath.

Weinstein’s “close personal…relationship” with an Air Force base’s commanding general has already been discussed.  It turns out Weinstein is also miraculously able to discern the private content of an Air Force Colonel’s non-releasable records.  Read more

NPR, Richard Dawkins, Negative Atheism, and Rock Beyond Belief

NPR’s Barbara King has an interesting article on Richard Dawkins and the upcoming Reason Rally, wondering out loud if Dawkins might actually undermine the stated purpose of the event:

According to a press release, the rally is to be a celebration, and its chief mission is to “combat negative stereotypes about nonreligious Americans.”

Why question Dawkins?  He’s known to be critical, “hurtful and harsh” — “an especially scathing critic” — in other words, he embodies the negative stereotype of the scornful atheist the rally says it is trying to dispel.

If NPR questions Dawkins’ negative stereotype in his role at the Reason Rally — where the only risk is alienating some willing listeners — is there any wonder there are questions about Dawkins’ role a week later at Rock Beyond Belief?  There, he’ll step foot on the US Army’s Fort Bragg, where Dawkins will be required to avoid the acerbic criticism King — a self-described Dawkins admirer — seems to think is unavoidable Read more

Chaplain on Spiritual Resilience: Ask “Why?”

Air Force Chaplain (Maj) Kent Schmidt has an article on spiritual resilience, part of the four-pillar Comprehensive Airman Fitness, in which he encourages his readers to “focus on the why:”

It’s all too easy for those of us serving in a high tempo Air Force to get driven and consumed by the “What?”…Getting caught up in the reactive world, some call it the tyranny of the urgent, can cause us to lose sight of the “Why?” The “Why” becomes subsumed by the “What.”

I’d like to encourage you to make it a point to daily, take a deep breath or two, close your door, dim your computer screen and close your eyes and ask yourself “Why?” Why am I doing what I’m doing today? Why am I on this current trajectory?  Read more

Justice Dept will Not Fight Lawsuit for Same-Sex Benefits

Attorney General Eric Holder has informed Congress that the Obama administration will not defend lawsuits against the US military that seek the benefits of marriage for same-sex couples.

Attorney General Eric Holder [wrote that] the 1996 federal law that defines “spouse” as “person of the opposite sex” is a violation of the Fifth Amendment right to equal protection under the law.

This is consistent with the administration’s previous decision not to defend the Defense of Marriage Act, which is now being defended by lawyers from Congress.

NATO Investigates Disposal of Korans, but not Bibles

Update: A State Department spokesman has said the burn pit disposal “does not represent our values or our view of how the Quran ought to be treated.”  While it is understandable the US government would support a respectful treatment of religious articles, it is unclear why it holds unequal views of respect depending on the religion, as described below.  Protests continue.

NATO commander in Afghanistan Gen John Allen has reportedly called for a probe of the treatment of Korans and other religious items used by detainees at the American run Bagram Air Base:

Local Afghan leader, Ahmad Zaki Zahed, says U.S. military officials have given him about 30 Korans and other religious books that were used by detainees once incarcerated at the base.

He says some were burned, but others were retrieved from the trash before they were burned.

The response of the Afghans was typically reported:  Read more

Mikey Weinstein’s Friends and Allies in Military High Places, Part 1

Despite his claims the US military is overrun by Christians trying to take over the world, Michael Weinstein seems to have more public allies in military leadership positions than he has public enemies.  In addition, Michael Weinstein seems to have some very well-placed friends in the US military, despite his claims he is a David fighting an institutional Goliath.

In just one example among several, Weinstein claims a “close personal…relationship” with one Air Force base’s commanding general.

In a recent spat Read more

Graduating Navy Pilot Training: Blessing of the Wings

A Naval flight training class graduation included a ceremony at their base chapel in which the chaplains performed a “blessing of the wings:”

This is a completely voluntary program, but one that is rather popular among many of the new aviators. While it is billed as a non-denominational ceremony, it is clearly a Christian program that culminates in the Catholic priest sprinkling holy water on the wings that these service members are about to pin on later that day.

Normally, this might bring conspiracy-theory advocates out of the woodwork, claiming this was further evidence of a secret coup by Christians to take over the world.  Or something.  Turns out, though, this story is actually about the participation by the US Navy’s newest Jewish Naval Aviators, in a Read more

LtGen Ronnie Hawkins Berated for God in Commander’s Call

US Air Force LtGen Ronnie Hawkins is the new head of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA).  He is reportedly getting grief over a commander’s call in which he listed the personal “rules” he has lived by since he was a Captain — and they included references to God:

Hawkins, who just took over the directorship of DISA in January, said his presentation has been taken out of context… Read more

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