Category Archives: Government and Religion

Weinstein Targets Jewish Parents over Defense of USAFA

Michael Weinstein seems to revel in excoriating those with whom he disagrees. His attacks are filled with ellipses and alliterative assaults questioning everything from people’s character to their patriotism.

He has equated officers in the US Army with rapists and racists.  He’s stooped to gradeschool name-calling.  He has even implied the threat of violence upon critics as varied as Rush Limbaugh and Gordon Klingenschmitt.

Another favored Weinstein tactic, though, is the somber and vaguely-worded legal threat.  While it seems Weinstein threatens to sue someone virtually every time he opens his mouth, some have had the privilege of actually getting a letter from one set or another of Weinstein’s lawyers.  One sent a letter to Trijicon for saying Trijicon’s critics were “not Christian.”  Another Weinstein legal threat went out against the publishers of the Colorado Springs Gazette after it criticized his “[opposition] to the free exercise of religion.”

As previously noted, Weinstein’s lawyers also directed a threat of a lawsuit at ChristianFighterPilot.com after this site pointed out Weinstein’s substantial personal compensation from his self-founded “charity.”

It is readily apparent Michael Weinstein, the man who employs vitriolic criticism as naturally as others breathe, can’t stand a whit of criticism himself.

Even from a Jewish soccer mom.  Read more

DADT: Gray Areas and Military Benefits

An article from the northwest highlights the “training” on DADT repeal that occurred at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, which one Captain said was “not a lot of change.”

Captain Ben Schneller, who delivered the briefings as an Army company commander, also expressed a bit of confusion after giving the training:

Schneller sounds confident…but he’ll have to work through a few gray areas that are arising because of the Defense of Marriage Act…

For example, line commanders will have to decide whether to grant emergency leave in certain situations for gay soldiers if their partners become seriously ill. Schneller says he faces the same choice with any soldier whose relatives fall sick.

The article contains the first reference to the Department of Defense officially endorsing the “loophole” groups have advocated to allow homosexuals Read more

US Marine Converts to Islam in Iraq

As noted at the Huffington Post, US Marine Anthony Vance deployed to Iraq and soon became Ibrahim Mohamed, a new convert to Islam.

Mohamed felt the pull toward the faith strengthen in Iraq — “the heart of the Islamic world,” as he says — and he reached out to the Muslim contractors on his base and started learning about the precepts of the Quran.

Convinced that he was being called to Islam, he officially became a Muslim while Read more

US Marines talk God with Afghan Mullahs

While many people may think the US military has no business being involved with religion, religious beliefs are an inherent part of the cultural landscape in Afghanistan.  Thus, they are integral to the execution of the war effort — whether one treats them that way or not.

Capt Daniel Petronzio is one Marine among several who has been meeting with local mullahs — religious and social leaders in the local area — to help accomplish the US military mission in the region.

“We’re engaging mullahs to bridge to the local communities in a different way,” said Capt. Daniel Petronzio…”It shows our openness to religion…”

Apparently, some mullahs have been “suspicious” about Read more

Group Provides Holiday Supplies for US Troops

The US military generally does an admirable job of supporting the religious exercise of its members.  That’s not to say it doesn’t use (or need) a little help sometimes.

Like external groups of other faiths, the Aleph Institute is organizing shipments of faith-based supplies to Jewish members of the US military around the world.  As announced at Jews in Green,

They are offering to ship Prayer Books & Ritual Materials for the High Holidays and Sukkot FREE OF CHARGE to active duty military Read more

Navy Islamic Helo Pilot on Celebrating Ramadan

US Navy Lt Haji “Omar” Shareef, a helicopter pilot, was interviewed recently on his ability to adhere to the religious tenets of Ramadan while being a military pilot.  (Video below the fold.)

While he says Muslims can largely do their duties, he notes they do ask for accommodations such as not doing physical training during the day, since they cannot drink water between sunrise and sunset.

On his part, as a pilot, he “puts himself on Read more

Chaplain Defends Just War in Air Force ICBM Training

Dr. Michael Milton is President of the Reformed Theological Seminary.  He is also US Army Chaplain (Maj) Michael Milton, an instructor at the US Army Chaplain Center & School at Fort Jackson, SC.

Chaplain Milton recently responded to the criticism of the Air Force’s “ICBM training course” that was allegedly “pulled” over Christian content, including in its reference to Just War.  (More recent information indicates the course wasn’t actually part of ICBM training.)

The Chaplain focuses, as others have, on the Just War inclusion in the brief, which was not the point of the course.  The course was not designed to teach Just War; it simply mentioned it as one response to criticisms of war and ultimately the use of nuclear weapons.  Still, the Chaplain had some interesting things to say.

Attorney Mikey Weinstein, Read more

US Marines Experience Buddhism in Japan

Frequent articles have noted the unique experiences to which US military members have access as they travel the world at their nation’s call.  They may be able to visit the home lands of Abraham; they may be able to travel to Mecca at the government’s expense.  In Japan, they may be able to join a military-based tour group on a “spiritual journey” to a local Buddhist monastery.

As noted in an official Marine article, Marines based at Iwakuni went on a “spiritual journey” to a local temple hosted by Tadahisa Teshima:  Read more

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