Category Archives: Government and Religion

Abdo to Face More Charges

A federal judge referred the case of US Army PFC Naser Abdo to a grand jury, and indicated Abdo may face additional charges in the foiled “terror plot” in which he stands accused.

Given the testimony, Abdo seems to have largely confessed to the public characterization of the attempted attack:

After Abdo was arrested at the motel, with some items found in his backpack, he told authorities he was planning “a massive attack in the Killeen and Fort Hood area,” [FBI special agent Michael] Brogan testified. Abdo said he planned to make two bombs and detonate them in a restaurant where Fort Hood soldiers eat, according to documents filed in the case.

The Army Times article notes US Army Maj Nidal Malik Hasan is also in jail not far away, awaiting his capital trial.

Air Force Pulls Nuke Training over Religion Complaint

A variety of news sources are now reporting the US Air Force ended a training class after an internet article belittled its religious content.  Contrary to some assertions, this is actually not a big deal.

This much has been accurately reported:  The Air Force training slides had Bible verses, and the course was led by a Chaplain.  There was a public article.  The Air Force pulled the course to “review it.”

Beyond that, much of the other reporting has been misrepresented or inaccurate.

The Washington Post said

The Air Force has suspended a training course for nuclear missile launch officers that used Bible passages and religious imagery to teach them about the ethics of war.

Unfortunately, that’s essentially a misrepresentation, likely because the conclusion was drawn solely from a copy of the slides used in the brief — sans notes or context.  The course did not use Biblical citations to teach ethics.  The ~40-slide PowerPoint presentation was an ethical discussion on the conduct of war, with emphasis on the application of nuclear weapons.  (The title of the first seven slides is “Ethics;” the second section is “Nuclear Ethics and Nuclear Warfare.”)

The course’s focus was to address common Read more

The US Marine Corps and Opinions on Homosexuality

The text of the briefs given to US servicemembers on the repeal of the policy known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is publicly available. Notably, it starts out with this phrase:

This brief is NOT an attempt to change anyone’s opinion about the subject of homosexuality. [emphasis original]

Later, the presentation says this:

There Is No Expectation To Change Religious or Moral Views: Soldiers will not be expected to change their personal views and religious beliefs. They must, however, continue to treat all Soldiers with dignity and respect. [formatting original]

With that in mind, the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, SgtMaj Michael Barrett, toured bases in the Pacific with the Commandant of the Marine Corps General James Amos in June. Addressing DADT Read more

Atheist Rock Beyond Belief Announces Approval

“Rock Beyond Belief” — the self-described atheist counter-event to the Christian “Rock the Fort” — has announced that Fort Bragg has agreed to allow it to hold its festival next March on the Army post.  While there is a bit of celebration on their part, its worth noting Fort Bragg also approved their request for last spring; RBB just decided to cancel itself at the time (and then allowed Michael Weinstein to equate the Army with racists over the incident).

The statement makes no reference to what changed, other than Read more

Chaplains Consider DADT Repeal, Loss of DOMA

FoxNews notes a gathering of Chaplains and endorsers who are forming a “coalition” to

provide legal and other support for chaplains and soldiers who might be disciplined over conflicts concerning their views on homosexuality.

According to the article, the Chaplains and their endorsers are concerned about how the integration of openly homosexual military members will actually play out — not just how the DoD says it will.

The article explains the disconnect, when the military responded to the questions with a standard refrain:

“We’re working under the assumption that DOMA (the Defense of Marriage Act) is the law of the land and we haven’t been working in anticipation of anything else right now,” said [Chaplain Carleton Birch, spokesperson for the Army Chief of Chaplains].

Retired Chaplain (COL) Ron Crews has helped found the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty, and says that’s precisely Read more

Trust is a Casualty: Abdo Makes Eighth Attack/Attempt on Military

Update:  This post has been corrected here; the actual number of attacks/attempted attacks is nine, not eight.

Following the arrest of PFC Naser Abdo on charges he planned to kill Soldiers at Fort Hood in what has been described as a “terror attack,” a local paper says “trust is a casualty” for the military and Islamic communities, describing a tension between non-Islamic Soldiers and their Muslim comrades.

Some may not realize Abdo’s arrest marks eight recent attacks or attempted attacks on the US military by assailants who have apparently been motivated by their Islamic faith. Half of those attacks or attempted attacks have been by members of the US military:  Read more

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