Tag Archives: air force

Publisher of Banned Poster Decries Attacks on Religious Freedom

Grant DiCianni is the son of Ron DiCianni, the artist responsible for the “Peacemaker” poster Michael Weinstein so infamously “forced” the Air Force to remove from a Mountain Home AFB dining hall.  He also represents the production company for the print. He previously released a statement decrying the Pentagon’s censorship of both the poster and the virtue it represented.  Yesterday, he published another piece in the Christian Post and had these choice words:

I have discovered that, and I say this in trepidation, those tasked to stand up to dictators and rogue nations can’t even stand up to one anti-Christian bully here at home… Read more

Air Force Responds to Congressional Inquiries on Weinstein

A few weeks ago it was noted that the Air Force reacted to Michael Weinstein — a civilian critic of religious freedom in the military — nearly instantaneously, while it had failed to respond to Congress — the governmental body that writes its rules and authorizes its paychecks — in weeks.  In fairness, it is worth noting the Air Force did eventually respond.

US Rep Doug Lamborn (R-Co) had co-signed a letter demanding explanations for the April meeting the Air Force held with Weinstein.  The response from the Air Force explains that Weinstein met with nine Air Force staff members, including TJAG LtGen Richard Harding and Deputy Chief of Chaplains Chaplain (BrigGen) Bobby Page. The one “gotcha” — the Congressional inquiry whether the Air Force was “aware” of Weinstein’s history of vitriolic attacks on Christians — was vaguely answered by Acting Secretary Eric Fanning:  Read more

Former US Army Soldier, Pastor Finds Calling in Nose Art

The Herald-Review (repeated at the Stars and Stripes) covers Dan McQuality, a Desert Storm veteran and Lutheran pastor who is making his mark recreating World War II era nose art:

McQuality, who serves as pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Lincoln, had no idea when he sold his first nose art pictures that it would become a full-time business.

“It was just something I did for a hobby, and it blossomed into something more,” McQuality said.

The article notes the heritage and emotion the artwork invokes:

[McQuality’s] products often forge strong emotional ties with their customers, especially veterans who see their former service memorialized. Many veterans and their relatives send stories along with their orders, which the McQualitys enjoy.

It is no small irony that much of the nose art McQuality, a Christian pastor, recreates probably wouldn’t be permitted in the Air Force Read more

Congressmen, Advocates Call for Military Religious Freedom

Increasingly, each one of us in our different organizations and capacities have been getting confidential calls and other reports and information from members of the military pointing to this growing hostility toward religious freedom. Unfortunately, members of the military cannot speak out about these things.

This is just a sampling of the cases that have been made public.

– Tony Perkins, Family Research Council

Representatives from 14 groups joined three US Congressmen to release a report on “The Threat to Religious Liberty in the Military” (PDF) and press for passage of legislation allowing US military servicemembers to act and speak on their faith:  Read more

Chaplains: Serving in a US Military “Hostile to Christianity”

“You know the old saying that there’s no atheists in the foxhole? Well God help us if all we have in foxholes are atheists.”

The July 13 edition of World Magazine asks if the US military is a “no pray zone?”, with the magazine cover saying “How the US military is fighting religious liberty.” Contributor Edward Lee Pitts pens the cover story “Holding the Line,” with the tag line

Chaplains are pursuing their mission in a military suddenly hostile to Christianity and ready to suppress religious freedom

In an era in which the military is being repeatedly called “hostile” to religious freedom — including by members of Congress — this characterization may not be as over the top as it seems.  After listing just a portion of the recent “incidents” of Read more

Military Chaplains Responsible for Free Exercise

A commentary by US Air Force Chaplain (Capt) Keith Beckwith takes a firm stand on the chaplain’s role in the US military:

A chaplain’s ultimate responsibility is to provide for the free exercise of religion, including those who express a specific religion and those who express no religion at all.

From my perspective, I am a chaplain to all, a pastor Read more

Chaplains Support Guard Supporting Community

When the Guard deploys to support a disaster area, US military chaplains deploy to support them.  Yes, there are often churches or pastors in the area, but the chaplains are focused on the military men and women, and are uniquely trained and experienced to help them accomp lish their mission:

“As chaplains we work as a ministry of presence” said Chaplain (Capt.) Jeremy Dunn…“Right now we are filled with a sense of purpose: to help those both physically drained and spiritually shaken.”

No matter where US troops go, their spiritual support, and 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

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