Tag Archives: Bible

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: The Military Christian’s Perspective

The ongoing public debate over homosexuality and the US military (most often referred to as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”) presents a unique conflict for Christians in the military.  There are those who believe homosexuality is morally wrong and must be prohibited at every possibility, and there are those who believe people have the freedom to do as they please in their private lives.  This situation has implications from both the Christian perspective and the military perspective (in isolation), though they must be integrated to form the military Christian’s perspective.  Each of these three is addressed individually below.

The Christian Perspective

The Christian faith considers homosexuality a sin, just as theft, adultery, murder, and lust are sins.  Still, Christianity does not condemn the person who expresses a homosexual preference.  In addition, while many people in this world are tempted to sin (as was Jesus during his incarnation), the temptation to participate in sinful conduct is not itself wrong.  Finally, man is a fallen creation and has a sinful nature; thus, succumbing to temptation and sinning are a common experience of many on this earth — even the stereotypically staunchest Christians.

For a Christian, it is disheartening to see the culture, government, and now military move to end opposition to immoral behavior.  This is a dramatic indicator of the direction of cultural morality in the United States:  Few other issues have so rapidly moved from Read more

Fallen Marine Remembered by Comrades

Lance Cpl. John T. Sparks, killed in action on October 8th, was remembered by his unit in Afghanistan. The memorial was a somber, lighthearted, and faithful tribute to a young warrior.

“Sparks loved machine guns,” said [Cpl. Jeffery] Holsey. “He would always say that ‘Everyone wants to be a machine gunner until it is time to be a machine gunner, because the hurt we carried separated the men from the boys.'”

The short, quiet ceremony was marked by Bible verses and prayers honoring Sparks. Final Roll was called three times for Lance Cpl. John T. Sparks only to be answered by silence. Taps followed in a final farewell.

Michael Weinstein Opposes Bible, Supports Koran in Military

Michael Weinstein has repeatedly demonstrated an animosity toward the association of the US military with the Christian Bible.  In 2009, his Military Religious Freedom Foundation opposed a Chaplain bringing Swahili Bibles to Iraq, despite the fact they were requested by third country nationals supporting the US military effort.  The “religious freedom” organization opposed support for the religious freedom of US allies.

In 2007, Weinstein highly publicized a cropped photograph of a US Army trainee posing with his M-16 and his Bible — alongside a similarly photographed Hamas suicide bomber.  (The photos can be seen here; the original article was written by Jason Leopold, currently an editor for TruthOut, for which Weinstein is a board member and fundraiser.)  Weinstein’s MRFF is quoted saying “fundamentalist Christianity” in the US military “is starting to mirror Islamic fundamentalism.”  (Tellingly, he never made similar statements about photos of Jewish Soldiers and their weapons, some of which can be seen here.)

Weinstein’s most recent complaint is Read more

Editorial: Christians Deserve Applause

An editorial at the Colorado Springs Gazette had an interesting perspective on the comparative treatment of religions and the response by their respective adherents.  Wayne Laugesen writes that while Christianity is accused of trying to intolerantly dominate the world,

Christianity may be the most openly blasphemed religion in the world today, yet it’s American Christians who walk on eggshells in a valiant effort to respect other cultures and religions of the world.

He brings up some interesting stories, several of which haven’t been in the mainstream press:

Back in the United States…crosses belonging to a Christian group at the private George Washington University in Washington were desecrated…The desecration incited no hint of violence.  Read more

Pocket Bible Survives Three Wars

A metal-covered New Testament, originally a source of strength for a Sailor in World War II, is now providing a connection for a Sailor nearly seven decades later.

“My dad just approached me…a couple days before I was leaving to go back to fly overseas,” Chris Carson said. “He said, ‘You take the Bible with you, Chris. It’s important to have it with you to keep in mind the good Lord.’ My dad is pretty religious. I brought it with me.”  Read more

Koran Burning: Copy Cats, Hypocrisy, and Replacement Texts

According to Military.com, the small, controversial Westboro Baptist Church has joined the criticism of the planned Koran burnings in Florida, but not for the reason everyone else is.  Their reason?

They did it first.  And no one noticed.

It’s that in 2008 she and her father’s Topeka flock set fire to a Quran in plain view on a Washington, D.C., street and nobody seemed to care…

Westboro has even said if Jones doesn’t burn the Koran, they will.  Elsewhere, there is an increasing chorus of “hypocrisy” accusations against US officials.  The US government previously said it burned Bibles in Afghanistan; even at that time, there was a sense that

“if it had been the Quran, this never would have happened.”

Other news agencies picked up on the “unusual” Read more

Psalm 91 and Operation Bandanas

Mary Gray is the wife of a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel.  She was “looking for something special” to send to her deployed son when she found a bandana with Psalm 91 on it.  The bandanas, made with the same camouflage pattern as military uniforms, have been in high demand since and have become the product of Operation Bandanas.  While some use them for their “function” (a rag between their helmet and their head), others have used them for their spiritual value, and just had them in their pocket over their heart.

Gray’s OpBan is registered as a non-profit and is seeking donations to cover the thousands of requests they have received.  The bandanas are currently available in the Army ACU, Desert Camo, and USMC digi patterns.

For those who may be curious:  Read more

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