Tag Archives: Buddhism

Baptist Pastor to Buddhist Military Chaplain

Thomas Dyer grew up Presbyterian and enlisted in the Marines.  Feeling threatened by the training he was receiving to kill, he left the Marines and attended Mid-America Baptist Seminary, eventually becoming a Baptist preacher.  His inability to find happiness as a Christian led him to convert to Buddhism.  Having obviously given up his job as a Protestant preacher, he joined the Army National Guard and was commissioned a Chaplain in 2008.  He will deploy to Iraq in January.

The article on Dyer is quite interesting, detailing both his wife’s reaction (she stands by him, though she hopes he’ll return to Christianity) and Dyer’s own lifelong search for fulfillment. Read more

Zen Military Training

Though military Christians are sometimes criticized in the media for mixing their faith and their profession, they are far from the only ones to do so (as previously discussed).

One unusual place that recently showed a mix of faith and the military was the Discovery Channel’s Future Weapons.  The military-focused show features a variety of advanced weaponry, explaining and demonstrating the capabilities of the latest advances in combat arms.

The host, Richard “Mack” Machowicz (bio), is a former Navy Seal who also trained to be a zen priest. Read more

Coming Soon: AtheistFighterPilot.com

Some who have visited ChristianFighterPilot.com have made accusations of exclusivism, favoritism, and even violation of the Constitution for mixing “church and state.”  At the extreme, conspiracy theorists have accused ChristianFighterPilot.com of being bent on world domination.  After all, only Christians would have the gall to so publicly mix their military service and religious faith, right? 

Actually, Christians aren’t the only ones integrating their faith and their service, and others, too, have “exclusive” websites featuring their faiths. Read more

Buddhist Hall Opens in AF Cadet Chapel

As first noted on the Religion Clause, the Air Force Times reported the opening of a room in the Air Force Academy cadet chapel for Buddhists.

The paper reported that the room “opened Monday.”  Notably, Buddhists have had opportunity to use the rooms in the chapel for years, so it is possible that this is simply the first truly dedicated space they have utilized.  As noted in the article, dozens of faith and non-faith groups use the chapel facilities.

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