Tag Archives: Chaplain

Weinstein Targets Travis AFB Nativity, Menorah

[Update: In a brilliant move, Travis AFB is inviting the local press to come see the “holiday” display today.  Officials also indicated the issue was being elevated, since, as noted below, Travis is far from the only military facility to have religious displays during Hanukkah and Christmas.]

Michael Weinstein, the single paid officer of his personally-founded charitable “foundation,” has threatened Travis Air Force Base with legal action.

Because they put up a nativity scene and a Menorah.

In case you hadn’t noticed, it is approaching Christmas and Hanukkah.  It is traditional during this time of year for military bases around the world to light Christmas trees, have visits from Santa (he arrives by plane), erect nativities and Menorahs, and sponsor what is often known as a “holiday card lane.”  This confluence of events is an acknowledgement of the celebrations in which a vast majority of military members — and American citizens — partake.

The issue of “holiday” trees has already been discussed.  Though the legal letter fails to mention it, the nativity and Menorah at issue are part of the Holiday Card Lane at Travis AFB.  Traditionally, Air Force bases allow units, individuals, and organizations to create “holiday cards,” often out of 4×8 sheets of plywood.  There may or may not be other criteria in place, like whether or not the cards can have lights or need to be fastened down to the ground. These cards are lined up along an avenue of the base.  Sometimes, they are judged in contests or inaugurated simultaneously with the tree-lighting (as were the ones at Travis).

The only thing Weinstein takes issue with, however, is the nativity and Menorah. Why?  The letter from Jones Day, written by attorney Katherine Ritchey, interestingly never mentions Weinstein by name.  It says  Read more

Chaplain to General Petraeus on His Ultimate Hero

US Army Chaplain (Col) Brent Causey was recently a lead chaplain in Afghanistan, responsible not only for other chaplains, but also “religious leader engagement” in the region:

[Chaplain] Causey was as the top chaplain to Petraeus as well as the chaplains’ supervisor throughout the Afghanistan war theater. He also was Petraeus’ “point man” for diversity, responsible for religious leader engagement in the Islamic nation.

Chaplain Causey spoke highly of the importance of the role of the “chaplains on the front lines:”

“It’s amazing to see the impact our evangelical Christian chaplains –- especially the Southern Baptist chaplains -– are having Read more

Article: USAFA “Dogged” by Michael Weinstein

An unusually pointed article from the Baptist Press summarizes some of the recent events at the US Air Force Academy — and minces few words on the cause of “anti-Christian pressure” at USAFA:

Recent actions by the U.S. Air Force Academy could appear as if commanders are on a mission to rid the institution of Christian influence, but a nearby pastor says the actions are the result of intense pressure from one man…

Mike Routt, pastor of Circle Drive Baptist Church in Colorado Springs, Colo., told Baptist Press the hostility toward Christianity at the Air Force Academy is not the result of the leadership there but is in response to pressure from Mikey Weinstein of Read more

Newest Jewish Chaplain Sports Beard

Rabbi Menachem Stern officially became Chaplain (1LT) Stern after being sworn in last week.

Stern is a member of the Chabad Lubavitch movement of Judaism, whose rabbis are prohibited from shaving their beards.

The Army’s decision was commended by Chaplain (COL) Ron Crews of the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty:

This decision by the Army chief of chaplains is an example of protecting religious liberty by providing for the religious support of a significant number of Jewish troops.

Mayor, Jewish Chaplain, Deploys for Holidays

Menashe Miller is the Mayor of Lakewood Township in New Jersey.  He is also a US Air Force Chaplain.  A local news report covers his temporary displacement as Mayor so he can deploy over the Jewish holidays to support Jewish servicemembers in the war zone:

A farewell ceremony was held for the unsuspecting mayor at his final committee meeting for the year on Thursday. Committeeman Meir Lichtenstein organized a performance of the “Star Spangled Banner” as well as a Jewish Read more

DADT Repeal a Chance to “Counter” Evangelical Chaplains

An article from the homosexual advocacy magazine Dallas Voice indicated the repeal of the policy known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” presented an opportunity to “rebalance” the chaplaincy.

The article relied largely on an interview with Chaplain Candidate (1Lt) Chris Antal, a Unitarian Universalist.  Interestingly, Antal gives some credence to the “change” that occurred in the military after most chaplains (and the rest of the military, frankly) enlisted:

Antal said that chaplains who enlisted knew what they were getting into — to some extent. But none of them really expected the repeal of the military’s anti-gay “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. And for many, that repeal was a game changer.

To date, the position of the military leadership has been members of the military signed up to serve, regardless of any change in the moral culture.  For that reason, applications for dismissal due to moral opposition to the policy change were not permitted.  (Only chaplains could do so, by virtue of having their sending body rescind their endorsement.)  The rest of the article references the Forum on the Military Chaplaincy, a group of active and retired chaplains and others who advocated for repeal of DADT.  (A member of that group previously called religious opposition to the homosexual lifestyle “bigotry.”)  The group was reportedly started by those Read more

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