Tag Archives: christian

Tebowing Makes Time Magazine

As noted previously, Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow has an enormous platform for Jesus Christ — one he maintains with a humble yet strong spirit.

That platform has resulted in (literal) worldwide attention. “Tebowing” even made Time Magazines Top 10 Memes, one of its 54 “Top Ten” lists for 2011.

What does Tebow think of the meme? The quarterback has said he is pleased that the internet fad, however fleeting, is encouraging people to pray.

How’s your Christian witness?

Via the ChristianPost.

Camp Marmal Marines Baptized in Afghanistan

Just one day after their cross was pulled down from their chapel, five US Marines were baptized in Camp Marmal in a public affirmation of their faith:

[A] congregation of worshipers…witnessed the five service members publicly proclaim their belief in a higher power.

At the conclusion of the service, each service member was baptized individually, taking a backward plunge into a tub of water that was placed inside the chapel.

“This [the baptism] is only the beginning of their spiritual journey,” said Maj. Xuan Tran, chaplain…

The symbolic gesture of Read more

New Rick Perry Ad Vows end to “Obama’s War on Religion”

Much has been made of Texas Governor Rick Perry’s latest campaign commercial saying he would “end Obama’s war on religion.”  What is interesting is how he chose to characterize that fight against religion:

There’s something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can’t openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school…

Governor Perry associated the open service of Read more

Walter Reed Issues Statement on Bible Ban

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center issued the following statement in response to the outcry over its explicit ban on Bibles in the facility, saying it was “incorrect” as written and “has been rescinded.”

We are in the process of rewriting our policy and would like to offer the following statement:

Bibles and other religious materials have always been and will remain available for patient use at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The visitation policy as written was incorrect and should Read more

Atheist Complains of Military Pre-Mission Prayers

Jason Torpy of the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers was recently interviewed by NPR on the topic of atheist chaplains.  At one point he said he felt “excluded…because of his beliefs” while he was in the Army.  His unit was preparing for a convoy:

Going on a military mission, for example, we were getting ready to roll out…So as the commander of this convoy (said), ‘Everybody come in and we’re going to do a prayer first together.’ We’re not going to talk about communications, we’re not going to talk about route planning, we’re not going to talk about first aid, we’re not going to talk about maintenance.
 
So I had to opt myself out of that situation, to ‘out’ myself because this commander took it upon himself to have a personal religious activity in the midst of a military mission.

CNS News caught that, and later asked Torpy to clarify.  Torpy ultimately admitted the unit had prepared for the mission, despite his implication Read more

Walter Reed Rescinds Ban on Bible

Update: More than 20,000 people signed a petition in less than 24 hours to “help end the ban” on Bibles at Walter Reed.

A US Army officer “in disbelief” forwarded a Walter Reed National Military Medical Center memorandum regarding patient visitation to the Family Research Council.  The memorandum said:

f. No religious items (i.e. Bibles, reading material, and/or artifacts) are allowed to be given away or used during a visit.

The ban was so broadly written it would prevent even families from providing Bibles to their wounded family members, and it banned priests from bringing the eucharist or providing last rites.  Notably, while the policy banned all religious items, the Bible was the only religious text specifically mentioned.

The FRC circulated the memorandum at Capitol Hill, and Rep Steve King (R-Iowa) took to the House floor and “blasted” the policy:

Mr. Speaker, these military men and women who are recovering at Walter Reed and Bethesda have given their all for America…They’ve Read more

ACLJ: Michael Weinstein’s MRFF is Radical, Bullying

Yesterday the American Center for Law and Justice’s David French wrote a scathing (and accurate) critique of Michael Weinstein’s Military Religious Freedom Foundation (though it never mentions Weinstein by name).  The piece is entitled “The Campaign Against the Cross is Not About “Freedom,”” and its genesis is the current controversy over the cross at a memorial on Camp Pendleton.

French minces no words:

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) is perhaps the most deceptively-named organization in the United States.  Its tone is hysterical (it actually calls those who complain about religious influence “spiritual rape victims/tormentees”) and its methods Orwellian.

French also noted an example of the MRFF’s practice of publishing letters from those who claim to be active servicemembers, with their names redacted.  Chris Rodda published a letter from a Marine senior NCO that French called “incredibly profane and unprofessional.”  The redacted writer even said would probably be “kicked out” of the Read more

Fighter Pilot’s Family Finds Solace in Faith

The widow of US Air Force Capt Eric Ziegler, killed in June in a crash due to G-LOC, has demonstrated a calm reliance on her faith.  When asked about knowing the circumstances of her husband’s death, Sarah Ziegler said she found them “kind of irrelevant.”

“I’ve always believed, and still do, that everything happens for a reason and a purpose, and so I didn’t need a source or object to blame or anything like that,” she said.

While there is still grief, faith can help people deal with such loss.  Why?  Knowing there is an ultimate purpose, and the grief is temporary.  Sarah understands the fact that she and her husband had — and still have — a platform for Christ:  Read more

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