Tag Archives: christian

Senator Tells Air Force to Explain Response to MRFF Complaint

A few other media sources are catching up to Senator John Cornyn’s (R-TX) letter to the Secretary of the Air Force released on Monday.

Suspending a course like this because of references to religious texts misinterprets the First Amendment. [The Constitution] does not, as some have argued, protect them from exposure to religious references.

(Some continue to use the word “misrepresents,” though the published letter says “misinterprets.”)

Michael Weinstein’s MRFF — which claims a Constitutional Read more

First Bible on the Moon to be Auctioned

What is reportedly NASA’s first “lunar Bible” is being auctioned in a “Space and Aviation Artifacts” event this month.

The tiny object, an intact microfilm of the King James Bible containing all 1,245 pages and measuring 1.5 x 1.5 inches, will be included in the auction by PR Auction on the company’s website beginning Sept. 15.

The miniscule Bible was reportedly a product of the Apollo Prayer League — a group of NASA employees from all fields — and it was created to fulfill  Read more

MRFF Targets Military Ministries. Again.

Speaking for Michael Weinstein and his Military Religious Freedom Foundation, Chris Rodda recently went on the offensive against Officers’ Christian Fellowship, a Christian military ministry.  (This isn’t really new.  Rick Baker lists virtually every Christian ministry in existence in his frequent diatribes against religious freedom in the military.)  Rodda’s write-up sounds like the intro to a Twilight Zone episode:

Throughout the US military…lurks an organization of over 15,500 fundamentalist Christian military officers who think their real duty is not to protect and defend the Constitution, but to raise up “a spiritually transformed military, with ambassadors for Christ in uniform, empowered by the Holy Spirit.” These officers belong to an organization called the Officers’ Christian Fellowship (OCF)…

(Rodda later gives a second nod to the Twilight Zone with the Read more

Group Complains of Religious Training at Lackland AFB

A group of trainees at the US Air Force basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, was photographed in a religious training event that has raised the ire of a religious watchdog.

On the first Sunday in August a representative of Harun Yahya was allowed, following an invitation from the Muslim chaplain at Lackland, Captain Sharior Rahman, to present two classes: a morning one on “The Collapse of Darwinism and the Fact of Creation” and an evening one covering “Miracles in the Qur’an.”

Dr. Timothy Furnish of Family Security Matters has made it his purpose in life to track the “mahdi movement” (loosely paraphrased, the messianic side of Islam), of which Harun Yahya is a part.  Furnish obtained photographs of basic trainees sitting through a class on these Islamic studies:  Read more

Does the Bible Support Christian Military Service?

The previous article began to answer the question Can a Christian Serve in the US Military? by addressing the common pacifist criticisms of military service by Christians.  This article asks the more direct question:  Does the Bible actually support military service by Christians?

Men of God, and War

Despite the sometime pacifist assumptions placed upon Christian belief, many Biblical men of old and renown have been soldiers and still been faithful men of God — and nowhere was their military service questioned. Abraham, whom God selected to bless as the father of His chosen nation, was one of the earliest “generals” (Genesis 14:14-15). Moses and Joshua both led the Israelites in countless battles. God Himself ordered the Israelites to battle, and commanded His own army, for that matter (2 Kings 6:17). David, a “man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14), said that God “trained his hands for battle” (Psalm 18:34). David not only fought in war but also participated in some of the most brutal acts of slaughter recorded in the Bible (for example, when he arbitrarily killed every two lengths of the defeated Moabites (2 Samuel 8 )). In the military tradition of “praise the Lord and pass the ammunition,” Nehemiah “prayed to…God and posted a guard,” and told the leaders of Jerusalem to “remember the Lord…, and fight” (4:9, 14).

Thus, to claim all war is evil is to say not only that God Read more

Jewish USAFA Cadets Defend Religious Atmosphere

Two USAFA Chaplains and two cadets recently attended the 116th Jewish War Veterans Convention to brief the US Air Force Academy’s religious respect program and give “insight into the life of a Jewish cadet.”

Jewish Chaplain (Maj.) Joshua Narrowe and Protestant Chaplain (Capt.) Shawn Menchion represented the Academy’s Chaplain Corps at the convention. Cadet 2nd Class Jolie Grossman from Cadet Squadron 23 and Cadet 3rd Class David Harris from CS 11 also attended to provide their perspective as cadets.

Within the article Chaplain Narrowe made an observation many seem to forget:  The Academy is a college, and it draws 18-year-olds from all corners of the American society.  USAFA then has to train them — and they get a whole six weeks before they enter the cadet wing.

The Academy itself has a wide variety of Read more

US and UK Military Religion in Afghanistan

An interesting set of articles in the UK Guardian notes the role of religion in the military in Afghanistan.  The articles were written by Riazat Butt, who is reportedly traveling through Afghanistan with Army Chaplains.

The tone of her first article, from the British outpost at Camp Bastion, implies that the majority of British servicemembers eschew religion except for the rituals associated with the loss of a comrade.

Last Wednesday evening, thousands of troops gathered to remember Lt Daniel John Clack…in a 30-minute ceremony that wove together Christian and military liturgy. For many in attendance, the vigils will be their only regular exposure to religion whether on deployment or in Civvy Street.

The memorial monument bears a shining cross made from expended shell casings.

British Sergeant Ryan Coleman described the attitude this way:  Read more

Fort Bragg Atheists Thank Garrison Commander

In a rare display of gratitude toward the Army, the organizers of “Rock Beyond Belief” called on their supporters to “thank” Fort Bragg garrison commander Col Stephen Sicinski.

Unfortunately, they still managed to insult him in the same paragraph.

Rock Beyond Belief’s earliest attempts were not taken seriously by Fort Bragg, as visitors may remember.
 
However, the situation has changed drastically in the months since our first approach fell through. Fort Bragg’s Garrison Commander, Colonel Sicinski has made the right call, and has now approved our event with the full government support that was promised.

The person who was responsible for seeing they “were not taken seriously” — in the words of RBB — was, of course, Col Sicinski.  Still, Col Sicinski maintained the high ground and continued to say he was supportive of the atheists’ efforts — if only Read more

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