Michael Weinstein claims to be an advocate of religious freedom, willing to give his “last drop of blood” even for beliefs with which he disagrees.
Weinstein was recently proud to point out he had Penn Jillette, of Penn and Tiller, as a visitor at an MRFF rally. Penn had this to say:
Fair enough. More interesting, however, is what Jillette had to say about Christians, the very next day: Read more
Apparently, Michael Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation thinks atheists need special government support to be considered “equal” with Christians.
The media has had a chance to digest the accusations the US Army post at Fort Bragg discriminated against atheists in their treatment of “Rock Beyond Belief,” and apparently interviewed those involved.
Doesn’t look good for Weinstein and his MRFF crowd.
“I think it all boils down to money,” [Col Stephen] Sicinski said Read more
Normally, Michael Weinstein leans on World War II imagery when he attacks Christianity, saying American Christians are banding together to take over the US (under a new government led by James Dobson and Dick Cheney, apparently) to create “oceans and oceans of blood.”
Adding to his repertoire, Weinstein now appropriates terminology from the civil rights era. In response to the US Army approving a planned atheist event on its grounds — but not on the terms Weinstein wanted — Weinstein had this to say:
This is taking North Carolina back to the Jim Crow Read more
Some people say that Americans who grow up in other countries before becoming citizens (rather than being “born American”) have a better appreciation of the life and liberties available in the United States. US Army Reserve LtCol Joseph D’costa, who was born in Uganda, certainly feels that appreciation.
He grew up with a desire to attend West Point, and ended up spending a year in college and turning down an ROTC scholarship not so he could attend West Point, but so he could attend the preparatory school to get ready for West Point. He was eventually accepted and graduated in 1989: Read more
Several news organizations are reporting the Said Musa (alternatively, Sayed Mussa) has been released from prison. An Afghan convert to Christianity, he had been told he was to be hanged for abandoning Islam, with the full support of the Afghan government.
The exact circumstances of his release are unclear:
Mr. Mussa…was released…after prosecutors determined there was insufficient evidence to go forward with the case, said Gen. Qayoum Khan, the detention center director. But…a senior prosecutor involved in the case, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he was released only after agreeing to return to Islam.
Musa appears to have left the country, as did the last public convert to Christianity threatened with execution in Afghanistan. Other Christian converts — as many as 26 were arrested at the same time as Musa — reportedly remain jailed.
Ensign Michael Izbicki, a 2008 US Naval Academy graduate, previously sued the US Navy to gain status as a conscientious objector.
A Connecticut news outlet reports Izbicki has been granted an honorable discharge; he, in turn, is dropping his lawsuit.
Importantly:
He’s not getting out of the Navy scot-free. As part of his honorable discharge, Izbicki will have to reimburse the Navy for his education at the Naval Academy. Normally men and women attend the service academies free of charge.
Update: Also covered and with background at the Christian Post and GetReligion.org.
Via the ADF.
A US Air Force Academy press release on its National Prayer Luncheon highlighted the “many faiths” represented at the event. Key speaker Lt Clebe McClary spoke of his Christian faith, but he emphasized motivation, resilience, and self-worth:
Lieutenant McClary introduced his audience to a few acronyms they might not have heard of previously. Three examples included PRIDE: “Personal Responsibility in Daily Effort,” FIDO: “Forget It and Drive On,” and PATCH: “Positive Attitude that Characterizes Hope.”
“Life’s tough. You know that better than I do,” he said. “Are you going to get bitter, or are you going to get better?…”
The lieutenant also challenged people to think about Read more
The story of the Afghan convert to Christianity sentenced to die for leaving Islam has picked up more steam as Christian leaders from John Piper to Rick Warren have called for action.
John Piper tweeted…”Mr. President, speak wisely and boldly, in private if necessary, for Said Musa, imprisoned in Kabul.”
On Sunday, Rick Warren, named as one of the top 20 Twitter celebrities by Forbes, brought attention to how the media has underreported Musa’s story.
“Media CLAIM to champion free speech but if they really did, they’d report these stories everyday,” Warren told his 245,653 Twitter followers.
Warren linked to an article questioning the Presidential intervention over the threat of Koran-burning in Florida, but the Read more