Tag Archives: christian

Baylor Editorial Advocates for Transgender Military Service

The student paper of Baylor University, which identifies itself as a Christian university, recently posted an editorial advocating that the US military accept “transgender” individuals into the service. Noting first that Baylor prohibits students from participating in groups that advocate sexuality “contrary to biblical teaching,” the editors of the Baylor Lariat then proceed to advocate for transgenders:

While the Lariat editorial board does not condone this lifestyle, we support any American’s right to serve in the military as long as they are qualified…

The editorial follows a spate of other public advocates of transexuality, including an editorial at the LA Times in July.  The Baylor Lariat may Read more

Congress to Hear Testimony on Military Religious Freedom

A group of military religious freedom supporters — and at least one critic — will appear before the House Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee this week to testify on the state of religious liberty in the US military.

Advocates for military religious freedom invited to the hearing include

  • Michael Berry, Liberty Institute attorney who acted on behalf of cadets at the US Air Force Academy this year
  • Retired Chaplain (Col) Ron Crews, an outspoken advocate for military religious freedom
  • Travis Weber, Director of the Family Research Council’s Center for Religious Liberty, US Naval Academy graduate and former Naval aviator.

Their organizations are also part of the Restore Military Religious Freedom coalition.

On the critics side, Michael “Mikey” Weinstein Read more

Jewish Chaplain Integrates Faith, Military Profession

Chaplain (Capt) Michael Bram made the news as the first Jewish chaplain to serve at Elmendorf since the 1970s:

According to Bram, there are only six Jewish chaplains on active duty in the U.S. Air Force. The first Jewish chaplain at JBER in the last 25 years, Bram said he is used to the curiosity that can surround a man in a uniform and a yarmulke.

“The question I am asked, more than any other question, is, ‘How does it stay on your head?'”

Chaplain Bram has a fascinating story, told at Read more

Military Christians Targeted in Face of Islamic Extremism

Recent news reports indicate two US citizens were recently killed while fighting on the side of the terror group known as ISIS, which has declared an “Islamic state” in northern Iraq and eastern Syria.  (Reports indicate that makes at least three Americans killed fighting on the side of the Islamic extremists so far, and others want to.)

A second American citizen who died fighting for terror group ISIS in Syria has been identified as Abdirahmaan Muhumed of Minneapolis, reports have said.

Fox News reported that the 29-year-old Somali-American died in the same battle as Douglas McArthur McCain, the first American to be identified as having died on the Islamic militant side.

It turns out former US Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan, the man sentenced to death for killing more than a dozen of his fellow soldiers in the 2009 massacre, wants to become a citizen of this new Islamic state (more proof, some say, the attack was an act of terrorism, not “workplace violence“).

In an interesting bit of timing, Army Sgt Hasan Akbar — sentenced Read more

Mikey Weinstein Belittles, then Speaks at Georgia School

Update: The recent articles reference complaints filed this past summer by UNG’s “Students for Secular Freedom.”  For background, Cadet David Gormley started a Change.org petition on April 27th calling for “Remov[ing] Christian Prayers From School Sponsored Events.”  This was apparently the day of UNG’s Memorial Retreat, according to a video uploaded to YouTube by Gormley but attributed to another student, Saara Wintersgill.  (Wintersgill is credited on another video from another ceremony the same weekend.) UNG’s SSF subsequently advertised the petition on Reddit, saying a “U.S. Public College Forces Sectarian Prayer on Cadets.”  An atheist posting of the controversy in April generated some interesting comments on both sides of the debate.  The SSF apparently has crossover with UNG’s “Skeptics Society,” for which Gormley and Wintersgill are listed as officers.  Wintersgill has previously published articles at the student paper on the activities of her group.

Cadet Daniel Holder of the University of North Georgia — “the military college of Georgia” — apparently objected to prayers offered at school events. After being “ignored” by the school, he called Michael “Mikey” Weinstein’s MRFF. Weinstein promptly wrote a letter (PDF) to the school, accusing UNG of violating the Constitution and being “Christian supremacists” [emphasis added]:

UNG’s brazen contempt of our Constitution is undeniable…This state sponsored organization [the cadet chaplain corps] is a Christian Supremacist group…

Until the day comes that the United States chooses to follow the shining examples of Saudi Arabia, the Taliban, and Read more

Christian Commander Takes over Military EO Training

The US military’s equal opportunity offices, including its primary training school at DEOMI (Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute), have come under fire under the past year for a variety of issues, including labeling Christians as “extremists,” using the Southern Poverty Law Center as a “reference,” and lamenting “white privilege” in the DEOMI training manual.

In an interesting twist to the story, the newly appointed DEOMI commander, Col. Morris “Reese” Turner, made a point of noting his “strong Christian faith” in a biographical interview with a local paper.

DEOMI also produces official posters for heritage and diversity months, which includes the celebration of homosexuality and bisexuality. Read more

Navy Bans Bibles after Atheist Complaint

Update: The Navy has reversed the decision of NEXCOM, saying it was made without consultation with Navy leadership.  The Bibles will be returned to the hotel rooms and will not be removed.  Retired Chaplain (Col) Ron Crews had called on the Navy to reverse the policy.  The Navy now joins the Air Force in having been attacked for its lodging facility Bibles — and, for the moment, withstood the attack.  Also at the Christian Post, OneNewsNow, the Washington Times, Religion News Service, the New American, and USA Today.

As first reported by the American Family Association, the Freedom From Religion Foundation filed a complaint with the US Navy because there were Gideon Bibles in the nightstands at Navy lodging facilities.

So the Navy decided to remove them.

“The current direction is to remove all religious material from Navy Lodge guest rooms,” read an email to a Navy chaplain from The Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM).

Jason Torpy of the MAAF tried a few years ago to Read more

US Soldier Forced Out over Religion, Sues US Army

US Army Master Sergeant Nathan Sommers made waves last year when he said he faced retribution from the Army for political bumper stickers, reading conservative political books, and serving Chick-fil-A sandwiches at his promotion party after the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

Those controversies apparently boiled over into what the Army called a substandard performance evaluation (which MSgt Sommers contested). The poor evaluation triggered a review of his continued enlistment, and he was recommended for discharge — even as his other appeals were still being processed. Since he was eligible to retire, he was essentially forced to do so.

The day after he retired, he filed a lawsuit claiming he was forced out of the military due to his religious beliefs.

Master Sergeant Nathan Sommers, a 25-year veteran of the military and a decorated soloist in the U.S. Army Band Chorus, claims he was forcibly retired from the Army due to his religious and conservative political beliefs.

MSgt Sommers may have one of the stronger cases Read more

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