Tag Archives: Church and State

Air Force Leaders Send Holiday Greetings

As noted at the Air Force website, the top 3 US Air Force leaders distributed their 2009 holiday season greetings.  They asked Airmen to “reflect on our blessings,” and expressed gratitude for deployed Airmen and fellow servicemembers serving in war.  The leaders also specifically asked Air Force families to “reach out” to the familes of deployed servicemembers and single Airmen, and

welcome them into your holiday celebrations, in the spirit of giving and support that makes our greater Air Force family so special.

Ultimately, Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley, Air Force Chief of Staff Norton Schwartz, and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force James Roy successfully transmitted a neutral note of goodwill for anything that happens to be going on during this specific time of year:

In all of the joyous ways that this holiday season is celebrated, we wish you and yours the very best–during this special time, and througout the New Year.

While admirably non-exclusive, the message is almost meaningless Read more

Military Aviation, God Willing

Stars and Stripes penchant for finding religion in a story continues with its headline “Wing and a prayer.”  The title is evidently a reference to the Islamic “cultural view” cited in the article:

The members of the air corps are “the cream of the cream of the crop” when it comes to the Afghan army, Rennell said. Still, an “inshallah” (God willing) mind-set dominates the ranks, a cultural view that clashes with the strict protocols required for operating highly technical aircraft.

While insha’allah is traditionally compared with the Southern Baptist “Lord willin’,” others have considered it more a statement of realism or fatalism.  In what may be an urban legend based on stereotype, stories have been told about Islamic pilots Read more

Chaplain Foley, Motivational Speaker

US Army Chaplain (Capt) Matt Foley has an odd claim to fame.  Yes, he is that “Matt Foley:” the Saturday Night Live motivational speaker played by Chris Farley.  He and Farley played rugby together in college, and Farley would ultimately promise to use Foley’s name when he acted out the character.

A local news article relates Foley’s motivation and history in becoming a Catholic priest and military Chaplain. As has been noted before, there is a shortage of Catholic Chaplains in the US military, a problem that has Foley “FOB-hopping” around Afghanistan serving the needs of Catholic (and other) soldiers.

Foley’s reputation at Bagram is Read more

Mount Soledad Cross Case at Appeals Court

The decades-long battle to remove the Mount Soledad cross from the hills of San Diego is once again at the appeals court.  In various formats, lawsuits have challenged the Mount Soledad cross for years.  In this most recent iteration, the US District court in July 2008 ruled in favor of those who support the cross remaining at its current location.

The basic complaint is that the cross is an inherently religious symbol, and by sustaining it on public land, the US government violates the Constitutional prohibition against “establishing” a religion.

The ACLU, which is representing the plaintiffs, has had to defend itself against accusations that it wants to remove crosses (and any memorials with them) from all public lands–including military cemeteries.  An attorney for the American Legion, Read more

US Military Provides Diverse Spiritual Support

A legitimate question that all new members of the military (or those aspiring to be) have is to what degree they will be able to exercise their religious faith while in the service.  Regardless of the service, the role of the US military corps of Chaplains is to ensure the troops’ access to free exercise of their religion, as well as act as a focal point for the protection of religious freedom within the military.  Such freedoms are restricted only as necessary by the needs of the military mission.

While an occasional complaint makes the news implying that the military supports only a single religion, a veritable plethora of counterexamples undermine that claim.  Recently, the Pulaski County Daily Read more

Chaplains Guard Constitutional Rights

As noted here late last year, the US military has increased its public relations emphasis on the virtues of its Chaplaincy and spiritual environment.  This was likely to counter allegations and perceptions of religious intolerance or impropriety within the US military.  All of the military branches now routinely publish news releases on Chaplains of varying faiths selflessly serving their troops, as well highlighting the inclusive spiritual atmosphere within the US military.

An article from Keesler Air Force Base appears to be the most blunt to date.  Entitled “Chaplains guard constitutional right to religious freedom,” it features Chaplain (Capt) Charles Mallory reciting Read more

Letter Inspires Responses: God’s Role in Combat

A letter to the editor at the Stars and Stripes complained of offense when the paper quoted a soldier apparently expressing a belief in God (discussed here). The “non-believer’s” letter spawned a spate of responses.

Three responses directly addressed the original letter writer’s question.  The first attempted to explain the sovereignty of God by pitting free will versus God’s will, a complicated subject at best for the opinion section of a newspaper.  A second letter also taught a theological lesson, as well as bluntly communicating a Christian message.

The third addressed a more basic concept in the original letter, noting that God has allowed many to die–and live–when man cannot comprehend why.  The first sergeant makes an astute observation about the self-contradiction of the initial complaint:  Read more

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