Tag Archives: Church and State

Critics Silent during Medal of Honor Ceremony

President Barack Obama presented the parents of Sergeant First Class Jared Monti with his posthumous Medal of Honor last Thursday.  The official ceremony was attended by government officials, civilians, and military members, including the surviving members of the patrol that engaged in the firefight that took Monti’s life.

The sacrifice that SFC Monti made reflected the greatness of character that embodies the American spirit.  Unfortunately, much of the coverage of Monti’s award focused on the fact that no living military member has received the Medal of Honor during the long-running wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

On the other hand, it was interesting to note where very little attention was given, despite the display of allegedly controversial conduct that occurred–not once, but twice–during the ceremony.  The President, members of Congress, military Generals and leaders, all on national television, were led by a uniformed officer in an overtly religious act.

They prayed.

It was tradition.  It was fitting.  It was right.

If you believe some people, though, it was also illegal.  Read more

US Military Engages in “Mind Training”

According to Time‘s Bonnie Rochman, the US military is engaging in a unique method of strengthening the military mind.  In her article “Samurai Mind Training for Modern American Warriors,” Rochman notes the increasing use of meditation in military training.  “Warrior Mind Training” is a program that is intended to build “mental toughness” in American servicemembers as part of an Army initiative set to begin Read more

Man of the Cloth and Uniform

A short Washington Post article describes Chaplain (Lt.) Ray F. Rivers, a 45 year old Marine Lieutenant and Chaplain from South Carolina.  The Chaplain is growing a beard to facilitate his meetings with local Islamic and political leaders, leading one Marine to say he “looks like Sting.”

As he demonstrates, Chaplains serve servicemembers, but they also serve the mission.

The Honor of Military Ceremony and Tradition

Much has been made of the traditional aspects of US military formations and ceremonies, including whether or not prayer and the Chaplaincy–which has been part of military protocol since George Washington’s time–is appropriate.

While not directly addressing the controversy of religion, Maj Thomas Smicklas has written a fascinating and heartfelt commentary on the meaning of military ceremonies and their time-honored traditions: 

The Air Force has many different types of ceremonies that are unique customs of our military profession. Read more

Mojave Cross Controversy at the Supreme Court

In 1934, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) erected a cross on a non-descript area of the desert in California as a war memorial.  In 2001, the ACLU filed suit to have it removed. A district court ruled that the primary purpose of the cross was to advance religion; therefore the presence of the cross on government land was unConstitutional.  Currently, the now-steel cross is covered by a wooden box to obscure its shape.

The case will be heard by the Supreme Court on October 7th.

While the ACLU repeatedly claims it is not trying to remove crosses Read more

Baptist Turned Buddhist Chaplain to Deploy

The Military Times papers have now picked up on the previously noted story about Army Chaplain (Lt) Thomas Dyer, a former Marine and Baptist pastor who converted to Buddhism and joined the Army National Guard (as published in the Tennessean).

The most recent article did have some interesting (and sometimes controversial) comments.  For example, despite the accusations that Chaplains can never evangelize, the article does provide the qualifier:  Read more

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