A military press release describes the interesting story of three California National Guard soldiers who were able to take part in the pilgrimage to the Church of the Black Madonna in Kosovo.
Alongside the Balkan pilgrims…three California National Guard Soldiers [said the] trip was more than just an excursion to see the sights of Kosovo, but a journey to a higher calling. Read more
Organizations who oppose religion in public life (including the military) generally dismiss as ‘ludicrous’ the assertions that their goal is to scrub all vestiges of religious expression from government institutions, like the military.
American Atheists recently undermined that defense when they decried President Obama’s use of “God bless you” in his address to school children yesterday. The logic was particularly disturbing because it is the same as some activists who oppose religious associations in the military– Read more
S. Michael Craven is the President of the Center for Christ & Culture. His ministry emphasis is on living Christianity in the face of modern cultural challenges, with the goal of applying Christianity to all aspects of life. He “works to equip Christians with an intelligent and thoroughly Christian approach to matters of culture in order to demonstrate the relevance of Christianity to all of life.”
In an August 17 article, Craven writes about seeing his son leave for the Marine Corps. Near the end of the article, he writes an intriguing paragraph on Christianity in the military Read more
Officers’ Christian Fellowship (OCF) highlights an interesting article from Col Al Shine (USA, Ret), describing what a Christian life should look like in the military. It should impact every part of your life and profession:
“Jesus is Lord”
…will be reflected in your integrity.
…will affect your attitude.
…will be a source of strength and guidance.
…will affect how you fight.
…will add a dimension of ministry to your life.
The evangelism associated with living a Christian life in the military Read more
US Army Chaplain (Lt Col) Avi Weiss has previously been profiled here. The Defense Department has a new article out that notes the challenges he experiences not only as a Jewish Chaplain serving all faiths, but also as a Jewish Chaplain serving the unique aspects of the Jewish faith.
Like all chaplains, he serves Soldiers, civilians and family members of all faiths, but the wide variety of Jewish traditions among his faithful adds an extra level of complexity. Weiss is personally “very traditional Orthodox,” but many of the military members he serves are not. Read more
Previously, a question was posed about the propriety of a photo that showed Maj. Gen. Vincent Brooks and a flag with a Christian cross. The photo and initial post can be seen here. The accusation said that a regulation had been violated because it was
a photo of an Army officer giving a briefing while standing in front of a Christian flag.
So, did the General, as the accusers assert, violate military regulations?
The shortest, most accurate answer: Read more
President Barack Obama hosted an iftar at the White House Tuesday night, celebrating the end of Ramadan. Among the guests were Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Navy Chaplain (Lt. Cmdr.) Abuhena Saifulislam, the second Islamic Chaplain in the US Navy, and Elsheba Khan, whose 20-year-old son, Army Spc. Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, was killed in Iraq on 6 August 2007.
Chaplain Saif, a Bangladeshi immigrant, was one of two Chaplains Read more
In the vein of the American Atheist’s complaint against NASA, a variety of similarly-minded groups continue to bring accusations of wrongdoing against government-associated religious organizations. For example, the ACLU has criticized the Gideons providing religious materials while in some association with a government entity (including the Gideons’ interaction with the US military).
Controversies notwithstanding, the ubiquitous nature of the Gideons ministry almost inevitably leads to the never-gets-old joke:
How do they get those Bibles in all those locked hotel rooms?
Well, in 1996 evidence arose that the Gideons were successful in getting a Bible into one of the most inaccessible nightstands in the world; in fact, it’s not even in the world. Read more