As noted previously, a group of atheists (or anti-religionists) at the Freedom From Religion Foundation is trying to bring Jesus down from the mountain. After finally producing an actual plaintiff, a federal judge has ruled they have standing to continue their lawsuit:
The Knights of Columbus and four others had requested that the lawsuit be dismissed since the Freedom From Religion Foundation had not Read more
Members of the 90th Air Refueling Squadron deployed to Incirlik, Turkey, took full advantage of their exposure to a foreign culture — even participating in the local Islamic “Feast of Sacrifice:”
The feast’s origins come from the story of Abraham heading up a mountain to sacrifice his son, but his son’s life was spared by God’s provision of a ram. In a spirit of thankfulness during this festival, animals are sacrificed and the meat divided into portions — some being kept by the family, and the rest given away to the poor.
The unit’s commander noted the troops’ desire to participate in the religious festival, despite the fact they weren’t Muslims: Read more
The US Army recently released Field Manual 1-05 (FM 1-05), Religious Support, the
Army’s keystone manual for detailing fundamental principles of comprehensive religious support.
Much of the 40-page manual is little more than logistics and structural guidance on how chaplains and religious support are to be integrated into Army operations. That the Army felt the need to publish such a document, however, is one indicator of the high value it places on such religious support.
The manual begins with an introduction on the history and importance of chaplains:
Chaplains have served in the U.S. Army since the first days of the American Revolution and many have died in combat. These chaplains represented more than 120 separate denominations and faith Read more
Dr. Don Snider (Col, US Army, Retired), a Political Science instructor at the US Military Academy at West Point, responded to USAFA law instructor David Fitzkee’s (Maj, US Army, Retired) prior Parameters article on religious freedom with a commentary criticizing the analysis of command involvement. Regarding the memorandum on religious neutrality issued last year, Snider said
It seems fair to say that the Chief of Staff of the US Air Force does not trust some of his Commanders to correctly fulfill their responsibilities to “support individual Airman’s needs and provide opportunities for the free exercise of religion.” So, he has withdrawn autonomy from all of his Commanders to do so, turning it over to their Chaplains.
Snider accurately notes that this singles out issues of religion for separation from command guidance: Read more
An atheist thinks this is an illegal “Christian shrine.”
Multiple military war memorials are now under attack by atheists who consider the presence of a Christian cross offensive.
Former soldier and current atheist Jason Torpy, the one-man association of military atheists (MAAF), has previously lodged complaints with the US Marines over the Camp Pendleton cross (which has yet to be resolved). He is opposed to the cross in Arlington National Cemetery for the same reason.
This follows the national trend of several activist organizations that have been threatening cities and towns with lawsuits if they fail to remove memorials which contain Read more
David Fitzkee (Maj, USA, Retired) is a law professor at the US Air Force Academy. In the fall of 2011 he had an article published in Parameters (vol. 41, no. 3), (“The US Army’s Senior Professional Journal”) entitled “Religious Speech in the Military: Freedoms and Limitations.”
The 14-page essay is an interesting read, and it opens with a strong premise:
It is crucial that military leaders understand and respect the scope of religious speech rights. Honoring the constitutional rights of subordinates is inherently the “right thing to do” in a society and military governed by the rule of law, particularly when all military leaders take an oath to support the Constitution.
Unfortunately, the very next paragraph of the introduction sets a poor tone for the paper:
Failure to understand the rights and limits concerning religious speech can adversely affect the mission…It can result in internal investigations into allegations of violations or even lawsuits against the military, both of which entail substantial time, effort, and distraction from the mission.
Maj Fitzkee aptly notes that “investigations into allegations of violations” can “distract from the mission” — but he illogically assumes Read more
One of these Bibles has been declared a “national security threat.” Can you guess which one?
The controversy over Michael Weinstein’s assertion that a Bible was a “national security threat” doesn’t seem to have abated even with their dwindling supply. From the Air Force Times:
Air Force Sergeants Association CEO John “Doc” McCauslin said the Defense Department allows each service’s insignia to be Read more
Despite Chris Rodda’s claim that highlighting the US military’s support for all of its troops — including atheists — is somehow bad, Jason Torpy of the one-man Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers recently praised Fort Bragg for doing just that:
Ft Bragg chaplains showed openness to nontheists in allowing the [Niose] event at Watters Family Life Center on Ft Bragg. This is a positive step forward, showing openness from the chaplaincy and community-building by the local humanist community.
While it undermines the MRFF narrative that the US military is a coercive Christian complex, it remains true that the military supports all of its servicemembers, without regard to religious belief, to the extent the mission and resources allow.
Unfortunately, Torpy went beyond that topic and attempted Read more