Tag Archives: donald trump

Vice President Pence: Military Service is “Putting Teeth on Your Faith”

Vice President Mike Pence, speaking at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast this week, had an interesting take on military religious freedom. As he paused to recognized veterans and service members present at the breakfast, he said

Would all those who are present here today who have worn the uniform of the United States of America, would those men and women please stand up and allow us to thank you for your service and putting teeth on your faith in defending our freedom? Thank you for your service.

It’s a fascinating way to think about it.

Pence also emphasized the President’s priority on Read more

US Navy Gets Out in Front of President Trump

Update: After outcries of persecution due to President Trump’s silence, the acting Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel Anthony M. Kurta issued a DoD gay pride month celebration announcement.  Ironically, this contradicts information posted on the DEOMI website, which indicates the observance is “established by Presidential Proclamation” — which means the DoD is “celebrating” something that does not (yet) exist this year.

The US Navy got out in front of its own commander Wednesday when it issued a press release celebrating homosexuality for the month of June — something the Commander in Chief, President Donald Trump, has yet to do:

The Navy joins the nation in recognizing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month throughout June…

“The Navy needs men and women who are the right fit for the right job regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, creed or gender identity,” said Capt. Candace Eckert, Special Assistant for Inclusion and Diversity.

Notice Capt Eckert didn’t include “religion” — but she did include three different variations of sex. That’s “diversity” in the Navy, it seems.

President Trump has yet to have his nominee for Secretary of the Navy, Read more

Group: Choose Military Readiness or Transgender Politics

The Conservative Action Project recently called on President Trump to fulfill his mandate to “restore the strength of our military” by eliminating Obama-era policies that “hinder” the mission [emphasis added]:

Conservative leaders urgently suggest that the Trump Administration review and rescind the Obama-era policies that hinder military readiness and overall effectiveness. Politically correct policies have been imposed largely through administrative fiat. They can be removed in like manner while further study and congressional guidance is obtained. The most problematic policies in this category are those addressing the presence of transgender individuals in the military.

The letter goes on to make a strong case that social engineering isn’t good for the military, an argument supported by Rebecca Hagelin at the Washington Times.  Hagelin made the point the military has been used over the past few years to foist a social agenda on America: Read more

President Trump’s “Questionable” Claim on Military Religious Freedom

When President Trump signed his executive order on religious liberty at the beginning of the month, most of the criticism (as the President seems to attract much of it) was focused on the IRS and enforcement of the Johnson Amendment.

A few sites, however, took issue with his reference to religious liberty in the US military. During his Rose Garden announcement on the National Day of Prayer, President Trump said (video):

Just one example, people were forbidden from giving or receiving religious items at a military hospital where our brave service members were being treated and where they wanted those religious items.

Though he made no direct statement, that clearly seems to be a reference to the December 2011 controversy in which Walter Reed updated its visitor policy to say Read more

Mikey Weinstein Blames Donald Trump for Christian National Security Threat

Yesterday Michael “Mikey” Weinstein was covered by Newsweek in an article entitled “Trump Effect Inspires Radical Christians in Military” (warning for ad-heavy site).

The article began [emphasis added]:

Donald Trump’s election has led to such a steep rise in fundamentalist Christian evangelizing and religious bigotry in the US armed forces that the matter is reaching the level of a “national security threat…”

The allegation that Donald Trump has inspired “evangelizing and religious bigotry” in the military is a serious charge — one which “award-winning” columnist Nina Burleigh utterly fails to support with any evidence. What follows in her article is a rah-rah fluff piece that does little more than parrot the words of Mikey Weinstein as if Weinstein himself is preaching the gospel.  Burleigh dispenses with “anonymous sources” and simply has one: Mikey Weinstein.

In an apparent effort to bolster her claim — or perhaps sensationalize it — Burleigh cites an exhaustive list of “charges” against the military as a result of Trump’s election, which she seems Read more

Heather Wilson Confirmed Secretary of the Air Force. Mikey Weinstein Cringes.

Heather Wilson (USAFA ’82) is now the first graduate of the US Air Force Academy to become Secretary of the Air Force, thus ensuring her legacy as a bullet in every four degree’s issued Contrails. She becomes only the second DoD appointee under President Trump to successfully take office, coming just after the second nominee for the Secretary of the Army, Mark Green, withdrew last week.

Even Wilson’s relatively easy confirmation was delayed, with some reports indicating an “unnamed Senator” had put a hold on her confirmation. Mark Green had cited the threat of just such a “hold” on his potential confirmation — which would have kept the Army from getting its new Secretary indefinitely — in his reasoning for withdrawing his name last week.

At one point, Michael “Mikey” Weinstein was facetiously Read more

Gen Boykin Speaks Out in Defense of Mark Green

Secretary of the Army nominee Mark Green, who already enjoys the support of Secretary of Defense James Mattis, recently had retired LtGen Jerry Boykin speak up in his defense [emphasis added]:

Retired Lt. Gen. Jerry Boykin, an executive vice president at the Family Research Council, said Green has had the courage to stand up in a politically correct environment and state his religious views.

“I don’t think there is any question that he is being targeted for his Christian faith,” he said.

Meanwhile, Green, as a former soldier and Army surgeon, has great qualifications to be secretary and is a candidate who already understands troops, Boykin said.

It is telling that none of Green’s critics have Read more

President Trump on Military Religious Freedom

In the proclamation for the National Day of Prayer:

We are also reminded and reaffirm that all human beings have the right, not only to pray and worship according to their consciences, but to practice their faith in their homes, schools, charities, and businesses in private and in the public square free from government coercion, discrimination, or persecution. Religion is not merely an intellectual exercise, but also a practical one that demands action in the world. Even the many prisoners around the world who are persecuted for their faith can pray privately in their cells. But our Constitution demands more: the freedom to practice one’s faith publicly.

The religious liberty guaranteed by the Constitution is not a favor from the government, but a natural right bestowed by God…

That seems almost a direct affront to those who have claimed religious liberty in America was only freedom of “worship” — privately, within the four walls of your church, synagogue, etc.

At the signing of an Executive Order protecting religious freedom: Read more

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