Tag Archives: Islam

Flying Spaghetti Monster Joins Jesus Christ at Travis AFB

The US Air Force has decided to let the nativity and Menorah at Travis AFB stand, despite the prior complaint from Michael Weinstein and his erstwhile atheist ally:

While we appreciate the concerns raised by the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), the Office of the Air Force Judge Advocate General, upon review, concluded the inclusion of a Wing Chaplain sponsored Nativity Scene and Menorah as part of a broader, secular holiday seasonal display does not violate the establishment clause of the United States Constitution.

Weinstein complained about the timing of the press release, as his most pressing concern is publicity.  (He probably thinks the death of Kim Jong Il was part of the timing plan.)  He then said

We believe they have come to the wrong conclusion based on constitutional law. Rather than telling media through a press release we rather suggest five words: tell it to the judge.

The Air Force has little reason to be concerned.  The last time Weinstein said that he did…nothing.  Weinstein is “the boy who cried wolf” with respect to threats of filing lawsuits.

According to American Atheists’ “military director” Justin Griffith, Travis Read more

New Chapel Rising at Fort Campbell

The US Army post at Fort Campbell is getting a new chapel to support its 20 different religious services attended by more than 2,000 congregants each week:

The post’s seven chapels are getting too small for the needs of the soldiers and their families, said Chaplain (Col.) Roger Heath, the installation chaplain at Fort Campbell.

The $8.4 million, 32,900-square-foot complex will hold 1,200 people and include supporting campus areas.  It is scheduled to be Read more

Afghan, American Chaplains Discuss Evolving Partnership

A DoD news release describes visits between US military chaplains and what are apparently their Afghan equivalents: “religious and cultural advisors” in the Afghan Army.

The article chose an interesting contrast in highlighting the roles each nation’s “chaplains” filled.

From the Americans:

To demonstrate how the chaplains nurture the living, [Chaplain (Maj) Brian] Curry and his team showed the Afghan RCAs a coffee shop that was built and is operated by the religious support teams…It provides a place for Soldiers to take a break from their work, watch movies, read books, play games, or use computers or phones to talk to their families in the United States.

From the Afghans:  Read more

Chaplain to General Petraeus on His Ultimate Hero

US Army Chaplain (Col) Brent Causey was recently a lead chaplain in Afghanistan, responsible not only for other chaplains, but also “religious leader engagement” in the region:

[Chaplain] Causey was as the top chaplain to Petraeus as well as the chaplains’ supervisor throughout the Afghanistan war theater. He also was Petraeus’ “point man” for diversity, responsible for religious leader engagement in the Islamic nation.

Chaplain Causey spoke highly of the importance of the role of the “chaplains on the front lines:”

“It’s amazing to see the impact our evangelical Christian chaplains –- especially the Southern Baptist chaplains -– are having Read more

Walter Reed Issues Statement on Bible Ban

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center issued the following statement in response to the outcry over its explicit ban on Bibles in the facility, saying it was “incorrect” as written and “has been rescinded.”

We are in the process of rewriting our policy and would like to offer the following statement:

Bibles and other religious materials have always been and will remain available for patient use at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The visitation policy as written was incorrect and should Read more

Pentagon Shooting Suspect a “Loyal American”

Yonathan Melaku, accused of firing shots at the Pentagon in October and November of 2010, has made his initial court appearance to face federal charges for the attacks.  The federal case had been on hold while his unrelated larceny case was resolved; it was that case that led to his dismissal from the Marines days after he was arrested.

Melaku was arrested and charged in June after he was spotted in Arlington National Cemetery after dark in an incident that sparked a massive security scare in and around Read more

Rep King: Extremists have Joined US Military

Update:  Members of the joint Congressional committee “blasted” the Department of Defense for downplaying talk of terrorism and referring to the Fort Hood massacre as “workplace violence.”  The DoD was accused of being “politically correct” in avoiding association of the terrorist attacks with Islam — the same thing it was found at fault for in the months leading up to the Fort Hood shooting.

US Representative Peter King (R-NY), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, is holding another hearing on “homegrown terrorism.”  While he was criticized for his earlier hearings on the subject for the implied negativity toward American Muslims, these new hearings are a joint meeting between the House and Senate committees, showing “threat is legitimate,” according to King.

King and Senator Joe Lieberman, his Senate counterpart from Connecticut, both agreed that US military soft targets are “increasingly in the terrorists’ scope.”

There is growing evidence that homegrown terrorists see military personnel and bases as legitimate, high-value targets, lawmakers Read more

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