Tag Archives: Islam

Friendly Atheist Tries, Fails to Qualify Criticism on SPLC Hate Groups

Hemant Mehta recently stumbled all over himself trying to say that the Southern Poverty Law Center’s designation of “hate groups” is fine when it comes to Christians, but not when it comes to atheists (something he first tried to do last November).

Just a few days ago Mehta defended the SPLC when Guidestar, a charity review site, began including the SPLC’s ‘opinion’ on charities it claims are “hate groups”.  Within the conversation, Mehta appropriated the SPLC’s “hate group” designation for some Christian groups.  When those groups complained they were being targeted for their beliefs, Mehta said “that’s a lie” and celebrated the idea they would lose charitable donations for the designation. (Guidestar subsequently dropped the categorization under pressure.)

Then, the news broke that Maajid Nawaz is suing the SPLC. He’s a former Read more

US Military Continues to Ignore Mikey Weinstein, Lessons Learned

by Sonny Hernandez

Via the MRFF

On Monday, April, 27, 2017, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), which is actually a “freedom from religion” foundation that harasses Christians, issued a communiqué titled, “MRFF files official Department of Defense Inspector General (DoD/IG) complaint against USAF Chaplain (Capt.) Sonny Hernandez.” In this complaint, the MRFF’s attorney sent a letter to the Deputy Inspector General for Administrative Investigations that alleged:

USAF Chaplain (Capt.) Sonny L. Hernandez’s blog post on “Christian Fighter Pilot”…can reasonably be considered as violating Numerous Punitive Articles [sic] defined in The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) [sic].

I. Background

To explain what caused this accusation ad-nauseam, Christianfightpilot.com (CFP) posted a Read more

US Army General Hosts Islamic Iftar

US Army BGen Miguel Castellanos, the CJTF-HOA deputy commanding general, recently hosted an Islamic iftar to celebrate the breaking of the fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The event began with US Navy Chaplain (Cmdr) Abuhena Saifulislam leading some foreign troops in Islamic prayers. (Saifulislam had recently performed the same ritual for the State Department in Djibouti.)

BGen Castellanos made an interesting statement Read more

Pilots Join DC Gay Pride Parade

Every now and then someone critiques the idea of there being a “Christian Fighter Pilot.” For some (generally non-Christians), it is the perceived “oxymoron” of being a follower of Christ while simultaneously being a military combatant. Many who are trying to find something to gripe about critique the idea that there needs to be a “descriptor” to discriminate about types of fighter pilots. Why not just be fighter pilots?

In fairness, though, Christians haven’t been the only ones to “celebrate” their contribution to the military mission — or even being a fighter pilot. For example, a few years ago, the Atheist Fighter Pilot made a short-lived showing here, and religious groups and organizations have sprung up for a variety of faiths.

Apparently, pilots can be known for their faith, their lack of faith…

…and how they like to have sex.

This past weekend, one of the participants in the Capital Pride Read more

The Religious Test of Russell Vought, but Not Mark Green

Critics have come out in force against US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt) after he said he would not support President Trump’s nominee for the deputy director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought. Sanders’ reason? Vought has Christian beliefs, which he expressed in a column defending Wheaton College in 2016 in which he said that “Muslims stand condemned”:

Muslims do not simply have a deficient theology. They do not know God because they have rejected Jesus Christ his Son, and they stand condemned.

In his questioning during the confirmation hearing for Vought’s nomination to the OMB, Sanders asked:

Do you believe people in the Muslim religion stand condemned? Is that your view?

…I don’t know how many Muslims there are in America. Maybe a couple million. Are you suggesting that these people stand condemned? What about Jews? Do they stand condemned too?

In your judgment, do you think that people who are not Christians are going to be condemned?

I would simply say, Mr. Chairman that this nominee is really not someone who this country is supposed to be about.

Atheists, liberals, and Christians alike have condemned Read more

Islamic Army Chaplain Shabazz Dons Christian Stole

As previously announced, on May 23rd Chaplain (LtCol) Khallid Shabazz took over as the Division Chaplain for the 7th Infantry Division at Joint Base Lewis McChord:

Shabazz…became the Army’s first Islamic chaplain at the division level at a Change of Stole ceremony…officiated by Maj. Gen. Thomas James Jr., 7th Infantry Division commanding general.

The “changing of the stole” appears to be strictly a US Army chaplaincy tradition, as Read more

UPDATE: Mikey Weinstein Claims Multiple Muslim Military Wives Assaulted

Michael “Mikey” Weinstein’s ego was apparently stung by the now public accusation he was using an old, pre-election story to justify his claims that Donald Trump’s election had inspired an increase in “radical Christians” in the US military.  On Friday, Weinstein went out of his way to directly respond to an article published the day prior at the Christian Post which highlighted the issue from the Newsweek article:

Weinstein said that there was a more recent incident of a Muslim woman being harassed at a commissary that, while similar to an incident from years earlier, nevertheless happened to a different member of the military.

That’s fascinating. Over the past 8 years Mikey Weinstein has told only three such stories.  All three were military wives.  All three were Muslims. All three occurred in a military commissary. Two of the three were allegedly surrounded and spit on.

Coincidence?  Trend?  Fabrication?

If Weinstein’s stories are true, 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

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