Tag Archives: marines

Military Christians Targeted in Face of Islamic Extremism

Recent news reports indicate two US citizens were recently killed while fighting on the side of the terror group known as ISIS, which has declared an “Islamic state” in northern Iraq and eastern Syria.  (Reports indicate that makes at least three Americans killed fighting on the side of the Islamic extremists so far, and others want to.)

A second American citizen who died fighting for terror group ISIS in Syria has been identified as Abdirahmaan Muhumed of Minneapolis, reports have said.

Fox News reported that the 29-year-old Somali-American died in the same battle as Douglas McArthur McCain, the first American to be identified as having died on the Islamic militant side.

It turns out former US Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan, the man sentenced to death for killing more than a dozen of his fellow soldiers in the 2009 massacre, wants to become a citizen of this new Islamic state (more proof, some say, the attack was an act of terrorism, not “workplace violence“).

In an interesting bit of timing, Army Sgt Hasan Akbar — sentenced Read more

Will Mikey Weinstein Fear US Marine Corps Chaplaincy? (Video)

Michael “Mikey” Weinstein — the man who runs a “charity” that claims Christians in the US military are trying to start a nuclear war — may have a new reason for fear. You see, RAdm Brent W. Scott just became the chief Chaplain of the entire US Marine Corps.

As the senior Navy chaplain serving in the Marine Corps, Scott will oversee nearly 300 chaplains and 250 religious program specialists currently supporting the spiritual needs of Marines. He will also serve as a key advisor to the commandant on religious accommodation, morals and ethics, and the spiritual welfare of the force.

New US Navy Chief of Chaplains RAdm Margaret Kibben, Chaplain Scott’s new boss, was enthusiastic about Scott and the importance of his position:  Read more

Chaplain on Life Decisions

Chaplain (LtCmdr) Harvey Macklin recently had the opportunity to give a sermon to “improve unit cohesion.” He was able to see his Marines grow “not just as warriors, but also as strong spiritual leaders:”

[Soldiers are] going to have to make a decision one day on who they’re going to follow and what they’re going to put their trust in. From my perspective, trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ as our savior to lead us, guide us; to help us with our mind, our heart, our soul and our strength, is who we are. Everything else comes after that. Bravery, courage, obedience, loyalty; it all comes out of who you are. If you don’t know yourself, you’re going to have very little success in life.

Read more. Read more

US Military Highlights Respect for Muslims

A report at FoxNews highlights a message from US Army Col. Kevin Glasz, brigade commander of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, regarding respect for Islam during Ramadan:

“This is a period of great personal restraint and commitment in addition to renewed focus on worship,” Brigade Commander Col. Kevin Glasz wrote. “I’d like to encourage you to learn just a little more about this religion, but more importantly, I’m asking you to be considerate and do not consume food or drink in front of our Muslim colleagues; it is a simple, yet respectful action.”

In contrast from policies governing US military personnel in Bahrain, which was highlighted here last month, the USUHS is in Maryland, and there are no laws in Maryland governing Ramadan.

Optimistically viewed, it is just a supportive statement from the military to help others respect the faiths of those around them. But as an anonymous Marine officer is quoted in pointing out, this kind of “supportive statement” is only used in reference to Islam:  Read more

Group Tries to Stoke Controversy over Atheist Chaplain

Update: Jason Torpy revived the issue enough to generate a Navy Times article, though it contained no new information.  In fact, a Navy official reiterated a point made below — even humanists can’t really put bounds on a definition of “humanism:”

“Humanism’s not a defined term across the country,” the official said. “There’s a group of Jewish Humanists. The Humanist Society was once the Humanist Society of Friends, a Quaker organization.”

The official, referring to Heap, continued: “I don’t know that he represents a religious organization by any accepted definition.”

Tom Carpenter, a former Marine pilot and one of the founders of the Forum on the Military Chaplaincy — the homosexual advocacy group that lobbied for the repeal of DADT — has attacked the Navy chaplaincy for not approving the chaplaincy application of Jason Heap, a self-described non-theistic humanist. Tragically, if not predictably, Carpenter seems to base his attack on “evidence” that does not exist [emphasis added]:

…The Navy Chief of Chaplains rejected the application of Jason Heap, a highly qualified chaplain candidate who would have been the first Humanist military chaplain. All the evidence leads invariably to the conclusion this decision was based upon a Constitutionally prohibited “religious test.”

What public evidence is there the Navy rejected the application based on a “religious test?” None whatsoever.

Carpenter implies — repeatedly — the Navy Read more

Marines Save Camp Pendleton Crosses

With fires raging in southern California, US Marines based at Camp Pendleton took the time to rescue crosses memorializing their fallen comrades:

First Sergeant’s Hill in Camp San Mateo, California, is home to nearly two dozen wooden crosses memorializing fallen Marines from Pendleton, a sacred site created by and for Marines to remember lost comrades. When new Marines arrive at Camp Pendleton units, more senior troops will often take them to the site and explain its significance.

The fires ultimately overcame the hills, but Read more

Saddleback Church Hosts Military, Camp Pendleton Memorial Service

A local campus of Rick Warren’s California Saddleback Church hosted special Memorial Day services on Sunday, including a visit from a local wounded warrior:

Machine gunner Sedrick Hay, who has been a part of 2nd Battalion 1st Marines, 2nd Battalion 5th Marines and currently, the Wounded Warrior Battalion, will share his story that includes having been deployed three times, once to Iraq and twice to Afghanistan. He is a member of Saddleback Church and will lead those attending in a moment of prayer.

The article notes this is not a one-off ministry event for Saddleback. Rather, the church has partnered with the military at Camp Pendleton to provide a variety of support services for members of the military:  Read more

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