Chaplain (RAdm) Brent Scott recently replaced the retiring Chaplain (RAdm) Margaret Kibben as the Chief of Chaplains for the US Navy.
Chaplain Scott had previously been the Deputy for the Chief, which also Read more
Gen Robert Neller, Commandant of the Marine Corps and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently attended an iftar meal ending Ramadan fasting in Baltimore. Generally speaking, such events should be non-events, though senior military leaders publicly attending religious events occasionally brings criticism (normally when they’re Christian events).
One notable statement from Gen Neller [emphasis added]:
Neller shared some stories about his travels as a Marine to places where he was the minority as a white, Catholic American. He spoke about using what he knows about Islam to find common ground with Iraqi leaders during a year spent in Anbar province.
“We’re all sons of Abraham – why are you fighting me?” Neller recalled telling them.
It’s a fascinating statement on several levels. It’s a valid Read more
US Navy Chaplain (CAPT) Thomas Walcott recently became the Chaplain of the Coast Guard, replacing US Navy Chaplain (CAPT) Gregory Todd.
Chaplain Todd has apparently been nominated to the rank of Rear Admiral, to become Read more
Update: In response to this denial, Mikey Weinstein is now demanding the POW/MIA table be piled with books of various other spiritualities. This is standard Weinstein fare (he’s used it before) for trying to try to milk the “controversy” timeline and make the situation as annoying as possible in hopes he’ll be placated. Meanwhile, who, precisely, is being “honored” by this?
As reported at the San Diego Tribune, the US Navy has rebuffed Michael “Mikey” Weinstein’s attempt to have a POW/MIA display “investigated” because it contained a Bible:
In a letter dated April 17 and mailed to New York attorney Donald G. Rehkopf Jr., San Diego-based Rear Adm. Paul D. Pearigen said that “neither further review nor an investigation of this matter is necessary.”
Initially, it appeared the Navy had asked “how high?” when Weinstein Read more
The Marine Corps published an interesting article about José Rodriguez, a civilian who works for the Marine Corps Systems Command — and who is also an Episcopal Priest:
With encouragement and support from the command, Rodriguez brings that same passion to the Orlando community where he serves as an Episcopal priest at Iglesia Episcopal Jesús de Nazaret.
Although it is rare in the Episcopal Church for a priest to have two careers, Rodríguez chose to work at TRASYS because his job goes hand-in-hand with his mission as a priest.
It’s an interesting example of a man integrating Read more
By now you’ve probably seen the reports saying Michael “Mikey” Weinstein filed a complaint (PDF, through his lawyer) about a Bible at a POW/MIA display at Okinawa, Japan. What these reports don’t seem to convey is this is just Mikey being Mikey. Every couple of months he makes these kinds of complaints; they hit a high point every now and then, fade into the background later, and maybe catch peoples’ attention again.
The POW/MIA display is a piggy bank for Weinstein. If his coffers get low, he can pull one of these from his files and try to get attention.
To prove the point, consider that the subject of this latest complaint at US Naval Hospital Okinawa is a POW/MIA table that is on permanent display. It’s been there for years. Nothing Read more
A “Did you know?” article out of Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow retells the fascinating history of John Newton and William Wilberforce — as well as the commonly known hymn “Amazing Grace.”
When you hear the iconic song, Amazing Grace, what do you think of? Church choirs? Funerals? Perhaps bagpipes belting out the haunting tune? Did you know that the author of Amazing Grace was once a slave ship master who saw the light, reformed his ways and became one of the most influential people in history for the abolition of slave trade? His influence, particularly on William Wilberforce, helped to push the British Parliament to abolish slavery in 1807.
The article is somewhat unique in Read more
Officers’ Christian Fellowship and First Liberty Institute recently participated in an episode of OCF’s fledgling Crosspoint podcast in which retired Navy JAG CAPT Chris Blake and First Liberty lawyer (and Reserve Marine JAG) Mike Berry discussed the “religious rights of those in uniform.”
At one point, CAPT Blake asks “what has changed” over the past few decades that makes it seem the support for religious freedom has waned since the unashamed exercise of faith years ago. To that, Mike Berry had a witty reply:
The opponents of religious freedom have become louder…but that doesn’t make them more correct.
That was an observation Read more