In what seems to be an annual event, another effort has been made in Congress to ban the Defense Department’s ability to sponsor teams or players in professional sporting events.
The $608 billion defense bill that passed the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday includes an amendment to prohibit Pentagon spending on NASCAR, professional fishing and professional wrestling events.
US Rep Betty McCollum (D-Minn) proposed the Read more
It is easy to forget that Michael Weinstein was an Air Force JAG “for 10 years” (if you can figure out how that timeline works, you win the Christmas turkey). In a recent press release conducted through his trusted Colorado Springs Independent, Weinstein claimed USAFA was now obligated to cancel its National Prayer Breakfast observance (the same event over which he sued — and lost — last year). Referring to the Colorado Court of Appeals ruling that said Colorado National Day of Prayer proclamations were unconstitutional,
Mikey Weinstein, founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, says the ruling means Read more
Jason Torpy, the one-man Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers, is an atheist and former Army officer. While his MAAF is ostensibly a “community support network,” he recently revealed the true motivation behind his ideology.
In a recent display of internet frustration, Torpy took fellow atheists to task for not banding together and being “anti-” enough. The context was a comment that people don’t join groups for things they don’t believe in, spoken by Neil deGrasse Tyson, a self-described agnostic (who says he is “often claimed by atheists”):
Do non-golf players gather and strategize? Do non-skiers…come together and talk about the fact that they don’t ski? I can’t do that. I can’t gather around and talk about how much everybody in the room doesn’t believe in God.
This is the same point raised by many people Read more
Michael Weinstein, the sole paid officer of the “charity” he founded and runs, revels in having people perceive him as a martyr for his cause. He recently said this about what his fight against religious freedom has cost him:
Someone asked my wife how much do you owe? What did you have to give up, probably a lot huh? She was crying when she made the statement, “No, we didn’t have to give up a lot, we had to give up everything.” There is no retirement fund. There is no retirement home. There is no sense of security…
There are two possibilities. First, that Weinstein is grossly Read more
As predicted, it didn’t take long for Chris Rodda to read last week’s write-up on the VMFA-122 Crusaders and manufacture some outrage. She called the renaming of the unit from the recent “Werewolves” back to the “Crusaders” “sheer stupidity” and a “constitutional issue.” Of course, everyone is aware of the clause in the Constitution that prohibits military units from having a cross on their patches. It must be in there somewhere…she said so.
Michael Weinstein was in regular form. Eliminating the unnecessary adjectives and adverbs, which constituted about a third of his statement:
“This…action…is…unconstitutional[] and…stupid[]. It [is]…propaganda…for our…Islamic foes and…a…national security threat…It will…hasten the maiming and deaths of our armed forces members…We’ll be seeing you in Federal Court, chump.”
“See you in court” from Michael Weinstein is about as threatening as “see you on the field” from the 2011 Indianapolis Colts. Being a perpetual loser kind of undermines your credibility.
Michael Weinstein, again, says that America’s extremist adversaries — not the US Constitution nor “Nature” nor “Nature’s God” — are the barometer by which Read more
Chuck Colson died on 21 April 2012. His name is so well known it requires little in the way of background, though surprisingly few know some of the finer details of Colson’s life.
Chuck Colson was an officer in the US Marine Corps from 1953 to 1955. Most people know he worked for President Richard Nixon, and that he would ultimately go to prison for obstruction of justice in the Watergate scandal. He became a Christian just prior to his arrest, beginning the rest of his life.
On 17 November 1993 Chuck Colson addressed the US Air Force Academy. An Read more
US Army PFC Naser Abdo, arrested in July 2011 while allegedly collecting supplies to bomb and shoot Fort Hood soldiers, reportedly confessed shortly after he was arrested. His lawyers unsuccessfully tried to get the confession ruled inadmissible.
[U.S. District Judge Walter Smith] rejected a defense motion to throw out a confession from the soldier accused of planning to bomb a Texas restaurant filled with Fort Hood troops…
Prior to this point, Abdo had been fairly defiant, and he didn’t seem to shy telling the police what his plans were:
“So I’m AWOL … and I was planning an attack here in the Fort Hood community,” Abdo says in the recording… Read more
When the Air Force directs its members to travel on official business, it attempts to provide them lodging facilities “similar to US mid-level, limited service commercial hotels” even on Air Force bases spread around the globe. As of October 1, 2012, those attempts will no longer include the traditional Bible in the nightstand.
According to atheist Jason Torpy, his demands have resulted in the Air Force changing its policies on the placement of Bibles in Air Force billeting facilities around the world.
After inquiries from the Military Association of Atheists & Freethinkers and a legal review, Air Force Services Operations [sic] has promised to end their Bible requirement…
Air Force counsel has recognized that…Air Force lodging managers are Constitutionally-bound to avoid entanglement with religion. Including a Bible in every room is a privilege for Christianity.
That isn’t exactly what the Air Force Services Agency said: Read more