In the wake of the Aiden scandal and questions about their acts’ previous behavior, Fort Bragg has reportedly made sure those behind Rock Beyond Belief are “fully aware” of the standards they must follow.
The reminder comes after the most recent question from an Army chaplain about the event’s ability to adhere to military guidance: Read more
Think the issue of LtGen Ronnie Hawkins and his “Ronnie’s Rules” is new? Military commanders have a long tradition of introducing themselves to their units and including personal biographies and life philosophies when they do so, and there are other current examples of military leaders doing exactly that — and mentioning their faith in Jesus Christ as they did so. A few critics have complained, naturally, but their vicarious or self-imposed offense has been insufficient to force the military to restrict the mention of “God” in similar military events — and rightly so.
Supporters have also weighed in with well-researched articles, not just passionate press releases. The Religious Rights of Those in Uniform, which was also printed in an official Air Force publication that also featured the MRFF’s Chris Rodda, was written by Robert Ash (USA, Retired), who is a West Point graduate, served 22 years in the Army, and teaches law at Regent University. He co-authored the lengthy piece with Dr. Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice (and debated Michael Weinstein at the US Air Force Academy in 2007). From their essay [emphasis added]: Read more
As he has with every public controversy in the US military, perennial religious freedom critic Michael Weinstein claims Christians are to blame for the burning of Qurans at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan.
[The Koran burning] once again reveals a noxious undercurrent of fundamentalist Christian supremacist exceptionalism…This culture of religious bigotry is fueled by militant, unchecked Christian fundamentalism.
Weinstein pontificates for another thousand words (most of them adjectives, as is his tradition) without really saying anything more of substance. He does make some fairly ridiculous Read more
Prominent milblogger BlackFive obtained a copy of a US Army memo from Afghanistan restricting the distribution of Qurans:
Qurans will only be distributed to US Servicemembers who are Muslim as indicated on their identification tags…Exceptions…will be granted if the Service Member has a memorandum signed by his Commander that states the reason for obtaining a Quran provided by the chaplain.
Qurans will not be placed in general literature distribution racks. They will be kept in a secure location…
The memo is signed by US Army Chaplain (LTC) Eric Albertson, a Catholic Read more
The Columbus Dispatch highlights a familiar connection of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation and the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers through Ohio State University.
Two of the most-prominent national organizations fighting for religious freedom in the U.S. military have roots at Ohio State University.
Retired [sic] Army Capt. Jason Torpy incorporated the nonprofit Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers while getting a master’s in business administration at Ohio State in 2006.
Air Force Reserve Capt. Casey Weinstein, whose experiences at the Air Force Academy helped lead his father to begin the [MRFF], also has an MBA from Ohio State. His wife, Reserve Capt. Amanda Weinstein, is working toward a doctorate in economics there now.
It’s interesting to see OSU as a common thread, but “prominent” is Read more
Michael Weinstein took a pay cut in 2010, so it looks like he felt the need to write a book to try to make up the difference. He wrote an “op-ed” printed on the Washington Post website, though it was characterized by a fairly solid theme: No new material, except for hawking Weinstein’s book.
It was refreshing, in some respects, to see Weinstein eschew the subtlety of some of his supporters and just come right out and say he and his “religious freedom” group are targeting Christians: Read more
Ever the one for florid vitriol, and never failing to connect Christianity to military scandals, Michael Weinstein claims the recent burning of Korans at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, was an intentional act of Christian “exceptionalism aimed at the people of Afghanistan.”
The root of this ongoing crisis is the fundamentalist Christian extremist scourge within the U.S. Military.
Naturally, Weinstein fails to say how he knows the religious beliefs or the malicious motivations of the troops involved — yet he still Read more
Despite his claims the US military is overrun by Christians trying to take over the world, Michael Weinstein seems to have more public allies in military leadership positions than he has public enemies. In addition, Michael Weinstein seems to have some very well-placed friends in the US military, despite his claims he is a David fighting an institutional Goliath.
Weinstein’s “close personal…relationship” with an Air Force base’s commanding general has already been discussed, as has his unusual access to an Air Force Colonel’s non-releasable records. It turns out Weinstein also counts the recently retired JAG of the Air Force as a cheerleader for his cause.
In fact, Weinstein’s apparently unfettered access to military leadership is so unusual Congress has been asked to investigate it.
The most interesting example of Weinstein’s friends in high places was Read more