Think it can’t happen here?
Saeed Abedini is the Christian pastor who has been jailed for “threatening the national security of Iran.”
Saeed Abedini, 32, was in Iran last summer to finish building an orphanage when members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard took him away in a bus for prison. He has been held captive and reportedly beaten and tortured since September.
Abedini, a naturalized US citizen, was Read more
Michael Weinstein, who runs his self-styled Military Religious Freedom Foundation “charity,” recently endorsed a “horrendously homophobic” website — at least, according to his own standards.
Last week, Weinstein complained that the US Air Force Academy had linked to a website called JewFAQ. The page it linked to was benign, and did exactly what the USAFA page intended, explaining the religious holiday in question. On other pages, however, the website had the gall to describe teachings from the Talmud. Though this might have shocked Weinstein — a self-described “Jewish agnostic” — most normal readers were not likely surprised to read Jewish beliefs on a Jewish website.
Weinstein and his acolytes took particular umbrage with one reference, however. Quoth Weinstein: Read more
In typical fashion, Michael Weinstein recently accused the US Air Force Academy of impropriety when USAFA chaplains published a link to a Jewish website that had traditional explanations of Jewish religious texts. (The context was a page of upcoming religious holidays, with links to websites with background — arguably an admirable effort at educating cadets on religious liberty and their duties.)
Weinstein’s offense at religion isn’t a surprise. What is a surprise is General Mark Welsh, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, took the time to pen a personal reply — and promise action:
From: “Welsh, Mark A III Gen MIL USAF AF/CC”
Subject: RE: EXTERNAL: MRFF Demand Letter (Feb. 13, 2013) to USAF Chief of Staff
Date: February 13, 2013 9:03:33 PM MST
To: Mikey Weinstein
Cc: “Harding, Richard C Lt Gen MIL USAF AF/JA” , “Gould, Mike C Lt Gen USAF USAFA USAFA/CC”Thank you Mr Weinstein. Read more
According to NBC News, the US Army is starting the process to recoup the cost of atheist former Cadet Blake Page’s West Point education:
In a memorandum dated Dec. 12, the superintendent of West Point Academy, Lt. Gen. David Huntoon, did recommend to Army headquarters that Page be honorably discharged and that recoupment — in the form of money or service as an enlisted soldier — be waived.
The response, signed by Thomas R. Lamont, assistant Army secretary, approves Page for an honorable discharge, but disapproves the waivers. In the Jan. 28 memorandum, he orders the West Point superintendent “to conduct a recoupment investigation.”
The Army could demand up to $250,000 or order Page back to active duty, where he previously served enlisted before Read more
In October of last year, an atheist Army Soldier, SSgt Victoria Gettman, lodged complaints after a mandatory suicide prevention briefing ended with a military chaplain taking the stage and offering a candlelit prayer.
The incident seems fairly benign, and merited little attention at the time. Now, though, it seems Michael Weinstein is weighing in with (yet another empty) promise to file a lawsuit:
Mikey Weinstein, founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, doesn’t consider Gettman’s case closed, and he and his litigation team intend to pursue an “aggressive” federal lawsuit if the Army fails to rectify Gettman’s complaints.
The article contains an important quote from Gettman [emphasis added]: Read more
Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who put darkness for light
and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter!
Isaiah 5:20 (ESV)
As part of the effort to ensure everyone gets treated “with equal dignity and respect,” outgoing Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has announced access to military benefits available only to homosexuals:
It is a matter of fundamental equity that we provide similar benefits to all of those men and women in uniform who serve their country…Today, I am pleased to announce that after a thorough and deliberate review, the department will extend additional benefits to same-sex partners of service members.
According to the SecDef memo (PDF),
These [new] benefits shall be extended to the same-sex domestic partners and, where applicable, children of same-sex domestic partners, once the Service member and their same-sex domestic partner have signed a declaration attesting to the existence of their committed relationship.
The new DoD policy emphasizes these benefits are available only to homosexuals. Heterosexuals cannot sign the same statement and Read more
Michael Weinstein, frequent critic of religious freedom in the US military, has “threatened” so many lawsuits that he’s long become the boy who cries wolf. (Besides, the “wolf,” in the case, has yet to survive the first Motion to Dismiss — four times.)
The US Army has once again raised Weinstein’s ire by — shockingly enough — researching the ability to train chaplains the same way it trains other soldiers.
Weinstein finally got around to commenting on a subject noted here a month ago: The US Army is researching the ability to use simulations to train chaplains for battlefield scenarios, much like it does for medical personnel. As noted at the time:
Chaplains [already] go through training on how to survive the bullets and explosions…This simulator…will give chaplains multiple opportunities to experience real-life scenarios and practice their ministry in a controlled environment.
Weinstein would have none of it:
“We are gong [sic] to put the pedal to the metal on something like this. If necessary, we will consider intervening in federal court,” said Mikey Weinstein…
Laughably, even the otherwise-friendly article noted Weinstein’s vendetta Read more
Update: Also discussed at the Christian Post.
We’ve reached a point where people are afraid to actually talk about what they want to say, because somebody might be offended. We’ve got to get over this sensitivity; it keeps people from saying what they really believe. It muffles people, it puts a muzzle on them; and, at the same time, keeps people from discussing important issues while the fabric of their society is being changed…
Dr. Benjamin Carson, Sr., the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast:
Why is it so important that we educate our people? Because we don’t want to go down the pathway as so many pinnacle nations that have preceded us. I think particularly about ancient Rome. Very powerful. Nobody could even challenge them militarily, but what happened to them? They destroyed themselves from within. Moral decay, fiscal irresponsibility. They destroyed themselves. If you don’t think that can happen to America, you get out your books and you start reading, but you know, we can fix it.
Watch the video.
Quote from the 17:00 minute mark.
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