According to a press release, 10 US Air Force Academy cadets attended a Hindu service in the cadet chapel to celebrate the Hindu pantheon.
The Academy chaplain’s office provided support for the event, which was led by Hindu priests with the Sri Venkateswara Temple of Colorado.
Cadet 3rd Class Anish Bachu of Cadet Squadron 09 called the event historic and thanked the chaplains, particularly Chaplain (Col.) Robert Bruno Read more
According to a press release, Army Sgt Justin Griffith received an “outstanding achievement award” at the Carolinas Secular Conference over the weekend for his work on Rock Beyond Belief, the Fort Bragg atheist festival that drew a few hundred people to the Army base in late March of this year:
Despite overwhelming odds, and many hurdles, Justin Griffith demonstrated that those of all faith, or none, have as true American right Read more
Michael Weinstein recently gave an interview in which he said absolutely nothing new (a surprisingly common occurrence, given that his “war” on religious freedom in the military is several years old). It remains amazing, however, that no one calls Weinstein out on his obvious disdain for Christians — for no other reason than expressing Christian beliefs.
The interviewer asked a simple question: “What kind of complaints do you hear about?”
After his standard vagaries about assaults and ruined careers, he brought up Officers’ Christian Fellowship: Read more
Natasha Mozgovaya at the Jewish Haaretz poses an interesting question:
What if the U.S. had invested in promoting religious tolerance as much as it did in military aid?
It seems the US is not developing the best reputation for the promotion of religious freedom (or, apparently, religious tolerance, which would certainly follow). Her article contains a pretty big “might,” though: Read more
A few recent articles highlight the service of US military chaplains around the globe, doing far more than the stereotypical Sunday morning chapel service:
As the Army begins to open certain career fields to women, chaplains are affected: The 101st Airborne just received its first female chaplain in Chaplain (Capt) Delana Small. In so doing, she became a part of the “legendary Band of Brothers.” Her assignment was a result of the Department of Defense “Women in the Service Review.” The DoD article is full of praise for the new chaplain.
In Africa, US chaplains met with their military counterparts from nine East African nations for the “third annual…African Military Chaplain Conference” in Djibouti.
While Africa isn’t in the news too much, save a few isolated mentions, it is noteworthy that US military chaplains are engaging at the rate they have.
Another article covers the touching, yet surprising, story of the service of military chaplains at Arlington National Cemetery:
Led by senior chaplains Read more
Any guesses as to who said this?
You can’t even begin to understand biology, you can’t understand life, unless you understand what it’s all there for, how it arose…So I would teach [it] very early in childhood. I don’t think it’s all that difficult to do. It’s a very simple idea. One could do it with the aid of computer games and things like that.
I think it needs serious attention, that children should be taught where they come from, what life is all about, how it started, why Read more
As part of Suicide Prevention month, the US Army’s 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, asked their troops ‘what they live for:’
What do you live for?
The Stars and Stripes repeated a Las Vegas Sun article highlighting Nellis AFB Airmen who feed the homeless through a local ministry on a regular basis:
The airmen and ministry’s tables are crowded with hardboiled eggs, pizza, hot dogs, salad, chili mac, bread, turkey-and-cheese sandwiches and water. McShane blesses the food, and Read more