PENTAGON MAY COURT MARTIAL SOLDIERS WHO SHARE CHRISTIAN FAITH
The Pentagon has released a statement confirming that soldiers could be prosecuted for promoting their faith: "Religious proselytization is not permitted within the Department of Defense...Court martials and non-judicial punishments are decided on a case-by-case basis...”.
The statement, released to Fox News, follows a Breitbart News report on Obama administration Pentagon appointees meeting with anti-Christian extremist Mikey Weinstein to develop court-martial procedures to punish Christians in the military who express or share their faith.
(From our earlier report: Weinstein is the head of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, and says Christians--including chaplains--sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in the military are guilty of “treason,” and of committing an act of “spiritual rape” as serious a crime as “sexual assault.” He also asserted that Christians sharing their faith in the military are “enemies of the Constitution.”)
Being convicted in a court martial means that a soldier has committed a crime under federal military law. Punishment for a court martial can include imprisonment and being dishonorably discharged from the military.
So President Barack Obama’s civilian appointees who lead the Pentagon are confirming that the military will make it a crime--possibly resulting in imprisonment--for those in uniform to share their faith. This would include chaplains—military officers who are ordained clergymen of their faith (mostly Christian pastors or priests, or Jewish rabbis)--whose duty since the founding of the U.S. military under George Washington is to teach their faith and minister to the spiritual needs of troops who come to them for counsel, instruction, or comfort.
This regulation would severely limit expressions of faith in the military, even on a one-to-one basis between close friends. It could also effectively abolish the position of chaplain in the military, as it would not allow chaplains (or any service members, for that matter), to say anything about their faith that others say led them to think they were being encouraged to make faith part of their life. It’s difficult to imagine how a member of the clergy could give spiritual counseling without saying anything that might be perceived in that fashion.
In response to the Pentagon’s plans, retired Lt. Gen. Jerry Boykin, who is now executive vice president of the Family Research Council (FRC), said on Fox & Friends Wednesday morning:
It’s a matter of what do they mean by "proselytizing." ...I think they’ve got their defintions a little confused. If you’re talking about coercion that’s one thing, but if you’re talking about the free exercise of our faith as individual soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines, especially for the chaplains, they I think the worst thing we can do is stop the ability for a soldier to be able to exercise his faith.”
FRC has launched a petition here which has already collected over 30,000 signatures, calling on Secretary Hagel is stop working with Weinstein and his anti-Christian organization to develop military policy regarding religious faith.
**UPDATE**
The FRC petition has now exceeded more than 40,000 signatures at the time of this update.
pros·e·ly·tize (prs-l-tz)
ReplyDeletev. pros·e·ly·tized, pros·e·ly·tiz·ing, pros·e·ly·tiz·es
v.intr.
1. To induce someone to convert to one's own religious faith.
2. To induce someone to join one's own political party or to espouse one's doctrine.
v.tr.
To convert (a person) from one belief, doctrine, cause, or faith to another.
Somehow, I doubt this will suddenly mean a soldier is no longer able to express their faith and I believe that this will turn out to be just another thing that sounds so outrageous and turns out to be bullshit when the whole story comes out.
(From our earlier report: Weinstein is the head of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, and says Christians--including chaplains--sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in the military are guilty of “treason,” and of committing an act of “spiritual rape” as serious a crime as “sexual assault.” He also asserted that Christians sharing their faith in the military are “enemies of the Constitution.”)
DeleteSound EXTREME to me but then again I don't drink the Kool Aid ...
So it's okay to be in the army and openly gay, but you cannot be openly Christian?
DeleteObama's "transformation of America" is truly sick and disgusting.
The small snippet of statement here does not support your premise. It does not say you can't be openly Christian. What is does say is that you can't go a fishin for men...in a religious sense (see what I did there?) But seriously. In basic training, the guy in the bunk below me was an extremely Christian man and he shared his faith with me quite a bit. However, he never tried to save my soul. I think about him at times to this day.
DeleteHaving served in the military, my perspective on this is not as a liberal, my perspective is that I believe I understand something about what is important to keep the military ready to do it's primary job. The military is NOT a Christian sword wielded by God and I feel there is a growing chorus of American's who want to see it become exactly that. The military needs to be kept safe from proselytizers of any stripe.
I agree with Max.
ReplyDeleteJean
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ReplyDeleteI was on a committee that sets up a charity auction with a super-Christian guy named Ben. We were working and I needed to ask a woman named Katie about something. She was in Ben's Bible study group and I had to interrupt their conversation about their last meeting. So I asked her whatever it was I needed to ask and was going about my business when Ben says to me, "Hey Jan, have you accepted Jesus Christ as your savior?" I replied with something like, "I don't know, Ben. I'm not a very religious person." To which he said, "You know that if you don't, you're gonna burn in hell forever."
ReplyDeleteI was taken aback by the judgemental bluntness of his statement but not really surprised. I was raised Christian and understand this is what they believe. After a brief pause I said something like, "Well Ben, I guess we'll all be held to account for our choices then," and walked away.
I had thought that would be that, but no. Ben approached me 2 or 3 more times throughout the afternoon on his "mission" to save me. I attempted to rebuff him as politely as possible.
By his last attempt I was angry. "Look Ben, enough! This has gone well past just making me uncomfortable situation into the realm of really pissing me off. Your beliefs are your beliefs. That's fine. I'm sorry I don't share them. You're just being a preachy dick! I told you I don't want to talk about this! Now get out of my face!"
I had hoped that he would be as taken aback as I or that he would be shamed or something. To my surprise, he reacted in a way I hadn't anticipated. He snapped back with such a tirade of victimhood he would have made the women in sexual assault support groups proud.
I don't remember exactly what he said but it was a long rant about the persecution of Christians, how the non-Christians are always trying to silence them, how oppressed they are, how unjust the world is to them and, of course, my role in propagating this injustice, etc.
I replied that my intent was not to oppress Christians, that my intent was to hang these decorations and to go home for dinner without having some obnoxious Bible-thumping dick working tirelessly to "save" my immortal soul.
Two points to my story:
1. If there's any truth to this article, it probably applies within the context of the circumstance I described. At least I could go home at the end of the day. Soldiers can't. Soldiers work and live together 24-7.
Can you imagine having a group of fanatical Christians - or worshipers of any religion for that matter - trying to convert you 24-7? Particularly if you are a devout worshiper of some other religion? I imagine that could cause some HUGE problems amongst bunkmates in close quarters.
Again, if there's any truth to this article, my guess is that this is what is trying to be prevented. After all, it's the United States Armed Forces, it's purpose to protect the U.S. It's NOT a missionary set up for the purpose of fanatics to convert non-believers.
2. Christians need to stop playing the victim card. Maybe Christians are one of the most persecuted groups of people globally or throughout history, but the idea that they're being oppressed in the U.S. is a very far-fetched stretch at best, and absolutely laughable at worst.
Gee, if only we could live long enough to see a poor, downtrodden Christian rise to a position of prominence & power - Maybe a Congressman or even a POTUS. Oh wait, that's every single POTUS since the founding of the country. Not to mention 99% of the people that’ve been elected throughout our history.
If only we could live to see the day that Christians can live openly in the U.S., maybe have a few holidays that can be celebrated in public. Oh wait, were those Christmas decorations I saw up in the mall last year right after Halloween, the same mall where my daughter got her pic taken with the Easter Bunny in February? U.S. Christians are persecuted? Really? Oh please.
Ok. Done.
Well it is a shame that children in grade school and colleges all over the country must sit and listen to teachers shove atheism down their throats. This is happening today and the topic does not have to involve creation or God as they are using it as a forum to ridicule Christians and even promote abortion. It was happening when I was at school and it is still going on today but today they are much more brazing.
DeleteGo to the dean.. in the real world that is academy dangerous especially today.
I have no idea what you're talking about, Angie.
DeleteCan you provide an example of atheism being "shoved down students' throats"?
I experienced this many times in college but for some more recent .....
DeleteMy sons 8th grade teacher last week stated that "God does not exist". Science class and the topic was the formation of the earth.
My daughters college speech class this semester... the professor ripped apart a persuasive speech on Christ's resurrection. Specifically detailed Christ's passion and argued against the theory that Christ did not die on the cross but survived and walked away. He used history and biological facts to support his claim. The student received a C- and was told that it was nonsense.
just a few.....