I've written numerous posts showing that the war on terror is really a religious crusade, at least for troops on the ground (I've pointed out that the officials ordering the troops into battle may not be religious at all, but may be faking religious sentiment to rally the troops).
Now, an official Pentagon spokesman is making it clear that the U.S. military endorses the crusade. As Raw Story notes:
A Pentagon spokesman says there is nothing wrong or illegal with the armed forces using rifle sights inscribed with references to biblical passages.
Air Force Maj. John Redfield, a spokesman for US Central Command, said the sights from Michigan-based Trijicon -- which are now the target of controversy following news reports earlier this week -- "don't violate the [military] ban on proselytizing because there's no effort to distribute the equipment beyond the US troops who use them," the Associated Press reports.
"This situation is not unlike the situation with US currency," Maj. Redfield said. "Are we going to stop using money because the bills have 'In God We Trust' on them? As long as the sights meet the combat needs of troops, they'll continue to be used."
Meanwhile, a lawyer and former training officer for the US Army Reserves says that any attempt by the US government to cancel its contracts with an arms supplier that enscribes biblical references on its rifle sights would be "discrimination."
Play any word games you like ... the truth is that the military has just officially acknowledged that it endorses a crusade.
Nice work creating new terrorists, you morons.
"Are we going to stop using money because the bills have 'In God We Trust' on them? As long as the sights meet the combat needs of troops, they'll continue to be used."
ReplyDeleteOne assumes, then, that the same logic might protect sights emblazoned with the swastika, eh? I mean if the sights meet the combat needs of troops ...
And as to the "In God We Trust" motto, what is a stake here is not simply a belief in God, per se, but a highly specific, easily identified way of believing in God. You would not be very likely to find sight manufacturering organizations owned by Catholics or Orthodox inscribing mysterous bible codes on their work product. Not so in the case of Evangelicals, however. My personal experience and the experience of many others with undue work place pressure in business organizations owned and operated by Evangelicals tells me otherwise.
When the Defence Department upholds the specific faith practices of Evangelicals as opposed to those of others, Christian or non-Christian, they are endorsing the particular outlook of that one group and they are violating the Constitutional rights of the rest. You are right to criticize this practice, George.
Andrei Vyshinshy
Wow that is a nice bit of reporting. Not to nit pic, but terrorism is a tactic. What they are creating is Islamic Holy Warriors against the infidels (Christian Gladiators) who would do battle to the death. Give them all swords, line them all up on the desert and let them all hack each other to pieces. Now that is a real Holy War! 250k Christian Soldiers fighting 2 billion Muslims. Can you say Custer's Last Stand?
ReplyDeleteGW - I've read almost every post you have written over the past year or more. And I agree with you almost all the time.
ReplyDeleteThis time however you are way off.
So the troops think they are fighting a crusade. Better to feel like you have a mission from God than know the truth that you a fighting for the interest of Isreal.
As long as humanity remains divided, it will be conquered.
ReplyDeleteI too have read most of the posting for months now and I too think this one is way off.
ReplyDeleteMe thinks you have some emotional constipation towards religion and are letting that color your normally objective take.
If you know anything about muslim extremists, you know that they look for reasons to be offended and use those opportunities to extend special treatment and move towards sharia law.
Appeasment is not the way to influence people or make friends. In God we trust and Love thy neighbor or whatever other verse is on there is just fine.
Read up on the Air Force ("My god is bigger than their god") and the influx there in Ft. Collins, Co. from a branch of evangelists.
ReplyDeleteThe armed forces, by reports, seem to be going in that direction.
That top comment was right on the money. Money...pointing out "GOD" is a lot different than quotes from the new testament...while fighting muslims. This is beyond sleazy, and breaking contracts "because of religion" is an obvious obfuscation too...they are going at this with smoke and mirrors... because by their logic if any manufacturer decided to alter a product to INCLUDE one sects beliefs. That is a problem.
I agree that you're out of line on this one. Are you in the army? Why are you concerned about this? One thing you should understand is that these people put their lives on the line everyday and depend on Him for support. The bible is the one constant thread among almost every US religion. Why not let these soldiers feel closer to God? This might be a religious war to the Muslims, but we're just defending ourselves. Kapish?
ReplyDelete"If you know anything about Christian extremists, you know that they look for reasons to be offended and use those opportunities to extend special treatment and move towards complete disregard of secular Constitution law."
ReplyDeleteIf our secular soul is that which differentiates us from the rest of humanity, -and it is-; and if everything that appears all around any of us, might be some kind of god, -and it might be for we have no way to disprove this otherwise-; then we are all on our own personal crusade -all the time.
ReplyDeleteWhat anyone objects to here in these gun sight religious quotations, is 1) the hutzpah of the perpetrator, and, 2) the very notion that anyone else might think some one might join -their- crusade; which relates squarely to our perception of ourselves as the supreme Ubermensch.
This does not make us any different from anyone else though.
If you want to positively effect the world, it's not the way you put your own (?religious?) messages out there, it is how they are received.
In order to cultivate the reception anyone desires for their message, it is important to learn to deny the Ubermensch that dwells within each of us.
I worship no god. But I regularly espouse a moral message.
Part of that message is, human beings are a lot dumber than anyone will -easily- admit.
And the proof of this has do with the infinite complexity of reality, against which we must measure and weigh our own feeling that we -or any of us -are anything special enough to denote enough difference to indicate an immortal soul.
That is, -unless we are recognized for being different not for any great accomplishment, but for the accomplishment we instead make when we realize -we are not so different from anyone else, or most especially we are not so different from that which we so most commonly despise.
George,
ReplyDeleteI, too, think most of your posts are right on, but not this one. It's illogical to think that just because we're supporting a "good" cause vs. an "evil" one that we are encouraging more terrorists. With that logic, our Armed Forces would have encouraged more Nazis in WWII.
Some of the other comments here also misguided.
To wit, this company that produces the sights is not a "Christian extremist." It's very mainstream.
And, we're not fighting 2 billion Muslims. We're only fighting the Al Qaeda brand or Taliban brand.
All of you tone it down and use logic.
whywontgodhealamputees.com
ReplyDeleteThere's the other angle too - supposedly religions are peace-loving now. Where's the outrage from various denominations about enlisting Jesus to fight war?
ReplyDeleteNaturally, the so-called religous have missed the whole point of the New Testament.
Well, it looks as though Major Redfield and the Army attornet to whom you referred were all wet, George:
ReplyDeletehttp://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/jesus-rifles/story?id=9618791
So much for surreptitious bible codes on military equipment. Wonder how Jesus feels about those who attempt to turn the Incarnation into a kind of crude marketing program at this point? Something tells me He isn't pleased.
Andrei Vyshinsky
One of the above comments mentioned the site: whywontgodhealamputees.com
ReplyDeleteI have no religious affiliations yet found the aforementioned site forum full of hateful, rude, vengeful, angry people who were resistant to simple rational conversation... just your average forum really and nothing to write home about.
I on the other hang thought that whywon'tgodhealamputees.com was a fantastic website -- short and sweet.
ReplyDelete