Pat Robertson vs. Atheist Air Force Member

[progressoid]

The Air Force announced on Thursday that the words "so help me God" were an optional part of the oath after an atheist airman crossed out the words on his reenlistment paperwork. Military officials had initially refused to accept the paperwork, but Department of Defense General Counsel eventually ruled that the words could be omitted."

[progree]

1. At 0:48: "One little Jewish radical"

speaking of Mikey Weinstein, head of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. (begins talking about this "little Jewish radical" at 0:31).

Achtung Mein Fuhrer!

[onager]

6. Weinstein's son was called "Christ-killer" at the USAF Academy

That's in the James Carroll documentary "Constantine's Sword." 7 years old, but still well worth watching:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0902270/

Related article from 2005:

Recalls Weinstein, “Curtis said, ‘Could you tell Mom I’m going to be getting into trouble?’ I was floored and asked, ‘What did you do?’ He said, ‘It’s what I’m going to do’ and he explained to me that he had been called a (expletive) Jew, accused of killing Jesus by a number of cadets.”

The young man was so upset over the slurs that he threatened to hit the next person who repeated them. He feared he would end up in a military prison.

https://www.au.org/church-state/june-2005-church-state/featured/kingdom-of-heaven

[faithless]

2. I'll just assume

that he's not talking about Jesus.

[Iggo]

3. Look at 'em squirm!

They really can't stand the idea of people not being just like them.

[Arugula Latte]

5. Well, they're "fighting for freedom" and we all know that forcing people to say religious shit

they don't believe is the biggest and most important part of freedom in 'Murika!

[AlbertCat]

7. They really can't stand the idea of people not being just like them.

Nothing upsets them more than giving their set of ancient superstitions zero authority over you. They cannot stand that you are free from all that old smelly baggage, and doing just fine and are happy. It's akin to them just not being able to stand gays being actually happy and having a good life. "They're supposed to be even more miserable and guilty than us religious people, dammit!"

[Bryce Butler]

4. Matthew 5:34-37 has something to say about oaths...

34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.