The Evangelical Christian Takeover of the Military

[babylonsister]

The Evangelical Christian Takeover of the Military

By David Antoon, Truthdig. Posted November 16, 2007.

Retired Air Force Col. David Antoon investigates proselytizing within the military, where religious ideology threatens to supersede the values of the Constitution.

"I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. ..."

--Oath of Office

"Our mission is to educate, train, and inspire men and women to become officers of character motivated to lead the United States Air Force in service to our nation."

--Air Force Academy mission statement

"We will not lie, steal, or cheat. ..."

--Air Force Academy honor code

"Military professionals must remember that religious choice is a matter of individual conscience. Professionals, and especially commanders, must not take it upon themselves to change or coercively influence the religious views of subordinates."

--Religious Toleration (Air Force Code of Ethics, 1997)

snip//

In April of 2004, my son, after receiving a coveted appointment to the United States Air Force Academy, asked me to accompany him to the orientation for new appointees. This 24-hour visceral event changed my life forever, and crushed my son's lifelong dream of following in my footsteps.

The orientation began with a one-hour "warrior" rant to appointees and parents by the commandant of cadets, Brig. Gen. Johnny Weida. The fact that the word warrior had replaced leadership was a signal of what was to follow. I later learned that cadets, to determine when a new record was established, had created a game in which warrior was counted in each speech Weida gave.

My son and I then made our way to the modernist aluminum chapel, where I expected to hear a welcome from one or two Air Force chaplains offering counsel, support and an open-door policy for any spiritual or pastoral needs of these future cadets. In 1966, the academy had six gray-haired chaplains: three mainline Protestants, two priests and one rabbi. Any cadet, regardless of religious affiliation, was welcome to see any one of these chaplains, who were reminiscent of Father Francis Mulcahy of "MASH" fame.

Instead, my son's orientation became an opportunity for the academy to aggressively proselytize this next crop of cadets. Maj. Warren Watties led a group of 10 young, exclusively evangelical chaplains who stood shoulder to shoulder. He proudly stated that half of the cadets attended Bible studies on Monday nights in the dormitories and he hoped to increase this number from those in his audience who were about to join their ranks. This "invitation" was followed with hallelujahs and amens by the evangelical clergy. I later learned from Air Force Academy chaplain MeLinda Morton, a Lutheran who was forced to observe from the choir loft, that no priest, rabbi or mainline Protestant had been permitted to participate.

more...

http://alternet.org/asoldierspeaks/67385/?page=entire

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. thanx bab, Been following this for several years. Remember, these are the

guys who control nuculars. and the planes to transport them.

[atreides1]

2. Scary Isn't It

Makes me wonder what was the religious affiliation of those officers who authorized the loading of nukes onto a B-52?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

3. neo-christo-cheneyites?

When (if) that story ever is truly told, I suspect that one or more honorable military folks caught something just in time, before Darth's plans could truly come to fruition.

The brainwashing center that is USAFA is but one problem. Remember General Boyton, and many of the top local commanders in Iraq. They think the same way. Worse yet, I personally know of an Iraq Vet (not the victim) who will say under oath that if you did not attend daily prayer meetings in Iraq, you got the worst duty and most dangerous patrols until you "learned" the meaning of religion in the new and improved military. Agnostic fragging in other words.

[peacetalksforall]

5. That is life threatening religious bigotry - it is a hate crime. This is a very big deal.

Preferential treatment for and against religious practices going on within a military service, within a democracy, on a scale of what - within a unit? or the entire force?

Forced to go to prayer meetings or face the consequences? What is this?

This entire country is being transformed into a religious nut pothole.

These people have been grooming people to take over the country for years - lawyers, judges, (they hate juries - no control), civic employees, school boards, business organizations, journalists, editors, media personnel, country, state, federal government. Military?

[salinen]

11. God will be the jury

and will use his representatives here on earth to exact punishment. Would that be Haggart, Robertson, or the dead Falwell?

[PearliePoo2]

7. The author of the article

Colonel Antoon, suggests the Air Force Academy has now morphed into The Rocky Mountain Bible College!
Recommended

[PearliePoo2]

8. Remember Dimson

Before he was muzzled by his handlers, used the term "Crusade" to define his policy in dealing with his "Axis Of Evil" nations?
TaliBornagain Fascist bastards.

[PearliePoo2]

6. really scary

And what is (or ISN'T) the religious affiliation of the military whistle-blowers that thankfully "ratted" out this nuclear missile scheme?
We may never know how close to Armageddon we actually came.

[Karenina]

13. Anyone craving a late Halloween fright

might Google: Christian Reconstructionism, Dominionism and cross reference that search with MEGABUCK$$$ names like Ahmanson or or or... connect the dots! :evilgrin:

[Dhalgren]

4. Sickening. These fascists are in power right now. We need to remove them

from office - both governmental and military - and commit them to asylums where they might be treated and helped back to mental health. But they should never, never, be in positions of any authority whatsoever...

[Froward69]

9. thats why the evangelicals call Colorado springs

Home. the first of their mission is to "convert" all cadets. if you don't it becomes increasingly difficult to excel there. sad very sad.

[shenmue]

10. The fundamentalists don't care about the Constitution

The asshats in the ACLJ (Pat Robertson's anti-ACLU organization) are busy suing the Air Force Academy and anyone else who objects to crap like this. If you listen to shitty evangelical radio, which I do sometimes because that's the only AM radio station that comes in at work (I'm not allowed to use the Internet at my office), Jay Sekulow drones on and on about it all the time. He is so backwards and deceptive it makes me want to throw up.

[salinen]

12. Not true

They despise the Constitution. Too many rights and freedoms given to Man.

[NAO]

14. Mikey Weinstein - MilitaryReligiousFreedom.org

The leader in documenting abuses and fighting for separation of church and state is Mikey Weinstein and his Military Religious Freedom Organization.

Military Religious Freedom
http://www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org

This is old news, though. Katherine Yurica saw it comming 3 years ago.

The Swift Advance of a Planned Coup: Conquering by Stealth and Deception
http://www.yuricareport.com/Dominionism/TheSwiftAdvanceOfaPlannedCoup.htm

[Cobalt-60]

15. Purge!

Once the war criminals have been deposed, a royal flush of the military and civil service is needed.
I think these guys would do well ministering to the Emperor penguin population year round.

[sarcasmo]

16. I wonder if you can still put None next to Religion on your dog tags?

[silverweb]

17. Terrifying.

When my son got back from Korea, he told me about a particular officer who was constantly on his case, telling him that he wasn't "a good enough Christian," and that he'd better start attending his bible study group.

That was when my son decided to get out as soon as his tour was over. He'd originally planned to make a career of the military and already had about 10 years in, but the evangelicalist direction the leadership was heading in changed his mind.

I'm grateful every single day that he got out when he did -- because he just missed Iraq by a few months, because he came home physically and mentally intact, and because he (barely) escaped the militant christianist takeover of our military.

These people are absolutely terrifying and about as UN-Christian as anyone I could possibly imagine.