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07/19/2007 |
As reported
on a variety of local news
sources, a 2004 USMA grad is suing the
Army for conscientious objector status after
his application was twice denied. The
Captain is claiming a conversion to a
pacifist interpretation of the Bible.
He is reportedly being represented by the
New York Civil Liberties Union. |
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07/19/2007 |
A Jewish
Chaplain is being
charged with desertion after moving to
Canada after his resignation was denied.
The Chaplain has enlisted the services of
Mr. Michael Weinstein, who says he will sue
the Army for "violating [the Chaplain's]
civil rights."
The article has two interesting quotes. One
includes a "disparaging term" for non-Jews,
though no one in the article takes issue
with the prejudicial term. The second is as
follows:
The whole reason
I volunteered to become a chaplain is
because I was eager to help Jewish kids who
chose the military and needed spiritual
guidance while being far away from home
serving in the Army.
Oddly, when
Christians say the same thing, Weinstein
accuses them of staging an "evangelical
coup" in the military. |
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06/22/2007 |
An
interesting
article by Dr. Tony Beam quotes Chuck
Colson's description of "neo-atheists,"
who are no longer content not to believe
in God--instead, they want to
eliminate the practices of those who do.
Chuck Colson also wrote an
article for
Christianity Today in which he notes that the
most popular "religious" books right now are those
that belittle Christianity. The article
also notes that many of the bestsellers reference the
growing threat of Christian dominionism, which is
also the same threat that Weinstein cites when he
"wars" against Christians in the military.
Finally, in an
interview at the Southern Baptist Convention, Colson
restated his assertion that Christians need to "engage
the culture" and "answer the attacks" against
the faith. |
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06/22/2007 |
On July 4th, the AU's Barry
Lynn will be one of several speakers near the White
House and the Veterans' Administration. The
gathering is to "celebrate" the "victory" of getting
the VA to add the pentacle to its list of
approved symbols, demand that the VA add more pagan
symbols, and advocate for a pagan military
chaplain. The call for a pagan
chaplain is problematic, since the military
requires that chaplains be ordained in their faith.
Since paganism is, by definition, an unorganized
belief system, it is difficult for them to create an
organization that is consistent with their dogma (or
lack thereof). Even the "world's largest public
school of Wicca and the Magical Arts" (Our
Lady of Enchantment) makes a point of saying that
their program is designed for those "interested in
creating their own spiritual tradition." They say
they can meet the requirements of legal recognition of
ministerial rights without "making a commitment to any
particular Wiccan or Magickal tradition." Thus,
they are "priests" of only their own belief system.
Of the four scheduled
speakers that are listed as "reverends," only Barry Lynn
is legitimately ordained in his own faith. Neither
Fox nor Ellison list the source of their "reverend"
title. Akin is ordained through the
Universal Life Church--which will "legally ordain"
anyone with a valid email address.
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06/17/2007 |
An interesting
article appeared in the Stars and Stripes regarding
the pagan group and its association with the
chapel program at Misawa Air Base in Japan.
The sidebar has an interesting discussion by the wing
chaplain at Kadena, who says in part that chaplains
are not required to “extract all language that might
have symbolic meaning,” such as the "heavenly Father"
that the Wiccans said made them feel awkward.
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06/05/2007 |
The ACLJ
responds to the AU's recent complaints of
military support for the Salute to Heroes at Stone
Mountain. Their entire letter, which contains
a well thought out legal justification (which the
AU's complaint did not), can be read
here.
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05/26/2007 |
The Jewish Daily Forward
notes that Mr. Michael Weinstein is taking
issue with a JROTC text which "questions the
validity" of the current popular interpretation of
the phrase "separation of church and state."
Though religion is nowhere mentioned, he views this as
an example of "evangelical Christianity's creeping
encroachment." As is typical for a Weinstein
article, it includes his latest tally of reported death
threats. More
interesting is Weinstein's announcement that he is about
to embark on a new "far-reaching litigation strategy."
He also has a new book in the works titled "Taking God
to Court."
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05/26/2007 |
As published in the
Washington Post (and repeated on the
AU website), the Air Force clarified its position
on the Task Force Patriot event at Stone
Mountain. The Military Religious Freedom
Foundation has
threatened to sue, again, over this "unparalleled
rape of the US Constitution."
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05/24/2007 |
A Memorial Day tribute
to veterans is under fire from the Americans United for
the Separation of Church and State because one of its
sponsors is a religiously oriented organization.
In their
article, the AU says the "U.S. military
participation in a three-day evangelical Christian
gathering in Georgia violates the U.S. Constitution."
The Air Force also officially made an
announcement (which, notably, makes no reference to
religion) of the event. The Stone Mountain
announcement also mentions religious organizations
only as sponsors of the event along with a local TV
station, General Motors, and an auto parts store.
The Task Force Patriot
site, which is the organizer of
the event, goes out of its way to say that
Task Force Patriot does
not attempt to draw members from their present church
or fellowship. Task Force Patriot is not a political
advocacy group, or combat club. All military
veterans, who served this country in a time of peace or
conflict, are welcome.
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05/04/2007 |
Mr. Michael Weinstein
delivers his standard lines in a recent interview with
the
LoneStar Iconoclast. (Article contains vulgar
language.) Interestingly, he asks the question
"when Jerry Faldwell (sic) or Pat Robertson come out
with eight million bumper stickers saying, "Vote
Christian," you tell me how that isn’t
insubordination, sedition, or treason?"
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04/30/2007 |
An interesting, if not
always positive, set of Newsweek articles chronicles "God
and War:"
How Chaplains, Soldiers Keep Faith During War
Chaplains: The Calm in the Chaos
One Flag, Many Faiths
God, War and the Presidency
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04/25/2007 |
According to local news
reports, the debate between Weinstein and Sekulow
at the Air Force Academy was "cordial."
Presumably, both sides are working on their after-action
reports, as none have yet been published.
According to the Fox report, Weinstein had demanded
to speak at the Academy and the debate was the
format the Academy agreed upon. The only content
yet known about the debate includes Weinstein's
assertion that Jewish servicemen not be allowed to
wear a yarmulke, while Sekulow maintained they
should.*
Weinstein also made known his intentions to file
another lawsuit against the Air Force, this one
including plaintiffs that have standing. The
debate can be heard
here.
*Neither Weinstein
nor Sekulow were entirely correct about the yarmulke.
While Rabbi Goldman did lose his
lawsuit in 1986 in which he sued to wear the
yarmulke, the 1988 (updated in 2003) version of
Department of Defense Instruction
1300.17
specifically allows the wearing of a yarmulke.
There are still "exceptions," but the Jewish headgear is
the only religious apparel specifically mentioned.
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04/23/2007 |
Multiple press
releases announced the settlement of the lawsuit
against the Veterans' Administration that sought to
add the pentacle to the list of "approved"
symbols of faith. Under the terms of the
settlement, the VA will add the symbol to the list.
The VA must also replace headstones previously provided
to Wiccans with no marker. Ironically, the AU has
claimed 'victory,' though this agreement did not
meet the AU's previous request that the
"unconstitutional" list of emblems be abandoned.
See the previous CFP
article.
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04/21/2007 |
According to his
website, Mr. Weinstein is scheduled to
debate Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel for the
ACLJ, at
the Air Force Academy on 24 April. The
Academy
website says that the debate is to answer the
question, "What is the appropriate balance between
religious freedom and official neutrality in the
military?" Sekulow's announcement is
here.
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04/20/2007 |
President Bush
announces the annual National Day of Prayer
here. The day will be celebrated on May 3rd
this year. An interesting history of the tradition
is contained in former President George H. W. Bush's 1989
proclamation:
Since the approval of the joint resolution of the
Congress on April 17, 1952, calling for the
designation of a specific day to be set aside each year
as a National Day of Prayer, recognition of such
a day has become a cherished annual event. Each
President since then has proclaimed a National Day of
Prayer annually under the authority of that resolution,
continuing a tradition that actually dates back to
the Continental Congress, which issued the first
official proclamation for a National Day of Prayer on
July 12, 1775. By Public Law 100-307, the first
Thursday in May of each year has been set aside as a
National Day of Prayer.
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04/08/2007 |
See President Bush's
Easter message
here.
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04/06/2007 |
Americans United for
the Separation of Church and State posted a scathing
article on former Navy Chaplain Klingenschmitt.
They included quotes from a letter written by his former
commander asserting Klingenschmitt's "dishonesty."
The AU hailed the former chaplain as a vaunted martyr of
the religious right. More interesting, in the
public
comments on the article, both Klingenschmitt and
his former commander have faced off with scathing
rebuttals.
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03/13/2007 |
General Peter Pace,
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in an
interview that he believes homosexual acts, like
adultery, are immoral. He has since indicated
that he should not have focused on his personal views
rather than emphasizing military policy. Gay
advocacy groups demanded he apologize for
"insensitivity."
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03/10/2007 |
Former Navy Chaplain
Klingenschmitt has been
named a "Kentucky Colonel" by the Kentucky state
legislature and has apparently kicked off a tour with
the intent of praying in every state legislature.
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03/10/2007 |
A local news
site reported that a Navy Lt Commander was
relieved of his duties while he is investigated for
potential involvement in anti-Semitic organizations.
The officer ran a website called the "Legions of St.
Louis," which says it supports the establishment of the
Catholic social order.
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03/01/2007 |
World Net Daily has
reported that the restraining order keeping
Navy Lt Klingenschmitt in the military has
been lifted; the Navy is expected to discharge the
Chaplain immediately.
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02/23/2007 |
The Alliance Defense Fund
has
commended the DOJ for the "First Freedom Project."
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02/23/2007 |
The Americans United for the
Separation of Church and State picked up on the
story of the Army Chaplain who wanted to
switch from Christianity to Wicca, claiming that the
Army's treatment of him was "so obviously a case of
religious discrimination." As noted in the public
comments on the article, there are questions as to why
the AU hasn't made the same appeal about Chaplain
Klingenschmitt, who the Navy attempted to discharge
when he switched endorsers. The basic
circumstances
are nearly identical; in fact, Klingenschmitt's is
arguably harder to justify.
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02/23/2007 |
According to various news
sources, the California Supreme Court rejected an
appeal of the previous ruling protecting the
Mount Soledad Cross in San Diego.
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02/22/2007 |
Americans United for the
Separation of Church and State posted an
article deriding the "First Freedom Project"
as a means to undermine church/state separation and
placate "the religious right." The AU was
particularly put off by the DOJ's support of the
Salvation Army's right to hire people that observed
its beliefs even if it contracted work with the
government, saying "...thanks to the Justice
Department, the Salvation Army" could now discriminate.
While the DOJ did file a brief in support of the
Salvation Army, the AU fails to note that it was
actually the judicial branch of the government that made
the ruling and is therefore the one "to thank."
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02/21/2007 |
A Department of Justice
press release announced the "First Freedom
Project," which is billed as an effort "to
strengthen and preserve religious liberty throughout
the nation." Included in the initiative is a
"Report on Enforcement of Laws Protecting Religious
Freedom" over the last five years as well as a new
website,
www.firstfreedom.gov. A public initiative to
support the freedom of religion is a welcome
sight in modern times that seem to prefer a separation
of religion and public life. (With credit to The
Religion Clause
blog for the point out.)
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02/19/2007 |
A Washington Post
article opines about a former Pentecostal Army
chaplain who lost his endorsement when his
denomination found out he wanted to switch to Wicca.
He was attempting to become a Wiccan chaplain, which is
heretofore unknown.
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02/09/2007 |
The Rutherford Institute,
which is representing Navy Chaplain Klingenschmitt,
has
announced that they have stopped the Navy's
attempt to separate the chaplain prior to the
upcoming trial.
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02/02/2007 |
The likes of Maxim,
FHM, and other 'non-pornographic' magazines of
partially dressed women in sensuous poses are readily
available for deployed fighter pilots and other
military members, often delivered for free by the
publishers. According to
Christian Post, Lifeway is attempting to provide a
Christian alternative through a distribution
scheme with thousands of churches.
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02/02/2007 |
As repeated by a variety of
sources, the Associated Press has
reported that the Wiccan lawsuit against the
Veterans Administration will proceed without a delay
requested by the government.
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01/31/2007 |
According to a copy of the
court order, Chaplain
Klingenschmitt's dismissal from the Navy may be
delayed pending the outcome of filings.
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01/21/2007 |
A recent addition to Mr.
Michael Weinstein's press portfolio has been an
interview with the Jewish News of Greater Phoenix,
in which he states that 'all Jewish people' know that
"postmillennial reconstructionist dominionist
evangelical" Christians are putting America on a
train to "Slaughterville," saying that "2007
looks more like 1937."
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01/16/2007 |
Religious Freedom Day
passed quietly, with virtually no mainstream media
press coverage, even though struggles continue over
the proper role of religion in government, the military,
and public society. The President's
proclamation is
here, and a private organization has started a
website
to better publicize the day.
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01/12/2007 |
In the latest bid to bring
closure to the 17-year old suit demanding the removal of
the Mount Soledad Cross, the US Court of Appeals
has
declared the suit moot.
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01/10/2007 |
The
Navy Times reports that a judge has refused to
prevent the Navy from discharging Chaplain (Lt)
Klingenschmitt at the end of January. The
Chaplain's suit against the Navy is still outstanding.
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01/08/2007 |
The ACLJ has updated their
call for petition signatures (see 01/05 post
below)
here, framing themselves as the legal opposition to
the Americans United for the Separation of Church and
State.
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01/07/2007 |
The Colorado Springs Gazette
has
reported that cadets feel the Academy is 'more
tolerant.' According to the Academy surveys, 95%
of Christians and 85% of non-Christians said the
Academy supports religious freedom.
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01/05/2007 |
The
ACLJ, the Christian counter to the ACLU, is "gearing
up to assist in [the] battle...[over] free speech
rights of military chaplains," which it expects will
get renewed interest from the newly elected Democratic
congressional leadership. The ACLJ's current
emphasis is on a
petition drive to obtain a Presidential Executive
Order explicitly directing the military to allow its
chaplains to pray in accordance with the dictates of
their faith.
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