Thursday, June 21, 2012

Re: A Biblical Threat to National Security

I've yet to see any of these "recent" Christians forcing their
religious
beliefs upon the rest of Americans
---
the persecution of muslims and homosexuals is promoted to Americans by
christians.

'recent' enough for you?

On Jun 20, 10:27 am, Keith In Tampa <keithinta...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I've yet to see any of these "recent" Christians forcing their religious
> beliefs upon the rest of Americans.....Please, by all means, give us somem
> examples!
>
> (And actually, I can think of a couple;  but not anything in the last
> seventy-five or one hundred years)
>
> Michael, I don't even understand what your last missive means.......
>
> On Wed, Jun 20, 2012 at 3:41 PM, plainolamerican
> <plainolameri...@gmail.com>wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > secularists once again forcing their
> > political correctness upon the rest of Americans.
> > ---
> > as opposed to christians forcing their religious beliefs upon the rest
> > of Americans
>
> > On Jun 20, 5:33 am, Keith In Tampa <keithinta...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > I wonder if the United States Armed Services "authorized"  a Q'uoran, or
> > > any other religious works?
>
> > > I note that since this bru-ha-ha started, the military has since
> > > discontinued the "authorization"  of the use of the military symbols on
> > the
> > > Holman Bible.
>
> > > Much ado about nothing, and a bunch of secularists once again forcing
> > their
> > > political correctness upon the rest of Americans.
>
> > > On Tue, Jun 19, 2012 at 10:22 PM, plainolamerican <
> > plainolameri...@gmail.com
>
> > > > wrote:
> > > > some 33 percent of chaplains are now evangelical Christians
> > > > ---
> > > > and 100 percent of USSC justices are jews and catholics.
>
> > > > tit for tat among the myth believers who have forgotten that the USA
> > > > is a secular nation
>
> > > > On Jun 19, 3:11 pm, MJ <micha...@america.net> wrote:
> > > > > A Biblical Threat to National SecuritybyKelley B. Vlahos, June 19,
> > 2012
> > > > > Can a Bible be a "threat to national security"?
> > > > > For years, the government has employed the risk of "national
> > security"
> > > > excuse to infringe on a wide range of freedoms like the right to pass
> > > > through an airport security checkpoint unmolested, or read library
> > books
> > > > without Big Brother peeking over your shoulder.Michael L. "Mikey"
> > > > Weinsteinis trying to prove that there is more than one way to put the
> > > > country at risk, and he's found it in a heretofore unlikely place: the
> > > > Bible.
> > > > > Well, the Holman Bible. To be more exact, a version of the Bible
> > that,
> > > > for reasons still undetermined, was authorized with the trademarked
> > > > official insignia of the U.S. Armed Forces emblazoned on the front
> > cover.
> > > > There isThe Soldier's Biblewith the Army's seal,The Marine's Biblewith
> > the
> > > > Marine Corps seal,The Sailor's BibleandThe Airman's Bible, both with
> > their
> > > > respective insignia. The books have been sold for nearly six years
> > > > throughout Christian bookstores, commissaries and PXs on U.S. military
> > > > installations and are still available on
> > Christianbook.com,Amazon.comand
> > > > Barnes & Noble.
> > > > > It's not theKing James Versionthatthe Gideonsleave behind in hotel
> > rooms
> > > > drawers. The Holman Bible was commissioned and published by LifeWay
> > > > Christian Resources, a subsidiary of theSouthern Baptist Convention,
> > the
> > > > largest Baptist denomination in the world, in 2003.
> > > > > In a 1999press releaseannouncing the edition's progress, Broadman &
> > > > Holman Publishers called the new version "a fresh, precise translation
> > of
> > > > the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek of the Old and New Testaments." LifeWay
> > > > President James T. Draper Jr. weighed in, saying there was a "serious
> > need
> > > > for a 21st-century Bible translation in American English that combines
> > > > accuracy and readability," adding, "the Holman Christian Standard
> > Bible is
> > > > an accurate, literal rendering with a smoothness and readability that
> > > > invites memorization, reading aloud and dedicated study."
> > > > > The Holman Bible, or HCSB, has been popular with evangelicals for its
> > > > references and study tools. Someone convinced each branch of the
> > service
> > > > they'd be perfect for the military, too. So the HCSB became the
> > "official"
> > > > Bible of the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines in 2004, complete with
> > > > reader-friendly text and custom "designed to meet the specific needs of
> > > > those who serve in the most difficult of situations," according to the
> > > > publishers.
> > > > > In other words, aside from the text, the books are filled with
> > > > "devotionals" and "inspirational essays" tailored to each branch of
> > > > service. I was unable to get my hands on a copy by press time, but
> > Amazon's
> > > > "peek" inside the book and several positive reader reviews confirm
> > some of
> > > > the contents, revealing what could only be described as a guileless
> > > > conflation of both Christian and American military iconography. War and
> > > > service as religious devotion.
> > > > > In addition to the Pledge of Allegiance and the first and fourth
> > verses
> > > > of the Star Spangled Banner, there are excerpts from one of George W.
> > Bush
> > > > inaugural addresses and the Republican president's remarks at a
> > National
> > > > Prayer Breakfast.Gen. George S. Patton's famous Christmas prayer
> > cardfrom
> > > > the field of battle 1944 is also included, as is"George Washington's
> > > > Prayer,"which has been widely circulated (and debunked) as proof of
> > > > America's Christian paternity.
> > > > > These Bibles also feature "testimonials and encouragement from
> > > > theOfficers' Christian Fellowship," which has approximately 15,000
> > members
> > > > across the military and whose primary purpose is "to glorify God by
> > uniting
> > > > Christian officers for biblical fellowship and outreach, equipping and
> > > > encouraging them to minister effectively in the military society." In
> > other
> > > > words they proselytize within the officer corps as part of an
> > evangelical
> > > > "parachurch" within the military.
> > > > > A largely unfettered one, apparently, as one watches Pentagon
> > officers
> > > > commenting freely on camera and in uniform for this Bush-era
> > > > promotionalvideofor Christian Embassy, another federal government-wide
> > > > "fellowship" with similar missionary goals.
> > > > > One officer, Air Force Maj. Gen. Jack Catton, who said he worked on
> > the
> > > > Joint Staff at the Pentagon, described himself as "an old fashioned
> > > > American and my first priority is my faith in God." Pointing to his
> > meeting
> > > > with other officers under the auspices of Christian Embassy, he said,
> > "I
> > > > think it's a huge impact because you have many men and women who are
> > > > seeking God's counsel and wisdom as we advise the Secretary of
> > Defense."
> > > > > Then U.S. Brigadier Gen. Bob Caslan (currently promoted to lieutenant
> > > > general as the commanding general at the U.S. Army's prestigious
> > Combined
> > > > Arms Center at Ft. Leavenworth, Kan.) went so far as to say he sees the
> > > > "flag officer fellowship groups … hold me accountable."
> > > > > "We are the aroma of Jesus Christ," he added.
> > > > > Something smells, all right, said Weinstein, who heads theMilitary
> > > > Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF). The roles of the officers in the
> > video
> > > > werelater deemed improperafter MRFF demanded an investigation in 2007.
> > As
> > > > for the Bibles, Weinstein said he received some 2,000 complaints about
> > them
> > > > from service members over the last year. Weinstein, a former Air Force
> > > > Judge Advocate (JAG) whose 2005 charges against the Air Force Academy
> > in
> > > > Colorado led to an investigation thatofficially found religious
> > > > "insensitivity"against non- fundamentalists there, has gone on to
> > expose a
> > > > much wider climate of"top-down, invasive evangelicalism"at the
> > institution
> > > > and throughout the military as a whole.
> > > > > "We're fighting a
>
> > Fundamentalist-Christian-Parachurch-Military-Corporate-Proselytizing-Complex,"
> > > > Weinstein said told Antiwar.com last week, "and we have been fighting
> > this
> > > > for some time." MRFF just posted a video montage, which could easily be
> > > > called the military evangelicals' greatest hits,here.
> > > > > He said aside from "prostituting" the military insignia, the
> > military's
> > > > endorsement of the Bibles violated federal separation of church and
> > state,
> > > > and continue to sanction an insidious culture of radical
> > evangelicalism and
> > > > discrimination throughout the services (as a Jew, Weinstein said he
> > felt
> > > > the sting of prejudice when he attended the Air Force academy in the
> > late
> > > > 1970s; his sons had it even worse, he claims, prompting his first
> > formal
> > > > complaint seven years ago).
> > > > > Since then, "(MRFF) has had 28,000 clients and a hundred more each
> > > > month," said Weinstein, rejecting claims by his critics that they are
> > all
> > > > atheist. He insists that 96 percent of his clients are Christians
> > (Catholic
> > > > and Mainline Protestant) and that his is not a religious crusade. On
> > the
> > > > other hand,some 33 percent of chaplains are now evangelical
> > > > Christians(Weinstein's MRFF places that number at 84 percent), while
> > only 3
> > > > percent of service members describe themselves as such.
> > > > > "They are spiritually raping the U.S. Constitution, the American
> > people
> > > > and the men and women who are fighting for us," said Weinstein, who
> > never,
> > > > ever minces words.
> > > > > MRFF's lawyers senta formal letterto Secretary of Defense Leon
> > Panetta's
> > > > office in January. In it, MRFF charged that authorizing LifeWay to
> > print
> > > > its Bibles with the service insignia "is in violation of the
> > Establishment
> > > > Clause of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution … and
> > > > several regulations," and that the authority should be withdrawn
> > > > immediately or
>
> ...
>
> read more »

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