Not so fast, Christian soldiers

LA Times ^ | 22 August 2007 | Editorial Staff

[shrinkermd]

Last week, after an investigation spurred by the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, the Pentagon abruptly announced that it would not be delivering "freedom packages" to our soldiers in Iraq, as it had originally intended.

What were the packages to contain? Not body armor or home-baked cookies. Rather, they held Bibles, proselytizing material in English and Arabic and the apocalyptic computer game "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" (derived from the series of post-Rapture novels), in which "soldiers for Christ" hunt down enemies who look suspiciously like U.N. peacekeepers.

The packages were put together by a fundamentalist Christian ministry called Operation Straight Up, or OSU. Headed by former kickboxer Jonathan Spinks, OSU is an official member of the Defense Department's "America Supports You" program. The group has staged a number of Christian-themed shows at military bases, featuring athletes, strongmen and actor-turned-evangelist Stephen Baldwin. But thanks in part to the support of the Pentagon, Operation Straight Up has now begun focusing on Iraq, where, according to its website (on pages taken down last week), it planned an entertainment tour called the "Military Crusade."

[Earthdweller]

You are full of it...hate I mean. Why don’t you go to a totalitarian state with all atheists and preach your own brand of fascist non-religion religion This country allows people to think for themselves.

[Cogadh na Sith]

I'm not an atheist. I'm a Christian and I'm in the Army. I think for myself: I just don't believe that it is necessary to be a Christian to join the military and kill America's enemies.

I don't believe Salvation in Christ is necessary to kill people in combat.

[Earthdweller]

"I just don't believe that it is necessary to be a Christian to join the military and kill America's enemies."

What kind of ridiculous upside down argument is that? No one is asking people to take an oath of Christianity to join the military. What is in question is are Christians getting the same privileges as everyone else to practice their religion. Apparently you think only atheists are should be allowed to apply because most Christians (except you of course) are blood thirsty and on a crusade.

Go away with you liberal water..you look like a lap boy for the Christianophobe Rosie O'Donald.

[Cogadh na Sith]

What is in question is are Christians getting the same privileges as everyone else to practice their religion.

No other religion gets to use the Armed Forces mail service to send prosyletizing material to soldiers. Sorry, Christianity is just another religion in the Army.

[mrhansen]

Uh-oh...

Haven’t you realized that those of us are actually in the military cannot have an opinion regarding it, if our opinion falls outside the accepted ‘norms’ of others here?

If you don’t think Jessica Lynch is a hero - You’re a liberal

If you think things in Iraq are getting worse...after you have been there 3-4 times - You’re a liberal

If you think the Army shouldn’t be distributing biased religious material to all soldiers - Then you are definitely a liberal.

Seriously, I doubt there would be such an uproar over the DoD refusing to distribute packages containing Mormon or Islamic material.

But yeah, we all must be dirty, stinking, filthy, God-hating, freedom-loathing people.

[Earthdweller]

"No other religion gets to use the Armed Forces mail service to send prosyletizing material to soldiers. "

BS. Islamics get thier Koran. You are helping to distroy American rights for everyone...thank you very much, not.

[Cogadh na Sith]

BS. Islamics get thier Koran.

Sure, and I can get a Bible from a Chaplain any time I want. Jews can get the Torah... Where's the problem?

[Earthdweller]

Yea right..the NY Times front paged all about Islamic rights for the last four years at Gitmo and it’s all about everyone else being disenfranchised. What a hypocrite you are...if not a liberal.

[mrhansen]

LOL! You can’t be serious?

How is he destroying Christianity because he agrees the Military Mail Service should not be used to send biased religious material to those who probably don’t agree with its message?

[perseid 67]

We have an effete pseudo-intellectual class that likes looking down its collective nose at those they see as beneath themselves. They are incapable of understanding evangelicals or the role evangelical churches play in lifting people out of poverty. They can only tear down.They can not build up.

[George W. Bush]

the apocalyptic computer game "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" (derived from the series of post-Rapture novels), in which "soldiers for Christ" hunt down enemies who look suspiciously like U.N. peacekeepers.

While I normally don't go for the apocalyptic stuff, they're starting to make this sound tempting. LOL.

The games should be allowed. So should the Bibles in both languages, provided that soldiers do not use them to proselytize. However, a soldier is entitled to share Bibles with Arab Christians or with Muslims who ask to learn more about their religion.

If this is challenged in court, the Pentagon will probably lose. Enlisted men have considerable rights under the First Amendment. That is not true of officers, not even retired ones of high rank.

[Earthdweller]

"Sure, and I can get a Bible from a Chaplain any time I want. Jews can get the Torah... Where's the problem?"

Oh so now there isn't a problem with Christian material in the military. Will you make up your mind.

[U.S. Raptor]

Unfortunately the trolls/lurkers are out in full force again. Anytime an issue develops when they can criticize Christianity, they leap on it like the rabid dogs they are.
We are a Christian nation that is respectful of other religions-not the other way around

[mrhansen]

It is already available to the soldiers who want it, so no one is being denied the opportunity to worship how they see fit.

Sorry, but these people sending these Bibles and extremist video games have ulterior motives.

[George W. Bush]

How is he destroying Christianity because he agrees the Military Mail Service should not be used to send biased religious material to those who probably don’t agree with its message?

There still are many Arab Christians with whom our soldiers might share Arabic materials. I think that to the libmedia, any Arabic books or bibles would be called "proselytizing" materials.

But our soldiers aren't missionaries either.

[Earthdweller]

Who says it’s biased...you? What if I told you pushing non-religion is a bias? Maybe it would blow your mind to think that people can have a complete choice to decide for themselves and they don’t need the spiritual police to filter all material.

[MEGoody]

No soldier is ever forced to take a ‘care package’ that is offered to them.

[mrhansen]

Yeah, video games that promote faith-based killing are anything but violent.... LOL!

[PurpleMan]

You can’t tell a man that he can’t be a Cristian and fight or do anything else for that matter.

Actually, it can be done for without law there is anarchy:

U.S. Code: http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/
Includes the UCMJ: http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode10/usc_sup_01_10_10_A_20_II_30_47.html

DoD Ethics regulations: http://www.dod.mil/dodgc/defense_ethics/ethics_regulation/jer1-6.doc

[Earthdweller]

"Sorry, but these people sending these Bibles and extremist video games have ulterior motives."

Oh my...pifff. LOL. What's their "motive" mister religion police man? Are you afraid the poor unsuspecting wittle fellas might be exposed to EVIL evangelicalism? Wow...we sure are getting slap happy with those parental controls.