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."

[MEGoody]

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

No, they don't have to. It's called a volunteer army for a reason.

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

No one has claimed that it is necessary. Not sure how you made this leap.

[mrhansen]

Then you wouldn’t have any qualms at all with a group sending thousands of copies of Jesus Camp, Hell House, and Thomas Paine’s “In the Age of Reason” to the soldiers over there?

After all, like another poster already pointed out, care packages are available to those who want them, not forced upon everyone.

[Earthdweller]

There is no such law allowing restrictions on religion or non-religion in America. Go to communist China if you fancy that.

[Earthdweller]

"Then you wouldn’t have any qualms at all with a group sending thousands of copies of Jesus Camp, Hell House, and Thomas Paine’s “In the Age of Reason” to the soldiers over there?"

Of course not...it's people who are anti-Christian militants putting restrictions on what can or can't be sent these days. When the pendulum swings it never seems to stop in the middle.

[PurpleMan]

Hmm. I guess Bush’s DoD Inspector General on the “Christian Embasssy” video was wrong, too.

http://www.dodig.osd.mil/fo/Foia/ERR/Xtian_Embassy_072707.pdf

Let’s only obey those laws we want. How about Sharia.

[mrhansen]

Here is the game trailer for the Left Behind video game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YMaYEOz3kA&mode=related&search=

See, the violence is good because it is a ‘spiritual warfare’ kind of violence...

Didn’t Al Qaeda already make a video game with the same kind of message - that violence is alright, so long as it is done in the name of religion?

Yeah...

[NRA2BFree]

If it were the Koran they would personally pass them out. Try as they may, they won’t stop the Word of God from going forth.

[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?

Only officers and retired officers can be prosecuted for free exercise of their First Amendment rights of free speech (see Article 88, UCMJ). Genrally, this is used only if they are criticizing the president or military policy publicly.

These soldiers have every right to receive such materials. However, they are not entitled to be missionaries under a U.S. military banner either. It seems to me there is a reasonable balance to be had here. If a very few soldiers decided to go on a missionary crusade in Iraq, they could be transferred to other areas or discouraged by their officers and comrades in the field.

For people who claim to love "the troops", some people are awfully quick to demote their constitutional rights to free speech and freedom of religion.

If we are not fighting for inalienable rights as recognized under our Constitution and Bill Of Rights, we have no mission in Iraq. And inalienable rights means that our soldiers possess them by the simple right of being human beings. Of course, a reasonable exercise of those rights is to be expected in foreign lands by our military.

[stuartcr]

OK, thanks.

[PurpleMan]

Religion: The opium of the people

[Earthdweller]

"See, the violence is good because it is a ‘spiritual warfare’ kind of violence..."

It's specifically says there is no blood..no guts. What part of "spirtitual" only do you not understand here?

[Cogadh na Sith]

Are you afraid the poor unsuspecting wittle fellas might be exposed to EVIL evangelicalism?

I had a supervisor who gave out bad reviews to people who didn't attend prayer breakfasts with him.

Is that OK?

[Earthdweller]

"Religion: The opium of the people"

So what do you get happy on? Taking away happiness?

[Marysecretary]

What a disgusting article. Those damn Christians...what will they do next to promote peace and prayer in the military. Cheez. Pardon me while I barf.

[mrhansen]

Oh, ok...so it is perfectly acceptable to kill the ‘non-believers’, as long as you aren’t garotting them with their own intestines before beheading them with garden shears.

The gameplay still involves using firearms and ordnance to kill the ‘non-believers’.

Seriously, Al Qaeda really did put out the same sort of video game with exactly the same message - kill all of those who don’t agree with your brand of religion.

[Earthdweller]

Well then did you report him?

[Earthdweller]

"Oh, ok...so it is perfectly acceptable to kill the ‘non-believers’, as long as you aren’t garotting them with their own intestines before beheading them with garden shears."

My BS meter is reading off the charts.

[Marysecretary]

They just don’t get it. Any time something christian is spoken of, it’s taken out of context or they just plain lie. Even on FR, they assume things that just aren’t so. Argghhhh.

[Spiff]

So, you could send “care packages” stock full of pornographic magazines and books as well as extremely violent video games to our soldiers. But, if this report is correct, you can’t send them packages with Bibles and Christian-themed video games. What is wrong with this picture?

[Marysecretary]

EVERY Christian is told to take the gospel to all nations. It’s not a suggestion, Caramelgal. God is opening up the gospel to the Middle East and using us to do it. We should rejoice and quit criticizing.