Posted on 10/29/2007 12:06:39 AM PDT by AmericanInTokyo
Not to "step on anybody's rice bowl" here, but does anyone besides me find this a bit IRONIC??
Here we have a case where we are told by The Pentagon back in the States that military funerals, involving a time-honored tradition of flag-folding, must be "religiously cleansed", and other references for example to Jesus Christ kept out of Chaplains' public comments.
All the while, here in Japan, just one week ago (as in previous years), the US Navy's Commander of Fleet Activities Yokosuka (CFAY) and MWR Office officially sanctioned, paid for, or otherwise arranged American sailors to parade through the streets in a SHINTO RELIGION festival carrying a portable Shinto shrine (o-mikoshi).
Here are the photos to prove it:
071021-N-7446H-007 YOKOSUKA, Japan (Oct. 21, 2007) - Sailors carry a Mikoshi through the streets of Yokosuka during the 31st Yokosuka Mikoshi Parade. More than 50 Sailors volunteered to participate in the parade and experience Japanese culture. Mikoshi are portable wooden Shinto shrines hand-carried during local Japanese festivals, or Matsuri. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Derek J. Hurder (RELEASED)
Heathen, nooooooo six-time Heathen LOL
Me, I never got to cross the line. But I did participate many times in the age-old ceremony of chumming the blue waters of the Mediterranean, after coming back from shore with a belly full of Italian red wine.
I sailed the Pacific, Seattle to Yokohama and Yokohama to Seattle, via MSTS, the Army’s navy.
Cool!
Can you say “Sake”??????
You’re right, it’s a double standard. That’s the issue here.
My thought also.
I kind of figure there was booze and or babes involved in the after parade function....
I did 5 yrs in the area late 50’s/early 60’s and don’t recall any liberty involving a local parade....
However, in the late 50’s while in San Diego remember going out in the desert on ‘broke weekends’ and getting ‘saved’ Of course getting ‘saved’ was just the culmination of the weekend, which usually meant a lot of food and SYT’s.
NO religion involved here, just another liberty.
Guess these little hamlets were the original ‘hippy’ towns that sprung up later....
:’) Too true.
Shellback here. You mean that fat guy in the diaper wasn't really the Royal Baby?
(Don't know if they do this stuff anymore - it was really un-PC...)
Despite steaming approx 75,000 miles in WESTPAC area, am still a POLLYWOG and truly regret NOT crossing...came close once in 61 as we were in Borneo and were going to ‘arrange’ a crossing but conditions to the North (Laos/VN) forced us to scrap that plan.
I’ve crossed so many times and so long ago I was King Neptune the last time we crossed (actually the CMC was the most senior shellback but they aren’t allowed to participate in the ceremony anymore).
Amen!!!
And AMEN!!!!!
You, (and a few others) actually took the time to read my post and my thoughts, and what I was trying to convey. It was not an issue of being upset over those guys doing a Shinto thing in the streets of Japan, it was my objection that if you tried to do some parallel Christian activity back in the USA, people (libs, ACLU types) would blow a gasket.
That is how much we have lost freedom of expression within our own borders!.
Thank you VOA
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