Posted on 06/08/2013 6:22:45 AM PDT by Kaslin
The U.S. Air Force directed a military base to remove a video tribute to First Sergeants because it mentioned the word ‘God’ and might be offensive to atheists or Muslims.
The tribute was created by a chaplain at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. The chaplain wrote a poem titled, “God Created A First Sergeant.” It was later adapted into a video with a narration.
The video was modeled after the Dodge Ram Super Bowl commercial titled, “God Created A Farmer.”
“On the eighth day, God looked down on His creation and said, ‘I need someone who will take care of the Airmen,’” the tribute read. “So God created a First Sergeant.”
Chaplain leadership at the base signed off on the project as well as other base officials and earlier this week the video was posted on YouTube. But it was soon taken down after other officers objected.
“Proliferation of religion is not allowed in the Air Force or military,” wrote the chief of the Air Force News Service Division in an email I obtained. “How would an Agnostic, Atheist or Muslim serving in the military take this video?”
“I would not recommend using this at all,” the chief wrote.
He also took issue with the wording of the video, according to the emails.
“The choice of ‘On the Eighth day’ verbiage to begin this video is highly suggestive from the book of Genesis in the Bible and has Christian overtones,” he wrote.
An Air Force spokesperson told Fox News the video was removed for a legal review.
“The Air Force removed the ‘God Created a First Sergeant’ video from the official Joint Base McGuire Dix YouTube site to evaluate whether it is consistent with official Air Force guidance, to include whether it meets official guidance governing religious neutrality in the Air Force as prescribed in Air Force Instruction 1-1, Air Force Culture,” spokesperson Ann Stefanek said in a statement.
A source with knowledge of the incident tells me that the video was made to simply honor First Sergeants. The chaplain had written the poem several months ago and it was recently turned into a multimedia presentation.
The decision to censor the video comes less than a week after the Military Religious Freedom Foundation ordered the Air Force to remove an inspirational painting from Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho.
The painting included a reference to a Bible verse in the Gospel of Matthew, “Blessed are the peacemakers.”
The Air Force complied with those demands and less than one hour after MRFF founder Mikey Weinstein filed the complaint, the painting was removed.
An Airman who reached out to Fox News said Air Force leadership is “hypersensitive to anyone who says they feel like their rights are being violated.”
“It’s extremely frustrating,” the Airman said. “The Air Force is living in fear of Mikey Weinstein.”
The Airman, who asked not to be identified because he feared being disciplined, said many people are furious over the censorship of the chaplain’s video.
“If our chaplains cannot speak the name of God, let alone Christ, why have them?” he asked. “I’ve towed the company line for years but this has pushed me too far to sit quietly while personal liberties are trampled upon.”
The Airman said in recent months they have been reminded that they cannot proselytize and they cannot share their faith on the installation.
“We are strongly discouraged from having any kind of Christian items on our desks or in our offices,” he said.
There is no “leadership” in the AF anymore. The Leaders left with LeMay’s generation..all we have now are fags and hags.
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AFret,
You have nailed it, my friend.
ping
What does 'adopted' mean in this instance?
Too late. Obama's already here.
Nothing subtle here. Perhaps the opposite of “rejected?”
If the Jews are the originators of the Old Testament, then Christians can hardly claim authorship.
But we have adopted it as our own (though we also have the New Testament, of course).
'Tain't legal NOW; 'twasn't legal THEN.
Psalm 89:34
I will not violate my covenant or alter what my lips have uttered.
Galatians 3:15
Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case.
Yehova is the author of the OT, not “the Jews.”
Yeshua told us in the most direct of terms that we must hold to Torah until all things are accomplished, and the heavens and the Earth pass away.
That is thus both the OT, and NT are based on Torah.
>> “every conceivable sin is forgivable. Except for one - the rejection of God.” <<
.
Wrong!
Only unforgivable sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
Wrong nothing. God is including the Holy Spirit.
Aren’t these two the same thing just said differently?
No, blasphemy against the spirit is believing that you can choose when to shape up and commit to Yeshua.
Basically gambling on eternal life; I can have my fun now, and live right later.
You’re missing the entire point.
Don’t be silly on my time.
Interesting that you are The Keeper of the one definition of “blasphemy against the spirit” and go around telling people “wrong”.
LoL!
Do you know another?
Never said they were.
Then there is your myopic view of blasphemy that only defines a single narrow definition against 1/3 of The Holy Trinity.
blasphemy
blas·phe·my [blas-fuh-mee]
noun, plural blas·phe·mies.
1. impious utterance or action concerning God or sacred things.
2. Judaism.
a. an act of cursing or reviling God.
b. pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton (YHVH) in the original, now forbidden manner instead of using a substitute pronunciation such as Adonai.
3. Theology . the crime of assuming to oneself the rights or qualities of God.
4. irreverent behavior toward anything held sacred, priceless, etc.: He uttered blasphemies against life itself.
Sorry, I thought you might have been serious.
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