Christian Prosletytizing in the U.S. Armed Forces?

[Lemur]

Stumbled across this, wondered what the Orgahs would think.

"Let me make it clear. I would shed my last drop of blood to defend their right to hold that biblical worldview. They are absolutely entitled to believe that Anne Frank is burning in hell along with Dr. Seuss, Gandhi and Einstein. But I will not accept my government telling me who are the children of the greater God and who are the children of the lesser God. That's the difference. I will not defend -- I will fight them tooth and nail, and lay down a withering field of fire and leave sucking chest wounds -- if they engage the machinery of the state, which is what they're doing." -- Mikey Weinstein, ex-Officer suing the Air Force over proselytizing in uniform.

Personally, I find it hard not to like a guy who casually uses the term "sucking chest wounds," even though I loathe the use of lawsuits in general.

[Redleg]

I think his issue is more with the Air Force Academy versus the whole of the United States Armed Forces.

It seems that instead of focusing on harrassing women as the Academy used to do back in the 1990's its reverted to bashing Jews.

[lars573]

I sincerely hope he succeds.

[Mount Suribachi]

A curious combination of complaints, some entirely justified, others just come across as the kind common or garden anti-christianism so popular in the backroom.

"How does it make you feel to know that you killed Jesus Christ?"

This is just wrong on so many levels. Morons who come out with this really need to read their new New Testaments. And a lawsuit for that kind of harassment is entirely justified.

"Ambassadors for Christ in uniform " I really don't get the problem with this. America has a LONG tradition of the "christian warrior". The soldier who loves his country and has family and is willing to give his life to defend them, who seeks to represent the values of Christ - honesty, integrity, truthfulness, forgiveness. Think Robert E Lee, or Mel Gibsons character in We Were Soldiers.

It seems he wants to bring back don't ask, don't tell. Only this time its the Christians who shouldn't tell.

[Husar]

"How does it make you feel to know that you killed Jesus Christ?"

This is just wrong on so many levels. Morons who come out with this really need to read their new New Testaments. And a lawsuit for that kind of harassment is entirely justified.

I agree. A common argument of antisemites.

[Fragony]

"He has also formed a nonprofit organization, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, to combat what he sees as a concerted effort by evangelical Christian organizations to treat the armed forces as a mission field, ripe for conversions."

So why sue the army? Sounds like third party activity to me....

[Kommodus]

I sympathize with Weinstein's son, and I'm saddened by the bigotry he experienced. I'm appalled at the ignorance that leads to anti-Semitism. But I don't agree with Weinstein's lawsuit; he seems to be targetting the wrong enemy. I disagree with any rules that curtail the freedom to share of one's faith in a peaceful, non-coercive way.

Anti-Semitism, or hatred directed towards people of any race, faith, etc., is a great evil. But the best way to combat it is through education, not by selectively banning certain forms of free speech. I can tell my co-workers my opinions on politics, sports, music, or anything else. I can invite them to concerts, sporting events, or private parties. So why should I be denied the right to tell them my views on God, or to invite them to church? They can tell me "no" and even ask me not to speak to them about it again, and I'll respect that.

And by the way, favoritism will happen to some degree whenever there is a majority/minority split. If I (an American) went to, say, a German university, I wouldn't expect to be included in things to the same degree as the German students. I wouldn't consider this deliberate or wrong - I'd simply have less in common with the others. Of course, if the others attacked me or shouted racial slurs, it would be a different story.