No room at the inn…or on the Air Force base.
With the U.S. Army punishing chaplains for having the audacity to speak about God and the U.S. Air Force taking the phrase “So help me God” out of its cadets’ oaths, it’s tough to tell which of our armed forces is the most hostile to religion. But it looks like the Air Force is taking the lead, at least for now.
According to Fox News, the baby Jesus has been given the boot from the Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina, not to mention Mary, Joseph, the wise men and various farm animals. The nativity scene had been located at the edge of Memorial Lake, but no more, thanks to the ever vigilant Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF).
According to this organization, the nativity scene was causing emotional trauma to some of the Air Force personnel who saw it. If viewing plastic statutes of long-deceased Middle Eastern people and animals causes emotional trauma for our armed forces, I hate to think how they feel when confronted by live people trying to kill them in Afghanistan and elsewhere.
Paul Loebe of the MRFF called the nativity scene “a direct violation of the U.S. Constitution” and an “egregious violation.” I’m guessing he had to refer to his thesaurus for that second one.
Liberty Institute Director of Litigation Hiram Sasser said that it was the military that was acting in an unconstitutional manner by first allowing the nativity scene and then banning it due to its religious viewpoint. He also called it “unlawful censorship of private religious speech.”
I understand that separation of church and state is a slippery slope, but I have to wonder about the motivation of people who devote their lives to squashing the religious expressions of others. Not something I’d want to have on my “spiritual resume” when it comes time to check out of this life.
How do you feel about public displays of faith? Do they offend you? Do they need to be kept away from public areas? Please let me know how you feel about this.
I don’t understand separation of church and state In the BIBLE the people are the church. the state represents the people, so how can you separate the people from themselves
These people who claim to suffer from viewing a nativity scene are narcissistic malcontents. Nothing more than that. In life, just because you CAN do something does not mean you SHOULD do it. But, people without meaning and perspective in life will usually obsess at the expense of another. Anti God zeolots have gotten too much mileage from ‘separation of church and state’, something that is not found in any originating documents of this country. It was quoted rom a private letter written by a former POTUS to a friend. It does not exist as a legal principle and yet it is shouted from rooftops by those who hate religion or mention of God. When will the USSC take up a case that removes this bullet from the God hater’s arsenal so we who do believe can resume practicing or religion without government interference? Pick on radical Islam’s practice of it’s religion, not peaceful Christians.
I was in the U.S. Army …it is hard to believe they are punishing chaplains for having the audacity to speak about God. It is their MOS…their job. In this NWO we are living in …nothing shocks me. The U.S. Air Force taking the phrase “So help me God” out of its cadets’ creed, is an outrage but also is not shocking. My children go to a Catholic School, They say the pledge, they learn about god, about Christ. Its an expensive sacrifice but they are worth it! I too understand that the separation of church and state is a slippery slope, but people have the right of religious expressions…except for Christians… for some reason were intolerable! Maybe its peace and Love that people just cant handle in this world of hate we live in.
If our troops can handle following orders blindly they ought to be able to handle some statues celebrating the birth of a man that lived 2000 years ago. Happy Birthday JC-Santa who? Shame on you uncle Sam! Shame on you! I’m proud to have served but I’m even prouder that I don’t serve under these a-holes in the white house now. I just hope these uniformed kids understand that they always have a choice and that they really serve the people and their true mission is to protect the people of the USA not the Government they work for. That is what a patriot is!
Hmm. Who said Jesus was in the old testament? I don’t usually chime in on things, but bible IS the oldest factual recorded document we have historically. You will lock up a criminal up with one one witness…. but a document with thousands of witnesses is a fairy tale????? Hmmmm, Thanks for what you do Frank!
GOD belongs in the very middle of everything we do and not just God as we describe him but God as described by a number of faiths whose views parrallel the depiction we have embraced in this country since it’s inception; a God of love and peace.
The media keeps searching for the radical fringes of competing religions to feature as somehow being the mainstream of that faith; they are NOT!
There is a reason that the story of a loving God is found throughout the world, it is because human beings feel that connection to their creator and recognize that there is something more than just “us” and “stuff” on the planet worth pursuing.
Paul says in Romans chap.2 vrs 14-15 that those who have not the law but act according to the law are a law unto themselves and Jesus never said “worship me” he said “follow me.” The idea that the Christian religion is some exclusive club with special words and secret handshakes is nonsense; “know the tree by the fruit it bears.” Telling Chaplains to avoid references to God because it might be offensive to others assumes that Christianity is exactly that; private and exclusionary. Instead, we should proudly declare who we are and what we stand for and invite others to join us or at least proudly declare how our faiths support each other instead of abandoning any form of a moral compass.
Robert Arrowood:
I’m not in to the fairy tales so thanks for educating me. I didn’t know Jesus was in the old testament!? You would have fit right in with my Army basic training company at Ft. Leonwood Wood in the summer of ’74 when we all were required to attend a religious service: “Protestants here, Catholics there, today we don’t have any Jews.”
I like what you say about not worshipping Jesus. It’s true. He has told us to worship his Father not him and to follow his example and tell others. Very simple.
With over four thousand religions in the world, who do you believe? There are many impostors to lead us astray. Read the bible, the basic text on leading a spiritual life. It’s that easy! Don’t worry, nobody will call you a dufus. Maybe they will leave you alone for fear they might change. ;_)
America is headed for an awakening, a spiritual one at that. We have almost pushed our beliefs over the proverbial cliff. You know what will happen when this is totally done ? I don”t either but it won”t be pretty. In olden days, when the people who were followers of Jesus Christ refused to keep the basic commandments, God dealt with them in such a way that the message was loud and clear. REF: Read in the Old Testament where God literally destroyed thousands of people because they were disobedient and had strayed so far from the teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Why should we think He won”t do it again ? I hope America chooses to go right on this before it is too late.
Paul Loebe of the MRFF is the typical anti-religious activist who clearly has never read the Constitution of the United States. I can’t believe anyone still thinks that separation of church and state (as defined politically) is in the Constitution. And if any Air Force member is emotionally traumatized by viewing a Nativity scene, then that person should pack up their security blanket and separate from military service! Someone with more intestinal fortitude will certainly take your place – although I think Mr. Loebe was simply engaging in the typical hyperbole used by activists to justify their tenuous position and sense of self-justification. I’ve been an atheist and now a Christian, and I know a far greater sense of worth now than I did as an atheist because of the baby represented in that Nativity. When you are responsible for your own sense of worth, the tendency is to belittle others and their beliefs to make yourself feel greater. I feel sad for those people, and I pray for them to find what I did.
When the Lord Jesus Christ would come upon the demon possessed they would often cry out in agony. Mark 3:10 For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues. Mark 3:11 And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God. His servant, Peter
I agree with S.L. comment and would suggest http://www.WallBuilders.com for the answer as to why.
Our country was founded by people who wanted freedom – even freedom of religion. If Christians must allow all other religions that freedom right, why are Christian beliefs being trounced on? The majority of Americans are Christian, whether they are practicing and/or attending regularly or not. Why can’t all parties become more tolerant of each other and as long as your religious beliefs aren’t doing harm to other people or destroying private property – and just go our separate ways? There is no forcing of persons to participate in another religion. It seems to me that those who admit to being Christians have to “look the other way” many more times than other religions have to. Why is that?
I thought that is what chaplains were suppose to do. Silly me. These laws and political correctness goes to far.