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 Greetings! You are reading an article from The Mudville Gazette. To reach the front page, with all the latest news and views, click the logo above or "main" below. Thanks for stopping by! May 14, 2005 God and CountryBy Greyhawk"The time is now near at hand which must probably determine, whether Americans are to be, Freemen, or Slaves; whether they are to have any property they can call their own; whether their Houses, and Farms, are to be pillaged and destroyed, and they consigned to a State of Wretchedness from which no human efforts will probably deliver them. The fate of unborn Millions will now depend, under God, on the Courage and Conduct of this army?Our cruel and unrelenting Enemy leaves us no choice but a brave resistance, or the most abject submission; that is all we can expect?We have therefore to resolve to conquer or die." "It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." "The soldier, above all other men, is required to perform the highest act of religious teaching?sacrifice. In battle and in the face of danger and death he discloses those divine attributes which his Maker gave when He created man in his own image. No physical courage and no brute instincts can take the place of the divine annunciation and spiritual uplift which will alone sustain him." Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Forces: You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world. Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely. But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man-to-man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our Home Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to Victory! I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory! Good Luck! And let us all beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking. "Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech Thee, of Thy great goodness, to restrain these immoderate rains with which we have had to contend. Grant us fair weather for Battle. Graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call upon Thee that, armed with Thy power, we may advance from victory to victory, and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies, and establish Thy justice among men and nations. Amen." "It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived." "Like the old soldier of the ballad, I now close my military career and just fade away, an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty. Goodbye." Eternal Father, strong to save, O Christ! Whose voice the waters heard Most Holy Spirit! Who didst brood O Trinity of love and power! If the Army and the Navy Semper Fidelis "Remember, you are accountable first to your God, this great nation, our great Air Force, our Air Force Academy and lastly your teammates." Americans United for Separation of Church and State today asked Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and other military officials to move quickly to stop acts of religious bias at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. General Weida has, for example, officially endorsed ?National Prayer Week? in a mass email message to the Cadet Wing that can only be described as a prayer and a directive to pray. Among other things, General Weida?s e-mail message instructed cadets to ?[a]sk the Lord to give us the wisdom to discover the right, the courage to choose it, and the strength to make it endure?; and the message informed the cadets that ?He has a plan for each and every one of us.? Similarly, in an official ?Commander?s Guidance? document, General Weida instructed cadets that they ?are accountable first to your God.? Such official proselytization and prayer by a public official is, of course, the hallmark of unconstitutional conduct under the Establishment Clause. "Religious intolerance and the mixing of church and state have no place in any of our service academies. Air Force officials must move quickly to ensure that church-state separation is respected at the Academy." "National Socialism and Christianity are irreconcilable." "To morrow being the day set apart by the Honorable Congress for public Thanksgiving and Praise; and duty calling us devoutely to express our grateful acknowledgements to God for the manifold blessings he has granted us. The General directs that the army remain in it?s present quarters, and that the Chaplains perform divine service with their several Corps and brigades. And earnestly exhorts, all officers and soldiers, whose absence is not indispensibly necessary, to attend with reverence the solemnities of the day." Posted by Greyhawk / May 14, 2005 2:59 PM | Permalink 15 Comments |
November 26, 2010America@war [Greyhawk]
I think anyone who's ever pondered the "comment" option - once only available on blogs and bulletin boards, now ubiquitous on almost any web site - will appreciate this:
The so-called faculty of writing is not so much a faculty of writing as it is a faculty of thinking. When a man says, "I have an idea but I can't express it"; that man hasn't an idea but merely a vague feeling. If a man has a feeling of that kind, and will sit down for a half an hour and persistently try to put into writing what he feels, the probabilities are at least 90 percent that he will either be able to record it, or else realize that he has no idea at all. In either case, he will do himself a benefit. That's wisdom from the past, captured for posterity at the US Naval Institute, shared via the web on the institute's 137th anniversary. From their about page:
"The Naval Institute has three core activities," among them, History and Preservation: The Naval Institute also has recently introduced Americans at War, a living history of Americans at war in their own words and from their own experiences. These 90-second vignettes convey powerful stories of inspiration, pride, and patriotism. Take a look at the collection, and you'll see it's not limited to accounts from those who served on ships at sea, members of the other branches are well-represented. I'm fortunate to have met USNI's Mary Ripley, she's responsible for the institute's oral history program (and she's the daughter of the late John Ripley, whose story is told here). She also deserves much credit for their blog. ("We're not the Navy nor any government agency. Blog and comment freely.") We met at a milblog conference - Mary knew (and I would come to realize) that milbloggers are the 21st-century version of exactly what the US Naval Institute is all about. Once that light bulb came on in my head, I mentioned a vague idea for a project to her - milblogs as the 21st century oral history that they are. "Put that in writing," she said (of course - see first paragraph above!) - and here's part of the result. Shortly after the first tent was pitched by the American military in Iraq a wire was connected to a computer therein, and the internet was available to a generation of Americans at war - many of whom had grown up online. From that point on, at any given moment, somewhere in Iraq a Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine was at a keyboard sharing the events of his or her day with the folks back home. While most would simply fire off an email, others took advantage of the (then) relatively new online blogging platforms to post their thoughts and experiences for the entire world to see. The milblog was born - and from that moment to this stories detailing everything from the most mundane aspects of camp life to intense combat action (often described within hours of the event) have been available on the web... And et cetera - but since you're reading this on a milblog, you probably knew that. And you know that milblogs aren't just blogs written by troops at war, that many friends, family members, and supporters likewise documented their story of America at war online in near-real time, as those stories developed. The diversity in membership of that group is broad, the one thing we all have in common is the impulse to make sense of the seemingly senseless, and communicate the tale - for each of us that impulse was strong enough to overcome whatever barriers prevent the vast majority of people from doing the same. Everyone at some point has some vague idea they believe should be shared - we were the people who, from some combination of internal and external urging, found and spent those many half hours persistently trying to write it down. But where will all that be in another 137 years? Or five or ten, for that matter. That's something I've asked myself since at least 2004 - when I wrote this:
Membership in the ghost battalion has grown in the years since, and an ever growing majority of those abandoned-but-still-standing sites are vanishing. Have you checked out Lt Smash's site lately? How about Sgt Hook's? If you're a long-time milblog reader you know the first widely-read milblog from Operation Iraq Freedom and the first widely-read milblog from Afghanistan are both gone from the web. If you're a relative newcomer to this world you may never even have heard of them - or the dozens upon dozens of others who carried forth the standard they set down. If you have a vague notion that something should be done about that, (a notion I've heard expressed more than once...) then you and I and the good folks at the US Naval Institute are in agreement. Preserving the history documented by the milbloggers is just one of the goals of the milblog project, the once-vague idea that we're now making real. And it's a big idea, if I say so myself - too big to explain in one simple blog post, so stand by for more. Likewise, it's too big a task to be accomplished by just one person. So if you're a milblogger (and exactly what is a milblogger? is a topic for much further discussion on its own) I'm asking for your help. All I'll really need is just a little bit (maybe just one or two of those half hours...) of your time, and your willingness to tell the tale. We've already made history, it's time to save it. (More to follow...) Posted 4:02 PM | Permalink |
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The Mudville Gazette is the on-line voice of an American warrior and his wife who stands by him. They prefer to see peaceful change render force of arms unnecessary. Until that day they stand fast with those who struggle for freedom, strike for reason, and pray for a better tomorrow.
 
 
 Furthermore, I will occasionally use satire or parody herein. The bottom line: it's my house. I like having visitors to my house. I hope you are entertained. I fight for your right to free speech, and am thrilled when you exercise said rights here. Comments and e-mails are welcome, but all such communication is to be assumed to be 1)the original work of any who initiate said communication and 2)the property of the Mudville Gazette, with free use granted thereto for publication in electronic or written form. If you do NOT wish to have your message posted, write "CONFIDENTIAL" in the subject line of your email. Original content copyright © 2003 - 2011 by Greyhawk. Fair, not-for-profit use of said material by others is encouraged, as long as acknowledgement and credit is given, to include the url of the original source post. Other arrangements can be made as needed. Contact: greyhawk at mudvillegazette dot com  Tending Distant Far from hearth and home, watching What tales we'll tell When things grim Some distant sunset, vision fading Saluting fallen friends whose names - Greyhawk, Baghdad, December 2004 |
"Religious intolerance ...[has] no place in any of our service academies." - Barry W. Lynn, executive director of religious intolerance {er...} AUSCS.
Oh, the irony.
Yet another Secularist attack on Religion. Or is it?
The portrayal of the "Culture War" has been for the most part publicized by political orgs such as Focus on the Family, etc. as a war between Secularism and Religion. Nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is that there are very, very, few people in the United States who do not believe in God or belong to a Religion. Atheists and Secularists form a very tiny minority in this country.
The "Culture War" is between a sub-group of politically motivated "Evangelical Christians" and pretty much every other Faith practiced in this country. Including other mainstream Christian Evangelicals.
You should read a larger variety of articles on the Air Force Academy issue than you have been. Up close it starts to look a lot less like persecution OF religion and a lot more like persecution between religions. Even throwing out all the "People United for the Separation of Church and State" reports. Especially since one of the main people making complaints about the inappropriate evangelizing is a Lutheran Chaplain. She hardly qualifies as a godless secularist.
Are we to forbid Jews, Mormons, Catholics and Anglicans from joining the military? Shall we force recruits to give up their faith and adhere only to specific Christian tenents approved by those in Colorado? This is really about freedom OF religion. All Religions.
Really? Who did BG Weida say the cadets first duty was to?
It's about spin, Patrick. And agendas. I know too many military academy grads and instructors to swallow this line of crap.
But by all means, read whatever you want.
By the way, your Lutheran Chaplain seems to be someone trying to get out of a tour of duty in Iraq.
Try thinking of it this way: Secularism is a belief just as Christianity is. Neutrality is an impossibility, and when groups like the AUSCS claim to be promoting separation of church and state, they are in fact attempting to promote their secular belief system, aiming for what is in effect a state-sponsored secularism.
Patrick -
I agree with Old Soldier about your Lutheran pastor. I would assume that she would think that what the apostles did would qualify as inappropriate. True Christians are not to be feared, Patrick. Dont be scared enough to fall for the spin.
Heidi
Sad trend. Some of the finest men I knew in the Army were the chaplains. I went to Catholic chaplains at Ft Sill during the Officer Basic Course for guidance. And later at Carson, too. But in the field, I found myself seeking guidance from Baptists and Presbyterians when necessary. The military is the triumph of ecumenism--by virtue of necessity, not politically correct experiments. And our military brings us the honor it does because the officers and NCOs instill a distinctly Judeo-Christian moral philosophy in every soldier--one that values right over might, good over evil, and humility over boisterous pride.
People like Patrick will never understand that.
Well, I see I'm easier more fun to attack than James Madison. I guess he has the advantage in being dead already. Unfortunately for those looking for drama, unlike most Christians I don't have a martyr complex. Believe what you want to believe. But do know that you don't have a monopoly on God.
And "Old Soldier", you have now called a military chaplain a coward and a liar. Provide your proof please or retract your accusations.
And anytime you see a phrase such as "People like Patrick ...." You can pretty much count on the author being both prejudiced and stuck up. Prejudiced toward what? Who cares? But when someone says "People like...." they really mean not "like" people at all. And I understand a great deal more than you think.
"Secularism is a belief just as Christianity is. Neutrality is an impossibility".
For your religion's sake I hope not. If one religion is going to be favored over another, then why do you assume it's going to be yours? Frankly, secularism used to go by another name. it was once called "courtesy". The idea that even though you disagreed with someone else for any reason, you still had a basic respect for them as another human being. It doesn't sound like that fits FOF's modern definition of evangelizing.
Many of the people who founded this country knew all too well the cost of mixing Church and State. They saw the excesses of Catholic political power. The religious purges in England, etc. So they tried to find a way for different religions to peacefully co-exist.
James Madison's ideas, many of which are the foundation our Constitution, reflect this. Instead of attacking me, does anyone actually care to respond to his words instead? Of should I just post the latest press release from Focus on the Family on the assumption that they think for you? Incidentally, in other writings, Madison said that he didn't even approve of granting tax-exempt status to Churches.
This all certainly makes this atheist soldier feel better...
Now, I am by no means "scared" of "true" christians. Our company's unofficial "chaplain" is a man of deep faith and extraordinary spirit, and should he wish to lead the company in a prayer on the road to Baghdad or some such place, I'd gladly bow my head -- out of respect for him. If the CO decides to start holding prayers at the end of day formation, I'd have a wee bit more of a problem with that.
Calling secularism a belief is absurd. Yes, you will find the occasional rabble-rouser who's committed to stamping out every trace of religion from his life, but for the majority of us, we really just want to be left alone, and not feel like we're somehow second-class soldiers because we proclaim no faith but liberty and the Constitution.
Christians for the most part own the ruling political party in this country. They own the House, the Senate, and the Presidency. They are currently going after the Judiciary branch of government.
I simply have a difficult time viewing Christians as "victims". But that is how Focus on the Family and these other extremist groups continually portray themselves. Frankly it sounds more like just another outgrowth of the "Me" generation and the culture of victimization.
"People like Patrick" automatically disqualifies an opinion huh? LOL! How convenient! ;-)
Recognize this?:
Day is done, gone the sun,
From the hills, from the lake,
From the skies.
All is well, safely rest,
God is nigh.
Go to sleep, peaceful sleep,
May the soldier or sailor,
God keep.
On the land or the deep,
Safe in sleep.
Love, good night, Must thou go,
When the day, And the night
Need thee so?
All is well. Speedeth all
To their rest.
Fades the light; And afar
Goeth day, And the stars
Shineth bright,
Fare thee well; Day has gone,
Night is on.
Thanks and praise, For our days,
'Neath the sun, Neath the stars,
'Neath the sky,
As we go, This we know,
God is nigh.
Those are the words to "Taps". You remember that song don't you? It's the one we use when we put our troops in the ground! Americans that gave their lives to something greater than themselves. Now you're saying that is all a sham? Something to be despised? A battle between religions and not man? Interesting concept that!
You can believe or not as is your want in life but you know, somehow these words give me comfort. I like the idea of going to a finer place and being reunited with my loved ones. You don't buy into that it's OK by me. The word "pity" comes to mind but it's your own business! And a shame you have your Hell on Earth to deal with. Hmmmmm! And I'm not even a church goin' bible thumpin' Christian but instead someone who Believes and sees Wonders everywhere around me. I'm not a big fan of organized religion but make no mistake, Christianity is under assault. Along with other mundane and archaic acronyms like Duty, Honor, Country. Funny how God used to a part of that collection of words.
Oh well, to each his own but please do not tell me that there is not a concerted effort to remove anything Christian from our society, history, and public conscience. That dog won't hunt Patrick and you damn well know it!
"And anytime you see a phrase such as "People like Patrick ...." You can pretty much count on the author being both prejudiced and stuck up."
Point taken.
"unlike most Christians I don't have a martyr complex."
"Most Christians", huh? Hmmm, sounds an awful lot like "people like Christians". At least I know to consider the author as "both prejudiced and stuck up."
Ouch! Right on target. I'll go crawl back under my rock now to see if I can pluck these arrows out. ;-)
Jarhead Dad, I'm not sure you understand exactly what I'm objecting too. It's not the presence of Christianity or any other religion in the military forces of our country. It's the idea that it must be one particular form of Christianity to the exclusion of all others. And unlike James Madison, I am not against military chaplains. I know they are a source of great comfort and moral guidance. At least they should be. But it sounds like many of the ones at the Air force Academy have forgotten that their duty is to all troops, regardless of specific religious affiliations. Its a position and calling of service, not evangelism. Chaplains should be and must be prepared to minister to and comfort those of all faiths or none, without judgment. If they are too weak to do this then they have no place in the military.
And there's no problem with forcing a specific religion at the AF Academy either Patrick. I talk to a lot of those young men (sorry don't know any of the young women) fairly regularly. A couple of the boys that grew up eating all my food attend. One is a United Methodist and the other a Baptist. Tolerance of various religions is not a problem. You have one ticked Chaplain that is facing duty in Iraq. What type of Chaplain calls in an outside source that is questionable in what direction they lean to begin with? Not any of the ones I've known! The pot is now stirred and it's so easy to do with this PC BS that we've got going on in this country.
That's the problem with making accusations. Everyone wants Kumbaya yet they only want it under their own terms. That's not any form of freedom and basically it doesn't take a rocket scientist to stir things up. It's the easiest part of the self-absorbed to figure out. They preach a great show but fall so short of their own philosophy that they cannot be trusted. When you read a story like this one take a minute and look around. Weigh the facts and don't make assumptions or accusations garnered from a single source. Yes, it IS another attack on mainstream religion. Not so subtle either. When what the story deserves is nothing more than a chuckle at the whining that it espouses!
The AF has simply got to quit accommodating this tripe.
Ad yeah, I get my boxers in a bunch whenever I see Christianity being attacked. I'm just tired of it! Chaplains flat-out rock and I have yet to meet one that doesn't minister to all. We are all God's children whether we like that or not and every Chaplain I've ever met knows this as truth. This whole scenario was brought about by the Air Force's lack of spine. They just simply try to be everything to everyone when they need to stand up and take a stand. My Dad was AF and my brother is an E-7 active so I know a bit about it. I'm about tired of hearing about people's "feelings" getting hurt too. Shoot, I guess I'm just tired!
Tell you another thing while we're on the subject of Chaplains. Some of the most widely read people I've known have been Chaplains. They can discuss so many various religions from their understanding of each. It is part of their job description and their understanding of all religions is second to none. THAT is why I just sit back and laugh at the lunacy of this whole situation.
I have a cousin I grew up with that was a Chaplain and is now a Minister. He's been to all four corners of the planet and the knowledge he has on various religions is unbelievable. The discussions we've had on occasion have gone well into the wee hours. And he's only one of thousands. Although he still calls me "Heathen" because I refuse to join in on organized religion he has no fear for my soul and understands I have my own beliefs and way of worship. To this day he's never tried to force his religion on me. As long as he knows I am good to go in my own way he accepts that as gospel. The good these Chaplains have done borders on heroic and I don't see them pigeon-holing a single denomination. No way, no how. That doesn't mean they aren't Christian and believe in the Christian Faith. And that seems to be the crux of the problem now doesn't it?
Oh well, guess that's why we have Marines! ruh-roh! ;-)