Troops Punished After Refusing to Attend Evangelical Concert

Troops Punished After Refusing to Attend Evangelical Concert

www.truth-out.org

Pvt. Anthony Smith is the type of guy who stands up for what he believes in. That's why he decided to hold his commanding officers accountable for punishing him and fellow soldiers after they refused to attend an evangelical Christian rock concert at the Fort Eustis military post in Virginia.

(visit the link for the full news article)

While the US Army claims it's not religious but incidents like these show how deep religion runs into indoctrination of soldiers to evangelical Christians.

"They call them 'spiritual' events, but the vast majority of spiritual events are Christian-based," Smith said.

Smith said that the events often involve Bible readings and testimonies from evangelicals.

Using US tax dollars to fund a religious indoctrination concert? Then punishing those who refuse to attend? If this is not religious army I don't know what is.

Thankfully there are still soldiers left like Smith who hold their ground and do not give into pressure by their CO's

I've always stood up to my beliefs, it is kind of ridiculous that I have to deal with this in the military," Smith said.

www.truth-out.org
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by Sheol


Yeah, I think some people even refer to them as the Lord's Army.

reply to post by Sheol


Good on him...calling out your chain of command can be a harrowing ordeal.


Seperation of church and state =

Seperation of church and military =


But, unfortunately both the state and military consistently flip flop on the issue.





Hopefully JAG looks out for him, and since it's gone public, he may be good to go. But, then again...as with any institution, ideologies are speread far and wide.


Thanks for the 411...

Excellent thread OP!!!

This shows just how dangerous the Christian fundamentalist movement has become, and why they should be purged.

ATS take note - the danger is in complacency - Be vigilant of these fanatics at all times.

Parallex.

[edit on 21-8-2010 by Parallex]

*edit - spelling

[edit on 8/21/10 by GENERAL EYES]

I'm not surprised, but still disgusted. Will we ever evolve past our need for fear-based religions? or our need to bully others into believing what we believe? I can only hope.

I applaud Pvt. Anthony Smith for standing his ground AND calling out those who punished him.

I am also not at all surprised, just in looking at the basis of our aggression in the middle east against a group of "Islamic Fundamentalists" which in essence makes this a Holy War.

Not at all surprised they are pushing the Christian Fundamentalists...upon the grunts.

More brainwashing against Muslims.

The Zionsts and Christian Fundamentalists aspire towards the final battle of Armageddon....and are bought and paid for by the Zionsts and Neocons whom are behind all of our wars for their profit.


Glad to hear they didn't just merely take it Hook, Line and Sinker as 911 has been gulped down by the majority of the masses.

I have to applaud the performers, though, for their reaction.

Barlow Girl band member Lauren Barlow said if she and the other members of the group knew soldiers were being forced to attend the concert and were then punished for refusing to attend "we would have said something."
"That's horrible," Barlow tweeted in response to the revelations first published Thursday by MRFF's head researcher, Chris Rodda. "We never knew that. We thought they had a choice. If we would have known we would have said something."

(from the OP article)

[edit on 8-21-2010 by rogerstigers]

reply to post by rogerstigers


They are a nice band with good music.
I would have to agree with them that I doubt they knew people were being forced to be there. I doubt many people knew troops were being forced to do that. I guess that’s what they mean though that when you sign up you belong to uncle sam and he even tells you when to go to the bathroom.


I cannot say I agree with the forcing troops to attend anything in their “free time”, but I think it might be similar to company functions that are held at work and are mandatory to attend. I have been told it has something to do with team work and such nonsense but who knows.


Each day it becomes more clear to me why I have never had an interest in joining the military.

Raist

Time and time again, various posters will state the the founding fathers are Christian men, and that they desired the perpetuation of this belief to ascend through the future of America. Opposing posters always provide bogus websites that smear this American dogma. The American military has always reinforced the religious courage of it's troops and this is no different.
Kick the lowlife out and continue the mission.
No star, No flag

This was also posted in Political Madness yesterday...here. This was my comment there...repeating here because multiple threads confuse me.

Like it or not, deny it or not, there are signs point to the fact that there are Dominionist factions in the U.S.

And while it is their right to be whatever they want to be, say whatever they want to say, this is contrary to everything this country stands for, so you can't blame people for watching for signs of it.

And you also can't deny that when this fringe makes "news" it doesn't affect the perceptions that others have of this nation. This is turn can fuel other fires, such as propagating the perception that what we're doing in the Middle East is a crusade or a Christian war.

o When leaders slip and say things like Palin and Bush have said in the past

o When companies do things like put Christian scripture on guns our troops use

o When troops appear to be proselytizing in places like Iraq and Afghanistan

o When troops as in this story think they're being punished for skipping a Christian concert
(Troops: Skipping Christian concert got us punished)

Can you blame people for being wary? Even if it's NOT a religious war, if people in the Middle East or who practice Islam think it is, does it matter? Perception.

Interesting article here: Proselytizing in the Military Likely to Continue Under Obama

[edit on 8/21/2010 by ~Lucidity]

S&F When you sign up for the military they might own your body, but they do not own your soul. I agree with the part about separation of church and state.

Originally posted by Violater1
Time and time again, various posters will state the the founding fathers are Christian men, and that they desired the perpetuation of this belief to ascend through the future of America. Opposing posters always provide bogus websites that smear this American dogma. The American military has always reinforced the religious courage of it's troops and this is no different.
Kick the lowlife out and continue the mission.
No star, No flag

Ok, I will call my Agnostic son up and tell him he just wasted two years of his life in the Air Force training to support and operate Radio and Radar systems on refeuling tankers because he is not Christian and only people who believe in the Christian or Jewish god are qualified to operate radio equipment at 40,000 feet.

I'll be sure to let him know that people think he is a low life too.

Just wanted to add one thing, which came up in another thread.

It is extremely critical that the U.S. military is not perceived as a Christian military, particularly when they are engaged in combat in the heart of the Islamic world. It is dangerous to out troops.

In recent years, there have been some pretty alarming situations that have arisen to bolster the perception that they are indeed at war with Islam. Things like the Pentagon courting and embracing former Muslims who have converted to Christianity. And things like those in this story: Jih adist Web site Uses Mass Baptism of Marines As Proof of 'Christian Crusade' in Afghanistan

In this article, there is a great question in the subhead: Pentagon policy prohibits military officers from endorsing particular religious beliefs. Why do so many in the military ignore this directive?

Why indeed.

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation feels pretty strongly about this too in case you're interested in reading more.

Originally posted by ~Lucidity

It is extremely critical that the U.S. military is not perceived as a Christian military, particularly when they are engaged in combat in the heart of the Islamic world. It is dangerous to out troops.

Christian military? Has everyone so quickly forgotten the scriptures that were engraved on bullets? Is that just "yesterday's news"?

Good on this guy for standing up to corrupt authority shoving religious agenda down his throat.

reply to post by Violater1


Treaty of Tripoli, Article 11, ratified by senate in June 1797. 23 of 32 senators present. 23 yay votes.

Art. 11. As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion,—as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen,—and as the said States never entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.

Let me repeat:
As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion

I mean, honestly. How much clearer can you get?

BTW: This weinstein guy seems pretty cool...

reply to post by Violater1


The country was not founded on Christianity. It was founded on religious liberty for all.

At least it wasn't the army of Iran not attending a Muslim show,


the soldiers would've been beheaded.

Cheers.

the last thing anyone with half a brain wants to hear is Christian rock