Onward Christian Soldier Aboration or troubling trend?
#1
Posted 2008-May-07, 21:13
#3
Posted 2008-May-07, 21:44
I've read that the Air Force Academy is thoroughly infected with Christian evangelicals these days. Looks like that cancer has spread to the Army also.
The infliction of cruelty with a good conscience is a delight to moralists — that is why they invented hell. — Bertrand Russell
#4
Posted 2008-May-07, 21:46
Could someone fix my spelling error and make that: Aberration...
Tip of the hat to Matmat.
Lame excuse of the day - I was thinking abhorence....but I meant aberration
#5
Posted 2008-May-08, 10:09
PassedOut, on May 7 2008, 10:44 PM, said:
I've read that the Air Force Academy is thoroughly infected with Christian evangelicals these days. Looks like that cancer has spread to the Army also.
what cancer are you speaking of, christianity or evangelism or political correctness?
#6
Posted 2008-May-08, 11:07
#7
Posted 2008-May-08, 11:56
Insecure people feel the need to ram their preferences and beliefs down everyone else's throat. Nothing new there. It does seem to get particularly brutal when God or sex is involved.
#8
Posted 2008-May-08, 12:41
luke warm, on May 8 2008, 11:09 AM, said:
yes
#9
Posted 2008-May-08, 15:39
luke warm, on May 8 2008, 11:09 AM, said:
The cancer that appears to be spreading is the misbehavior of the Christian evangelicals in the military, not their personal beliefs.
It's disturbing that officers sworn to defend our country go to such lengths to undermine the principles -- including freedom from persecution by established religions -- upon which our country was founded. No wonder that insurgents in the Middle East refer to our soldiers as "crusaders."
The infliction of cruelty with a good conscience is a delight to moralists — that is why they invented hell. — Bertrand Russell
#10
Posted 2008-May-08, 16:16
#11
Posted 2008-May-08, 17:08
luke warm, on May 8 2008, 05:16 PM, said:
No doubt about it, there is plenty of superstition and error outside of Christianity.
However, I'm surprised at your statement that
Quote
I had thought that Roman Catholics outnumbered all the other Christian groups.
The infliction of cruelty with a good conscience is a delight to moralists — that is why they invented hell. — Bertrand Russell
#12
Posted 2008-May-08, 20:13
luke warm, on May 8 2008, 05:16 PM, said:
Erroneous doctrine can be an issue I suppose but I have suffered from erroneous doctrines of my own at times, so I go gentle here. The problem in the example from the original post is the bullying, in this case in the Armed Forces. I grant that some atheists can be a real pain in the ass, but most of us just call things as we see them and are happy to let others do likewise. We may even be interested in their opinions.
Incidentally I think I qualify as an atheist only if you force the issue. Mostly I don't regard most theological questions as very interesting. Did Jesus really walk on water? Does it matter? For some, it matters greatly and for them, I am an atheist. But there are a lot of religious people out there who turn their attention to other matters and I am as likely to agree with them about important issues as I am with a fellow atheist.
#13
Posted 2008-May-08, 20:33
The concern I have with what is happening in the military services is Agenda, not conspiracy - it is the "acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought," by evangelical Christian radicals that is the threat.
It is especially dangerous in an organization like the military, where civil disobedience has as much chance of being tolerated as "Bewitched" would have had of being the #1 show in Salem in the late 1700s.
#14
Posted 2008-May-09, 04:17
PassedOut, on May 8 2008, 06:08 PM, said:
luke warm, on May 8 2008, 05:16 PM, said:
No doubt about it, there is plenty of superstition and error outside of Christianity.
However, I'm surprised at your statement that
Quote
I had thought that Roman Catholics outnumbered all the other Christian groups.
i'm not sure what the catholic church teaches, but i know a lot of catholics who believe in the left behind scenario
kenberg said:
true, i should have added "my present doctrinal understanding"
#15
Posted 2008-May-09, 05:51
1. During my time on this forum I learned that sare are many scary so called christians in the US. SO no doubt, there are people in the army who treat others with disrespect if they don't believe in the same way.
But without knowing anything about a special case, there will be people who blame others for there gender, the colour of the skin, their body mass index or their IQ.
This is not new. This is sad, but human.
So, are there any numbers around? Are these bad christians more an issue then soldiers who blame others for being fat/black/dumb/female/redneck/from Harlem/what ever makes them different?
2. The editorial is no news. It is the editors personal view. And this view is what he expresses. He told us that Mister Hall told him that these things happen like they did. But Mister Halls officer disagrees. He says it was different. The editor belives Mister Hall, but why should we take him as truthworty? Maybe he is the blame kid?
Still anybody here takes this editorial in the salt lake times as fact. I don't know this newspaper, but I know that you cannot trust anything what is in the papers. So, again the question: DO you have more facts then just a single voice in Utah?
(The coverage of christian domination in the US Army is no big news here, so I have non, but they should exist somewhere.)
Roland
Sanity Check: Failure (Fluffy)
More system is not the answer...
#16
Posted 2008-May-09, 06:34
Quote
In violation of NCLB? Does this mean that the federal law is in violation of Church/State separation? I suppose I shouldn't joke, there is usually very little tolerance for humor on such matters.
#17
Posted 2008-May-09, 07:08
I'm not sure if evangelical Christians understand how small of minority view it is they hold.
#18
Posted 2008-May-09, 08:55
Revelation is a scary bedtime story, and many catholics do not take it very literally. I think much of the bible is purely symbolic but there is some good stuff in there. Read Proverbs sometime.
#19
Posted 2008-May-09, 09:52
pclayton, on May 9 2008, 09:55 AM, said:
Revelation is a scary bedtime story, and many catholics do not take it very literally. I think much of the bible is purely symbolic but there is some good stuff in there. Read Proverbs sometime.
As mentioned above, I often find agreement with religious folks.
#20
Posted 2008-May-09, 10:25
kenberg, on May 9 2008, 07:34 AM, said:
Quote
In violation of NCLB? Does this mean that the federal law is in violation of Church/State separation? I suppose I shouldn't joke, there is usually very little tolerance for humor on such matters.
well ken, i know a lot of catholics (living in louisiana as i do) and most i've spoken with aren't aware of some of their own doctrinal beliefs, for example mary as co-redemptrix... in any case, people tend to believe what they want whether it necessarily comports with doctrine or not