Touchy subject ahead! Because the article is so dense, we’re only touching on part of it. Religion is messy. And challenging. And difficult. It’s one thing to have an actual conversation about viewpoints. It’s another thing to proselytize and refuse to see outside your safe little box. I prefer the discussions. It’s always educational, fun (which I hope makes sense), and very interesting to speak with someone and see how they think. Now, this column is only peripherally about religion. I’d not about to pontificate and insist there is only One True Way. My way would be different than yours, even if we shared the same religion overall. I appreciate you, Jonathan Larsen:
A combat-unit commander told non-commissioned officers at a briefing Monday that the Iran war is part of God’s plan and that Pres. Donald Trump was “anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth,” according to a complaint by a non-commissioned officer. From Saturday morning through Monday night, more than 110 similar complaints about commanders in every branch of the military had been logged by the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF).
BOOM. You don’t FORCE your views on someone else. That’s bullsh!t. They want to believe in Armageddon? That’s bloody damn dangerous, no pun intended. *They* can have no fear, but the rest of us want to live. We would obey commands, but this is where that video comes back into play. Sending people out to fight and possibly die for the commander’s religious beliefs is nonsense. They do not have to obey illegal orders. We hope they stand tall and refuse.
The MRFF is keeping the complainants anonymous to prevent retribution by the Defense Department. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to my request for comment. One complainant identified themselves as a non-commissioned officer (NCO) in a unit currently outside the Iran combat zone but in Ready-Support status, deployable at any time. The NCO said they were Christian and emailed the MRFF on behalf of 15 troops, including at least 11 Christians, one Muslim, and one Jew.
The NCO wrote to the MRFF that their commander “urged us to tell our troops that this was ‘all part of God’s divine plan’ and he specifically referenced numerous citations out of the Book of Revelation referring to Armageddon and the imminent return of Jesus Christ.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has enshrined evangelical Christianity at the uppermost levels of the U.S. military, airing monthly prayer meetings throughout the Pentagon. Last year, the Pentagon confirmed to me that Hegseth attends a weekly White House Bible study. It’s led by a preacher who says God commands America to support Israel.
Petey Boy’s religious leader is nasty. I won’t quote his views because it would just piss me off. Soooo, it’s all part of god’s plan? Since when??!! I don’t want to be anywhere near that guy, but he seems to be very popular. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Just don’t force yours on anyone else, and that includes Petey Boy and his disgusting religious leader. Speak to me as a person, not as you being a prophet of Armageddon. I’ll just walk away. Your screaming means nothing.
MRFF President and Founder Mikey Weinstein, a veteran of the Air Force and the Reagan White House, told me that since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran early Saturday morning, the MRFF has been “inundated” with similar complaints. Many of their commanders are especially delighted with how graphic this battle will be, zeroing in on how bloody all of this must become in order to fulfill and be in 100% accordance with fundamentalist Christian end-of-the-world eschatology. Weinstein cited constitutional and Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) prohibitions against injecting religious beliefs into official military instruction or messaging.
WHAM. (Yes, you get a boom and a wham in the same column!) Don’t bring religion in. Everyone has their own. It’s private. It shouldn’t be part of war, although we all know of many, many wars started because of religion. It’s regrettable that it’s likely going to be that way until the end of time. And we’re going to have wars until the end of time. Someone always wants what someone else has.
In no way am I insisting you should choose my religion, since I don’t exactly have one. I’m saying that your religion belongs to you. If we can discuss it, that’s great. Education is always good. But if you’re going to scream and flail and jump up and down, I’m outta there.
See you soon!
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What they are saying is not education, it’s attempted indoctrination.
It’s cultic. Bravo to those whistle blowers. It’s also insanity.
Listen, I’m no American, but having lived my whole life in what I sometimes jokingly refer to as “North of Plattsburgh, NY”, it also sounds pretty UN-American, eh?
Well, where you are is where there’s sane government. Considering what Trump has tried to do to your country, you have *every* reason to be UN-American. Also, kudos for being able to survive the weather 😉
Put those two together and it’s disaster incoming.
It most certainly is! This is when we need to figure out a way to remind the military of illegal orders. Religion has no place there. It’s personal not an overall indoctrination, as you said.
THIS is WHY, RW are UNFIT to GOVERN!