By Armistice Day, Nov. 11, 1918, Jews, Mormons and Christian Scientists had joined the ranks of the chaplain corps. As I write in my book, “Enlisting Faith: How the Military Chaplaincy Shaped Religion and State in Modern America,” this significant change inaugurated a century-long project to redefine what counted as American religion.
Read More »A Conflicted Pacifist’s Review of American Sniper
After reading Michael Moore’s tweet: ”My uncle [was] killed by sniper in WW2. We were taught snipers were cowards …” and the outrage that descended by pro-military folks, I knew I had to see the film.
Read More »Tonight, welcome them home
Today we respect the military personnel, if not the war, and welcome them as heroes. Tonight at at 7 p.m. we have the opportunity to welcome home a special group of vets, a group that has suffered with post traumatic shock disorder, to varying degrees for varying lengths of time.
Read More »ISIS and the Failure of the American Intervention
In an ominous video posted to the Internet in June, fighters for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (al-Dawlah al-Islāmiyyah fi al-Iraq wa al-Sham) taunt unarmed members of the Iraqi security forces.
Read More »Airman denied re-entry to Air Force for refusing to say ‘so help me God’
The American Humanist Associationsaid Thursday (Sept. 4) that an airman at Nevada’s Creech Air Force Base who crossed out “so help me God” in the oath the Air Force requires servicemen and women to sign was told in August he must sign it as is or leave the Air Force.
Read More »Army approves ‘humanist’ as religious preference
WASHINGTON (RNS) The change comes against a backdrop of persistent claims from atheists and other nonbelievers that the military is dominated by a Christian culture that is often hostile to unbelief.
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