Trump Effect Inspires Radical Christians In Military

[DonViejo]

Source: Newsweek



BY NINA BURLEIGH ON 5/22/17 AT 1:15 PM

Donald Trump’s election has led to such a steep rise in fundamentalist Christian evangelizing and religious bigotry in the U.S. armed forces that the matter is reaching the level of a “national security threat,” according to information shared exclusively with Newsweek by an organization that represents and advocates for secular and minority religious views in the military.

The number of complaints from servicemen and -women in the Army, Air Force, Marines and other service branches to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) has doubled in number since November 2016, according to lawyer Michael “Mikey” Weinstein, a former Air Force officer who founded the organization.

Many of the recent charges are coming from members of minority religions, including Roman Catholics, Jews and Muslims, and from atheists. Among the complaints: military family and marital therapy programs are being infused with Protestant Christianity, which would violate the U.S. Constitution; open anti-Semitism; anti-LGBT statements, posters, symbols and bullying; openly anti-Muslim teachers and Islamophobic attacks; a rise in on-base evangelizing; and increased pressure on recruits or lower-level personnel and service members to convert to fundamentalist Christianity.

“With the advent of Trump as the commander in chief of our armed forces, MRFF has experienced a massive influx of new military and civilian personnel complaints of religion-based prejudice and bigotry, most of them coming from non-fundamentalist Christians being persecuted by their military superiors for not being ‘Christian enough,’” Weinstein tells Newsweek.

Read more: http://www.newsweek.com/christian-fundamentalists-us-armed-forces-national-security-threat-613428

[Aristus]

1. My platoon sergeant in Germany was always playing "More Christian than thou" with me.

Hated it...

[keithbvadu2]

2. Political Christians rather than Christians of faith.

Political Christians rather than Christians of faith.

Support Trump who says he is so perfect that he does not need Christ or his forgiveness.

Like today's evangelical/religious right supporters, Trump is a Political Christian, not a Christian of faith.

Evangelicals/religious right are easily able to spin their beliefs for political expediency.

The Donald who does not have to ask Jesus for forgiveness.

Trump: Drink my little wine, have my little cracker

http://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2015/08/13/donald-trump-religion-serfaty-dnt-erin.cnn

[sarcasmo]

14. Republican Jesus.

[keithbvadu2]

15. republican Jesus

republican Jesus
.

[IronLionZion]

3. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

It's the very first amendment to our Constitution. Come on people. What freedoms are our military defending?

I'm impressed that they are pushing it on Catholics too. I bet that was a surprise to many conservative Catholic Trumpers. I bet nothing surprises Jews and other minorities anymore.

[Matthew28]

4. A lot like the islamic state

but Christian.

Messed up world I live in.

[The Wizard]

5. For some, Christian is

a euphemism / cheap disguise for Republican.

[dalton99a]

6. Kick.

[Moostache]

7. Stamp out this virulent tripe or watch it ruin us all...

Fundamentalists of ALL stripes are a boil on the ass of humanity.
Religious fundamentalists in particular are the noxious puss in that boil.

[RKP5637]

9. Well said!!! n/t

[dembotoz]

8. few days ago there was a post about whether the armed forces would obey a martial law like order

from trump

most posters laughed at the idea.....i am not so sure

[jmowreader]

10. I had a colonel who was faced with this once

An Army unit I was in got a new chaplain on Monday.

On Thursday afternoon he called a battalion "get acquainted" meeting. He distributed a form. The first five questions:

Name
Rank
Last Four (in the Army, the last four digits of your SSN are a common identification)
Company
If you died tonight, are you absolutely certain you would go to Heaven?

On Friday morning our new chaplain was in another unit.

In Today's Modern Action Army, our battalion commander would have been sent to another unit.

[modrepub]

12. Would Trump go to Heaven?

Ask your evangelical friends...inquiring minds would like to know.

[TomSlick]

20. Here's one evangelical's response

As a liberal evangelical - yes, there are some of us - usually folks that have actually read the Gospels - the short answer is that it isn't my job to make that judgment.

[CrispyQ]

11. You can almost tell what kind of Christian someone is by the political party they associate with. nt

[Bernardo de La Paz]

13. Good. Out them now, early & often before they metastasize and create bigger problems. . nt

[BigDemVoter]

16. I want NOTHING to do with radical/fundamentalist Christians.

Scary people!

[inanna]

17. Quite the sobering article.

Further down the page:

>>The U.S. military has long been seeded with radical Christian fundamentalists—sometimes called Christian Dominionists or Christian Reconstructionists—who believe a “Warrior Jesus” has their backs while they fight against Islam. They believe they are establishing a “Kingdom of God” on earth, starting with the United States, and are predictably anti-LGBT and unfriendly to females among their ranks.<<

[hedda_foil]

19. Sobering indeed. They are the cult that takes over the country in the Handmaid's Tale.

[milestogo]

18. They must believe Trump is the anti-christ