Military burning bibles in Afghanistan

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God Bless Our Troops!!!
Newsvine - Military Burns Bibles in Afghanistan
Yes, burning. Seems some evangelical Christian soldiers in Afghanistan got a shipment of Bibles written in two local languages and planned to distribute them. It's against regs to do that, and the Bibles were confiscated. No problem so far. As a Christian myself, I honor commitments I make. Soldiers commit to obeying regs, and putting their personal agendas before obeying regs isn't acting like a proper Christian IMO. The article reports that a chaplain intervened and confiscated the Bibles. I bet he was horrified by what happened next.

Instead of donating those books to a charity that would ensure they wound up in the hands of people who wanted or needed them, someone ordered them burned instead. Whoever did that (the article doesn't say) is now in very hot water. There are many Christians in the military, and no doubt a few loony enough to disregard the regs and risk a life term in Leavenworth to frag him. I'm definitely glad I'm not in his shoes.

But it doesn't stop there. This happened on President Obama's watch. He needs to get in front of this, because not only the evangelicals outraged, but also are millions of other Christians like myself.For many Christians, the thought of our military burning Bibles is a betrayal of our trust.
 
Not a Good time to be a christian in the military!

Link Removed
Obamas administration burns soldiers bibles athiests and muslims want soldiers court martialed for praying in jesus' name ! is this ok with you?
Newsmax.com URGENT NEW PETITION for our troops and chaplains. BREAKING NEWS: Pentagon Burns Soldiers Bibles - Military Chaplains Attacked The Pentagon under the Obama Administration h... Newsmax.com




URGENT NEW PETITION for our troops and chaplains. BREAKING NEWS: Pentagon Burns Soldiers Bibles - Military Chaplains Attacked

The Pentagon under the Obama Administration has just acknowledged seizing and burning the privately owned Bibles of American soldiers serving in Afghanistan. The Bibles had been printed in the local Pashto and Dari languages, and sent by private donors to American Christian soldiers and chaplains, for distribution to American troops on overseas military bases during optionally-attended Christian worship services. Had the Bibles not been seized and destroyed, they could have legally been given as gifts during off-duty time to Afghani citizens who welcome our troops in their homes, as an expression of American gratitude for Afghani hospitality, promoting the democratic ideals of freedom of religion and freedom of the press.

But the Muslim controlled Al Jazeera television network obtained video footage of the Bibles, held by American soldiers while listening to a chaplain on the Bagram Air Base (inside the base chapel) whose sermon encouraged outreach and personal evangelism. The American values of freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and freedom of Christian speech offended some extremist Muslim groups, and angered a small group of American atheists, who demanded the chaplain be punished for "proselytizing" because he simply repeated Jesus' words to "Go and make disciples of all nations" in church.



IT'S NOT PROSELYTIZING, IT'S EVANGELISM:

The video proves the chaplain properly explained U.S. Central Command's General Order Number One, which prohibits "proselytizing" (forcing religious conversions using military weapons) but fully permits soldiers of any religion to engage in non-threatening "evangelism" (voluntary conversations about their faith) and legally allows giving private gifts, including books, to Afghani citizens during off-duty hours in their unofficial capacity. The Al Jazeera film-maker Brian Hughes also admitted the Bibles could have been useful in helping soldiers learn the Pashto and Dari languages of the Afghan people.

Instead, the privately owned Bibles were confiscated and destroyed. Caving in to pressure from the Muslims and Atheist groups, the U.S. military spokesman Maj. Jennifer Willis told Reuters reporters, "I can now confirm that the Bibles shown on Al Jazeera's clip were, in fact, collected by the chaplains and later destroyed. They were never distributed." When questioned about the authenticity of the Al Jazeera video, U.S. Army Colonel Greg Julian admitted the Al Jazeera reporting was biased against the American Christians: "Most of this is taken out of context ... this is irresponsible and inappropriate journalism."

GENERAL DOUGLAS MACARTHUR ENCOURAGED EVANGELISM



After World War II, in order to carry out the democratization of Japan, Five-Star General Of The Army Douglas MacArthur brought Christian leaders to the country to meet with Emperor Hirohito and encouraged mass distribution of Bibles to the population. MacArthur later stated to a visiting American churchman, "We must have ten thousand Christian missionaries and a million Bibles to complete the occupation of this land."

(Source: Rodger R. Venzke, Confidence In Battle - Inspiration In Peace, 1977, p.24-25.)


But today, instead of confronting Muslim and Atheist enemies of religious liberty, President Obama's Four-Star Admiral Chairman Of The Joint Chiefs Mike Mullen now appears to defend the destruction of the soldiers' privately owned Bibles, stating during a Pentagon briefing that the military's position is that it will never "push any specific religion." He did not address the possibility that by seizing and burning privately owned Bibles, the Obama Administration is now enforcing state atheism upon our troops.




ATHEISTS JOIN MUSLIM EXTEMISTS AGAINST LIBERTY

Aggressive anti-Christian secularist Mikey Weinstein immediately demanded the chaplain in the video be court-martialed for encouraging voluntary evangelism in church, despite the Pentagon's claim that same chaplain somehow assisted in confiscating the Bibles. I can personally attest, as the former Navy Chaplain who endured court-martial in 2006 for praying "in Jesus name" in uniform outside of Sunday chapel, (but was later vindicated by Congress), that anti-Christian forces are powerfully at work in some parts of the U.S. military.

But together, we fought back and won! Over 300,000 Americans, 85% of polled citizens, and 75 Congressmen agreed with me, so the entire Congress rescinded the same anti-Jesus policy the Navy enforced during my court-martial, restoring liberty to other chaplains who pray publicly "in Jesus name." (That victory on Capitol Hill cost my 16-year career and pension, and was not grandfathered back to my case.) Angered by our victory, the enemies of religious liberty won't be satisfied until every Christian is silenced, and every chaplain booted from the military like I was, for the "crime" of worshiping in public.

COURT-MARTIAL THE ARMY CHIEF OF CHAPLAINS?

The favorite new ploy of Mikey Weinstein's anti-Christian group (Military Religious Freedom Foundation) is to frighten troops into silence by "demanding the court-martial" of any soldier or chaplain who talks publicly about his or her faith. For example, incredibly, Weinstein recently demanded the Army court-martial their Chief of Chaplains Major General Douglas Carver, because Chaplain Carver issued a proclamation calling for a day of prayer and fasting for our troops.

The Chief of Chaplains' proclamation called for voluntary prayer by chaplains of all diverse faiths to act "in keeping with your religious traditions," and support our troops who face difficult traumas, pressures and temptations toward suicide. Carver consulted with two senior Jewish chaplains before issuing the proclamation.

But Mikey Weinstein claims that no chaplain can encourage prayer or Bible reading without violating what he pretends is a Constitutional mandate separating church from state. "These inciteful actions are grossly offensive to not only Muslims in Afghanistan and across the world, but to all those who hold faith in the U.S. Constitution," said Weinstein of the troops' Bibles.

Ironically Weinstein's own web-site contains pictures of atheist soldiers, soliciting donations for Weinstein while wearing their full dress uniform, without any legal disclaimer that their anti-Christian views do not represent the views of the U.S. military.



WILL CONGRESS PROTECT CHAPLAINS RIGHTS?

We can report without bias that in June 2009, the U.S. Congress will again consider a bi-partisan bill supporting military chaplains rights, co-sponsored by two North Carolina Congressmen, Mike McIntyre (D-NC) and Walter Jones (R-NC), in the House Armed Services Committee. The pro-chaplain bill, H.R. 268, would simply guarantee military chaplains of all diverse faiths the right to pray publicly according to the dictates of their conscience. You can read the details in my article about that bill, which was published by the Washington Times on 7 May 09, here.

To pass that bill into law, the two North Carolina Congressmen will first need several more co-sponsors, and the blessing of the House Armed Services Committee. Then they'll need some bi-partisan Senators to initiate a Senate version. Will your own Congressman or Senator co-sponsor religious freedom for chaplains? Perhaps you might call your own Congressman at 202-225-3121, to voice your opinion about H.R. 268.



Then please forward this email to your own pastor, and to all your military friends, and download here a church flyer that pastors can copy and distribute.

God Bless you, in Jesus' name,

Chaplain Gordon James Klingenschmitt
 
More proof of the times we are in.

Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.
1 Peter 4:12-14

And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
Acts 4:18-19
 
Wasn't there a big deal recently about some soldiers trying to flush a koran down da john or something like that? Seems like they were brought up on charges of desecration and now we have the army actually burning bibles. This is just like the woman with the flag in her office. Daggoneit what is good for the goose should be good for the gander but evidently in the PCUSA it isn't.
 
Wasn't there a big deal recently about some soldiers trying to flush a koran down da john or something like that? Seems like they were brought up on charges of desecration and now we have the army actually burning bibles. This is just like the woman with the flag in her office. Daggoneit what is good for the goose should be good for the gander but evidently in the PCUSA it isn't.

The woman with the flag now has her flag flying again..

BTW - I e-mailed my Congressman and asked him to support the bill in any way he can..
 
This Atheist wants the officer who ordered the burning of the bibles brought up on charges. If the Bibles needed to be removed from base, at a bare minimum, the owners of them should have been given the option of shipping them back state-side.
 
These Bibles should have been given to local missionaries, evangelicals or returned home. They most definitely should not have been burned. That being said, military members on duty in foreign posts should not be proselytizing (maybe on the rare off duty occasion). The military is part of "the state" and should be held separate in matters of religion. No one wants a military force attempting to convert them.
 
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