11 comments

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  ajm8127

  7 months ago

  I guess from a tactical standpoint, its easier to get soldiers to put their life on the line in battle if they think they have their god on their side. I suppose it makes it more justifiable to bomb Afghan and Iraqi targets, killing civilians, if you are fighting a holy war. Although, I can't help but think that injecting religion into anything is a bad idea. The whole idea of faith and blind trust just doe not site well with me. Especially when my life is on the line. I would kind of want the facts and the truth if bullets were whizzing over my head. I applaud Mr. Hall for speaking his mind. A nation of religious and personal freedom should not have an army who thinks it fights for God.
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  Independent Mind

  7 months ago

  Interesting, but not very factual in what the writer tries to get the reader to beleive. NO ONE in the military is forced to go to a service or has to take religious materials. they hold services for those religous beleifs within the ranks. You want to go, go. You don't want to go, don't go.
  
  If Mr. Hall is being treated this way, those who are doing it are not representing what a christian should be at all in their behaviour. However, something about this smells very much lkike the agenda behind getting prayer out of school. If I don't want to pray in school or are offended by someone next to me praying, then noone should be allowed to pray. B.S. At the end of the day, you have a right to not beleive anything you want. It's a gift given to you - free choice. But it is obvious that free choice is trying to be limited by those who don't like what some of the choices are.
  
  There are people who want every aspect of thew world to be secular. This is the agenda here. I see this as limting people's right to worship openly, regardless if they are in the military or not. I guess it is so easy to explain why 90% of the world has this beleif in one form or another, but in true American spirit the 10% try to push their agenda on the rest of us. I can think of a few other examples of this as well......Sounds like your beef is more with these indiviuals Mr. Hall than with the religion itself. I think the interesting question here is that if Mr. Hall had enough backbone and understanding of his own beleifs, why didn't he try to set down and talk to them rathetr than having to sue for something that will no doubt broaden the original perspective. My gut tells me he doesn't have enough sense to seet down and talk to anyone about it. He doesn't have the fortitude to back up his own beleifs.
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  Al_Akhbar

  7 months ago

  You're right, which is why when those infidels who pretend to be Christians complain about my 5 times a day pausing to pull out my prayer rug, take off my shoes and pray to Allah should just shut up or join me in the peaceful religion that makes a mockery of their shame of a bathroom pissing on God. There is no God but Allah, hnbp, and Mohammed is his prophet.
  And those who complain about the snake handlers and strychnine drinkers should butt out as well.
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  Independent Mind

  7 months ago

  P.S. AJM – We fight for our country, not our religion. Obvious you have never served anything but yourself by your comments. The military are nothing more than PEOPLE. These people have a right to religion. He sounds awful spineless to me. He can’t convincingly engage, explain and validate his own beliefs? Most people in the military are mature enough to handle differing opinions and mindsets. You have a way of getting past things like that when that person has to cover your backside when things start getting dicey. So it shows me he doesn’t have the convictions that support his own belief. He has to have someone else argue it for him in court.
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  A Reader

  7 months ago

  I like it when people give names like "Independent." That's a signal. They aren't "Independent", and we can even question their "Mind" if that's included. But, we can read them anyway - if we feel like it.
  I read this person's blogs here. This guy (yes, guy) is an intelligent religious conservative. No independence included in his opinions, or mind.
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  Independent Mind

  7 months ago

  A Reader - I appreciate your candid comments about me. Male - Yes - Conservative - For the most part, but not on all lines. Religious - Somewhat, but probably not how you think if you think religion equates to a chapel, or synagogue or attend a group function.
  
  I grew up abroad as a child, lived on many different continents. So my life preview has been far more extensive than many my elder. I grew up an Army brat, and was also in the military myself, so my knowledge of this issue within the military is not without solid insight. Americans do not understand how many other cultures in the world work, have never REALLY had to be emersed in them. So what you call a conservative, the rest of the world simply calls " There is no Gray area between right and wrong" on certain matters. Doesn't matter the culture, doesn't matter the skin color or continent you come from. It's that simple. Americans are KING of the "There is no right or wrong".....or the..."Well, your both right"......
  
  The point here is it is obvious that if Mr. Hall was treated this way it is wrong. It wasn't the religion that treated him this way, it was the people who did it. But yet we find this as being a perfect opportunity to attack the Faith itself, rather than the people that perpetrated it upon him. Explain that to me? Smacks of bait and switch on Mr. Hall's part if he is truly support and behind this law suit. It doesn't jive with what happened to me. Truth is, most people in the military could care less what your religion is, and you don't even have to state what it is if you insist upon it while enlisting.
  
  Americans are always trying to lay blame at someone's feet, it is a sticking point in the International community about us as people. It's quite shameful actually. But it is true none the less, we take no personal responsibility.
  Rather than concede there are differences, and suck it up and move out, Mr. Hall has taken this to a whole new level. I do not beleive having a secular military is a good thing if it means those who have a specific belief cannot observe that belief openly. Regardless of how this article paints it as WARRING FOR OUR GOD.....that is so not how it is painted to us that were doing the battling for this country.
  
  A Reader - I don't think this is a "Conservative" or "Liberal" issue. There are plenty of religious beleivers of one sort or another on both sides. this to me is about the good for one outweighing the good for the many. Where do it stop? Not one is willing to touch that question b/c they already know the answer. Some will not stop until there is no ability to worship at all...why? Because they don't beleive, so neither should you. Would that include you? Probably not, you sound like a common sense guy, but you quickly discount those that do hold that level of animosity.
  
  At the end of the day, I may not agree with what you say, but I would die defending your ability to say it.
  
  If that makes me "Conservative" or Not "Independent" enough on this issue, I'm fine with that. I will sleep just fine knowing I stand for something I believe in with all my heart and soul and that I am standing behind my prinicple that I will not impose my beliefs on you, nor shall you impede upon my ability to worship as well. Pretty simple right?
  
  P.S. - I get paid really, really well for my mind incase you were worried about it's soundness.
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  jeremiad

  7 months ago

  Boykin's comments were "decried by the command structure, including President George W. Bush." Mr Herzog, please do your homework After Boykin's heavy handed proselytizing comments in uniform which merited a section 8 discharge, he was given his third star and put in charge as the senior military officer of Abu Graib, Gitmo, rendition, and torture for the Bush regime. The Air Force Academy during the Vietnam war had 6 mainline chaplains. It now has 6 mainline chaplains plus 12 evangelical chaplains--an increase of 300%. Indeed, religion in the military has changed, but in the opposite direction as you describe in your article.
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  DotA 6.60

  4 months ago

  Yes. I think the Military should be open. Not all people are believers and we should respect them.
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  DotA 6.59c

  4 months ago

  NO ONE in the military is forced to go to a service or has to take religious materials. they hold services for those religous beleifs within the ranks. You want to go, go. You don't want to go, don't go.
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  DotA 6.59c

  4 months ago

  Yes, that is right.
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  Christian Church Pastor

  2 months ago

  Military service puts peoples life on the line. Those who are going to die in battle are going to be thinking a lot more about their religion than those who are out of harms way. Although the military is not a very good institution for training people about religion, it should be cooperative with those who are.
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