Onward, Christian soldiers,
Marching as to war.
With the cross of Jesus Going on before!
Christ, the royal Master,
Leads against the foe;
Forward into battle,
See His banner go!
This will be old news to atheists, specifically those who live in the states. I think most atheists are aware of the Christian Right’s insipid and cancer like growth in the American Military. If not, check out "Mikey" Weinstein and his Military Religious Freedom Foundation.
I have just finished listening to Philip Adams’ interview with Jeff Sharlet, author of The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power
The download for the Interview can be found here but Sharlet’s article is well worth the read as well.
Sharlet gives us first an insight to how fundamentalist thinking, and leadership affects things on the ground in Iraq. A special forces unit, mysteriously labelled “the Faith element”, fed on a diet of fundamentalist war blather and imagery,decides to paint Jesus killed Mohamed on the side of their Abrams (in Arabic) and roll through he streets of Samarra, drawing fire away from their compound . When irate Iraqi’s fire small arms at the armoured vehicle it returns fire with its canon.
A witness noted:
Humphrey was stunned. He’d been blown off a tower in Kosovo and seen action in the drug war, but he’d never witnessed a manoeuvre so fundamentally stupid.
The men on the roof thought otherwise. They thought the lieutenant was a hero, a kamikaze on a suicide mission to bring Iraqis the American news.
But its not just one the front, the cancer is widespread. Concerned voices at home are silenced with slanderous and ridiculous rhetoric, labelling them demonic. Unless you are someone like Weinstein, no then, the oh so brave fundamentalists resort to threatening phone calls and shooting out your windows.
Sharlet does an excellent job of displaying the far reaching effects of Christian fundamentalism within the military hierarchy and it isn’t just a left over from Bush. Obama has done little if nothing to rectify the issue.
- Fundamentalists = funny
- Fundamentalists with Guns = concerning
- Fundamentalists with the resources of the American military = downright fucking apocalyptically scary
Related posts:
- Christian Privilege in Australia, as demonstrated by our Prime Minister When a wacky fundamentalist Islamic Cleric Samir Abu Hamza...
- With religion on our sights For a brief second I thought that our defence forces...
- Should the Australian Prime Minister be able to express his religion? News.com.au reports on John Howards tacit support for a Fundamentalist...
Loading ...
"insipid and cancer like growth in the American Military"
I just watched a video, I can't remember where I found it but it was about religion in the military. It was pretty scary. The deceit that goes on when questioned about handing out bibles and such are just crazy.
Some troops were invited to a "concert" but it didn't mention what kind of band. It turned out to be a christian band. They were offered two choices: Go to the concert or stay in the barracks cleaning toilets and cleaning the barracks. Well that's definitely two great choices! How about a night on the town or go to the concert?
What concerns me is that there actions only contribute to increased opposition and violence against their own troops. Sure have your religion hate you enemy, but fight intelligently, if you have to fight.
What concerns me is that their actions only contribute to increased opposition and violence against their own troops. Sure have your religion hate you enemy, but fight intelligently, if you have to fight.
It is damn scary. No question about that. Not only that, but I'd be willing to bet that the Christian right in the U.S. is far better armed at the civilian level than the reality-based community.
It's to fight off those godless commie bastards Vjack
In my opinion, monotheism was invented for the purpose of controlling masses and keeping them obedient.
No wonder both its propagation and its application is so effective in the military.
Interesting post. I’m Swiss (you know, neutrality blah and shit). It’s really hard to believe something like the concert story happening over here. That would most likely mean that a bunch of officers would receive a dishonorable discharge.
Welcome Autarkis.
I don't know if it was invented per se but rather developed that way and people have just taken advantage of it
The blog post speaks indignantly about soldiers drawing small arms fire to an armoured vehicle with a gun. Well, the times that a warrior wouldn't fight with a less armed opponent because of his honour have long gone — if they ever existed. This "Jesus killed Mohamed" trick is psychological warfare. Psychological warfare was already used in ancient history. Trying to get opposing forces to reveal their position is a standard military tactic. That is not remarkable. Remarkable is, that the special forces unit managed to find a slogan that is offensive to Christians and Muslims alike. Perhaps also to atheists. Not to mention historians — it is rather an anachronism.
And of course, such tricks severely damage the attempts to reach a stable peace in Iraq. Al Qaida's leaders will be grateful for this free propaganda to their cause.
I realise the intent and the tactics behind it. Where I think they have gone wrong is to
a) come up with a slogan so offensive that it drew fire from people who may not have participated in combat
b) that in response to small arms fire (at an armoured vehicle) they responded with a canon that would blow holes though the back wall of a building.
I think these men dishonored themselves – if indeed their is honor in war