4um: Video, Report Details Evangelism at Highest Levels of US Military

Title: Video, Report Details Evangelism at Highest Levels of US Military
Source: t r u t h o u t |
URL Source: http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/080307A.shtml
Published: Aug 4, 2007
Author: By Jason Leopold
Post Date: 2007-08-04 20:30:24 by Zipporah
Keywords: None
Views: 1363
Comments: 21

Video, Report Details Evangelism at Highest Levels of US Military
By Jason Leopold
t r u t h o u t | Report

A report released publicly on Thursday by the Defense Department's (DOD) inspector general has found high-ranking Army and Air Force personnel violated long-standing military regulations when they participated in a promotional video for an evangelical Christian organization while in uniform and on active duty.

The report recommended Air Force Maj. Gen. Jack Catton, Army Brig. Gen. Bob Caslen, Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks, Maj. Gen. Peter Sutton, and a colonel and lieutenant colonel whose names were redacted in the inspector general's report, "improperly endorsed and participated with a non-Federal entity while in uniform" and the men should be disciplined for misconduct. Caslen was formerly the deputy director for political-military affairs for the war on terrorism, directorate for strategic plans and policy, joint staff. He now oversees the cadets at the Military Academy at West Point. Caslen told DOD investigators he agreed to appear in the video upon learning other senior Pentagon officials had been interviewed for the promotional video.

The inspector general's report recommended the "Secretary of the Air Force and the Chief of Staff of the Army take appropriate corrective action with respect to the military officers concerned."

The officers did not return phone calls or emails to respond to the report's findings.

The 47-page report was also highly critical of Pentagon Chaplain Col. Ralph G. Benson, whom the inspector general's report accused of knowingly misleading the DOD when he requested permission from DOD officials to film a video inside the Pentagon claiming he was interested in gathering information about the Pentagon's "own ministry." In fact, the report says, Benson was determined to use the video to "attract new supporters" to the Christian Embassy, an evangelical organization that evangelizes members of the military and politicians in Washington, DC via daily Bible studies and outreach events. The group holds prayer breakfasts on Wednesdays in the Pentagons executive dining room, according to the organization's web site. Bill Bright, the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, founded the Christian Embassy 30 years ago.

Over the past few years, the military has set its sights on prosecuting Iraq war veterans who have completed active duty, soured on the war and participated in antiwar protests while wearing their uniforms. Recently, the US Marine Corps prosecuted Cpl. Adam Kokesh and Marine Sgt. Liam Madden, both of whom were photographed marching in an antiwar protest while wearing their uniforms in what the Marine Corps says was a violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Military prosecutors vigorously sought to have both men dishonorably discharged. However, it appears unlikely the military will apply the same standard to the Air Force and Army officers who the inspector general said violated the same code of conduct Kokesh and Madden were found to have broken, according to the disciplinary recommendations of the report.

The Army generals who appeared in the video appeared to be speaking on behalf of the military, but they did not obtain prior permission to appear in the video. They defended their actions, according to the inspector general's report, saying the "Christian Embassy had become a 'quasi-Federal entity', since the DOD had endorsed the organization to General Officers for over 25 years."

"The non-DoD speakers on the video included six Congressmen, two ambassadors, two ambassadors' wives, as well as the Under Secretary of benefits for Veterans' Affairs and the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, who acknowledged "Christian Embassy's" international and federal-governmental evangelical Christian training," the report added, although the identity of those individuals are unknown at this time.

The report also concluded a film crew was not escorted or monitored during production of the video inside the Pentagon, and the Pentagon chaplain's office gave at least 34 "religiously affiliated volunteers" unrestricted access to the Pentagon that allowed the individuals to move freely throughout the facility. The so-called "contractor badges" were unauthorized, the report says.

In response, the inspector general urged the administrative assistant to the Secretary of the Army and the Pentagon Force Protection Agency "initiate inquiries into the manner and appropriateness of issuance of contractor badges to volunteer personnel."

The inspector general launched an investigation last year after receiving a letter from Mikey Weinstein, the founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, a nonprofit government watchdog group that aims to enforce the separation of church and state within the US military. Weinstein's group discovered the video on the Christian Embassy web site. Weinstein drafted a letter to the inspector general alleging misconduct by the officers, citing the military's strict policy that prohibits military personnel from appearing in uniform and participating in "speeches, interviews, picket lines, marches, rallies or any public demonstration ... which may imply Service sanction of the cause for which the demonstration or activity is conducted."

Weinstein said the military brass who participated in the video "were clearly identified by their positions within the Defense Department, however, the video did not include any disclaimers indicating that the views expressed were not those of the Defense of Department."

The former White House attorney under Ronald Reagan, and the author of the book "With God On Our Side: One Man's War Against an Evangelical Coup in America's Military", said he is still "dissecting" the inspector general's report, but "clearly this is a gigantic victory for our foundation."

"The report confirms the total destruction of the Constitutionally-mandated wall separating supernatural and natural, metaphysical and physical, spiritual and temporal, church and state at the highest levels of the technologically most lethal organization ever created by humankind; our honorable and noble United States military," Weinstein said in an interview. "The embarrassingly pedestrian excuses feebly offered by senior US Army and US Air Force generals and other senior officers are pathetic and not worthy of those that might have been offered by a first-grader. The fact that these senior Pentagon officials control our country's nuclear arsenal should shake the very foundation of the American public's trust in our country's current leadership."

Weinstein said perhaps the most egregious aspect of the inspector general's report is the findings that non-military personnel were given "badges" to roam freely throughout the Pentagon calling it a "shocking national security breach of the highest order." He called for Congressional oversight hearings into the matter.

"The rise of evangelical Christianity inside the military went on steroids after 9/11 under this administration and this White House," Weinstein said in an interview. "This administration has turned the entire Department of Defense into its own personal faith-based initiative. "

In the video, which is posted on militaryreligiousfreedom.org,>http://target="_blank">militaryreligiousfreedom.org, Major General Catton talks about how his faith in God and the Christian Embassy helped him land a powerful position as a "director on the joint staff."

"As I meet the people that come into my directorate I tell them right up front who Jack Catton is, and I start with the fact that I'm an old-fashioned American, and my first priority is my faith in God, then my family and then country," Catton says. "I share my faith because it describes who I am."

Army Secretary Pete Geren, the former acting secretary of the Air Force who oversaw the Air Force's response in 2005 to claims evangelical Christians were pressuring cadets at the Air Force Academy in Colorado, also appeared in the video praising the Christian Embassy.

The Christian Embassy "has been a rock that I can rely on, been an organization that helped me in my walk with Christ, and I'm just thankful for the service they give," Geren says.

The inspector general investigated Geren's participation in the video, but determined he did not act improperly. Geren testified he was unaware the video would be used for fundraising purposes or to attract new members. He was identified in the video as "Honorable Pete Geren Presidential Appointee."

The report said Geren, who was also a special assistant to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, has had a long-standing relationship with the Christian Embassy organization.

"According to his testimony, Mr. Geren first became involved with Christian Embassy while he was a member of the US Congress, attending Bible study and fellowship activities arranged by Christian Embassy on Capitol Hill," the inspector general's report states. "He said that he continued his relationship with Christian Embassy when he began work for DOD in the Pentagon, attending the Senior Executive Fellowship and Bible Study."

Robert Varney, executive director of the Christian Embassy, testified the video was used to raise money for his organization.

Does this silly Jew have a different constitution than I have; I can’t find the mandate he is referencing in his tirade.

I suppose.. I dont in theory have any issue of course with anyone .. military or otherwise having religious beliefs..faith in God or whatever.. what I do have an issue with is this group .. the Christian Embassy having free access to the Pentagon etc.. what are they hawking? Who is this group affiliated with?

what wall of separation? Ive not seen that any place in the Constitution.. what I do take issue with I addressed in my reply to Robin.

Probably AIPAC or ADL otherwise they wouldn't be allowed near the Pentagon. We know who runs the Pentagon and the regime.

I hear you. I'm not lovin' the idea of people who believe in (literally) talking snakes and think that setting the entire planet on fire is going to speed up Christ's return having access to the world's largest nuclear stockpile.

"I'd like to live just long enough to be there when they cut off your head and stick it on a pike as a warning to the next ten generations that some favors come with too high a price." Vir Cotto, Babylon 5

Christian Embassy takes political positions.
Participants may call on Christian Embassy for advice on specific issues. “'What does the Bible say about this?'” is a common question, according to McCullough. He says Christian Embassy will not give explicit policy advice, but as a counselor, he would tell a member of Congress or a military official that a particular position -- pro-choice politics, or pacifism, for instance -- is “contrary to scripture.”

Christian Embassy believes the Iraq War may be biblically sanctioned.
On the question of the war in Iraq, McCullough counsels: “We have war all throughout the Bible. Man’s history is war. So what’s the right thing? Not necessarily [the] war in the Bible. But what are you looking for? Is peace possible?” McCullough answered his own question by laughing.

Christian Embassy is a lobby in all but name.
McCullough says Christian Embassy is not a lobbying organization, but describes his work thusly: “I often will go visit a member of Congress and say, ‘Hey, there’s this going on, could you be involved in that?’ ... Or I will recommend to some of these groups that are issue oriented as to who might be interested in helping them. I am aware of where people are. So we do try to connect the dots. Network people.” He agrees that Christian Embassy participants use the Christian Embassy network to political advantage, but considers this a positive outcome since it gives ambitious political, diplomatic, and military figures an incentive to get more involved with Christian Embassy’s evangelical theology.

Christian Embassy Video Meets Religious War Video Game

By Bruce Wilson

Wed Dec 20, 2006 at 09:45:37 AM EST

"My first priority is my faith in God, then my family, then my country..." : Pentagon allows "Christian Embassy" group to film infommercial on it's organizing activities within the Pentagon : The Campus Crusade For Christ attempts to remove copies of the scandalous video from the internet. Here's a still surviving copy. Meanwhile, amidst a growing scandal the "Left Behind Games" company is trying to sell as many copies as possible - before Christmas - of its religious warfare video game marketed to teens and young adults.

UPDATE : Jews On First has been covering this scandal in depth and the original Christian Embassy video can be seen at that website here

The Christian Embassy video scandal was previously covered at Talk To Action in a December 14th posting entitled Theocons at the Pentagon; Exclusive Video!:

There is a controversy brewing over a video that shows senior military officers in uniform promoting their religion inside the Pentagon. In the last few years, starting with the appointment of General Weida as Commandant of Cadets and in cooperation with James Dobson and Ted Haggard (until his outing last month) who leveraged the proximity of their headquarters to the US Air Force Academy, the theocons have transformed life at this key institution by fostering a climate of religious intolerance. Here and here.

Now we have evidence that some of the tactics they developed at the Air Force Academy are being applied to the Pentagon itself.

....The scenes included show officers in uniform and high ranking civilians inside the Pentagon promoting their religion. Most of the cut scenes had testimonials from civilians including; ex-Congressmen Tom Delay, Greshm Barrett, J.D. Hayworth and John Carter (all Republicans), presidential appointees in Washington and, incongruously, foreign ambassadors or their relatives.
The original is 12 minutes long and was available at the Christian Embassy website here it was taken down when the controversy erupted only to be inserted again with a disclaimer and finally taken down permanently : "Out of respect for those we serve, we have removed the promotional video from our website until further notice."
You see, there is a bit of a problem here; you are not supposed to proselytize in uniform while you perform your normal duties....

Jews On First has a writeup of this gathering scandal and threat to church/state separation:

Six uniformed senior offices, Army and Air Force generals and colonels, offer testimonials in a promotional video (see box at left) for the Christian Embassy, a Washington based Christian Right group that evangelizes official Washington. According to the Christian Embassy, the Pentagon permitted the video to be shot on its premises.
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) brought the video to public attention and the Washington Post broke the story.
"This video contains some of the most blatant and egregious violations of both the Constitution and military regulations I have ever seen," said Mikey Weinstein, MRFFs president and founder. "It is truly astonishing that senior military officials have the impudence to appear in their official capacity discussing their desire to proselytize Christianity to fellow military personnel during the duty day and in the offices of the Pentagon itself."
Also, here's an Mp3 of Jane Hunter of Jews On First interviewing Rabbi Bruce Kahn, who served as an active and reserve Navy chaplain for 32 years.

Two parallel, growing scandals illustrate different dimensions of growing militarism within the Christian right.

One of those two is a scandal over an evangelical recruiting video recently filmed within the Pentagon illustrates one aspect of the growing penetration of the US military by right wing Christian associations. Another is the twin scandal of religious warfare video game being marketed to teenagers, whose maker has made statements implying that such a product will desensitize teens who play it to killing and which has been endorsed by leading conservative religious organizations even though recent research has shown violent video games can lead to changes in brain function in kids. ( see here for 37+ stories on the game )

These are intertwined phenomenon, really, that are pervasive and deserve far more scrutiny than they have received, because they threaten to undermine the fabric of American democracy.

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A couple years ago, Bobby Welch, then president of the Southern Baptist Convention, wrote a book for Christian "Holy Warriors" entitled, You, The Warrior Leader. The cover displayed a soldier in camouflage and highlighted medals that could be won for valor in battle.

Baptist Press admitted that Welch and Broadman-Holman Press (the SBC's Press) were trying to "capitalize" on the country's spiritual interest in time of war.

The cover of Welch's book is the most nauseating bookcover that I have ever seen in a Christian book store.

The New Testament uses the metaphors of warfare to refer to spiritual conflict, not to wars between nation-states. At the current moment in history, it is hard to imagine an image more contradictory to the Spirit of Christ and more incendiary to the Muslim world than the cover of Welch's book.

The leadership of the Southern Baptist Convention, like many of the neo-conservative architects of the war with Iraq, seem determined to propel the world into a cataclysmic "Clash of Civilizations."

All people of faith and good will need to be working to reduce tensions between different cultures, to foster meaningful dialogue between religions, and to build bridges of understanding and mutual respect between peoples of different civilizations. Those are the spiritual battles that must be won if the world is to live in peace. - Talk To Action contributor Dr. Bruce Prescott.

New ministries have focused on specific areas of the military such as special forces ( the target of FORCE Ministries and the issue of religious coercion at the US Air Force Academy has never really gone away although media attention has passed on.

Another lens on the pervasive nature of this, as reported by the Agency French Presse, mass baptisms before the first US assault on Fallujah:

Men with buzzcuts and clad in their camouflage waved their hands in the air, M-16 assault rifles beside them, and chanted heavy metal-flavoured lyrics in praise of Christ late on Friday in a yellow-brick chapel.
They counted among thousands of troops surrounding the city of Fallujah, seeking solace as they awaited Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's decision on whether or not to invade Fallujah.
"You are the sovereign. You're name is holy. You are the pure spotless lamb," a female voice cried out on the loudspeakers as the marines clapped their hands and closed their eyes, reflecting on what lay ahead for them....
The marines then lined up and their chaplain blessed them with holy oil to protect them.
"God's people would be anointed with oil," the chaplain said, as he lightly dabbed oil on the marines' foreheads.
The crowd then followed him outside their small auditorium for a baptism of about a half-dozen marines who had just found Christ....
The three laid down in a rubber dinghy filled with water and the chaplain's assistant, navy corpsman Richard Vaughn, plunged their heads beneath the surface.

Various ministries on the Christian right inculcate children into the ideology of religious warfare : "Jesus Camp" was far from the only manifestation of that ( see: The Road To "Jesus Camp" ? - "Kids In Combat", Young Christian Soldiers ) and legions of "Royal Rangers", a Pentacostalist analog to The Boy Scouts, pledge allegiance not to the United States but to "God, Church, and Family"

Meanwhile, within the larger American culture, conservative religious figures make bloodthirsty exhortations for the nuclear destruction of entire cities and an apocalyptic end-times lobby labors to bring on an Armageddon it is predicted will rain down nuclear destruction of the East and West coasts of the United States.

We ignore these phenomenon at our peril.

“Yes, but is this good for Jews?"

Agreed.. and considering what this group has said about the war in Iraq.. reveals its not just a group that's evangelizing .. but is political.

Another good reason for the secession of majority Catholic and mainline Protestant New England. There is no reason why rational New Englanders should have to put up with the influence of these odious heretical rapture nutting simpletons. Union with such "folk" serves no interests of New England.

well I dont think that actually is their purpose.. they see this as a threat.. but ignore the fact that these people are their closest allies..

And in 1947 the judges decided to interpret the First Amendment in light of Jefferson's letter to the Danbury Baptists.

To me, this wasn't necessary. And it has promoted this huge 60-year-long backlash which has now taken over the highest levels of the military and has our government desperately trying to ignite Armageddon.

I agree that many areas of the U.S. should now secede. They have NOTHING in common with the Southern Baptists. They are almost akin to another species.

The center not only CANNOT hold; it SHOULD NOT hold. In fact, we never would have been in this situation to begin with had Lincoln only allowed the South to secede and create its backward theocracy 150 years ago.

“I would give no thought of what the world might say of me, if I could only transmit to posterity the reputation of an honest man.” - Sam Houston

Your posts and comments are always insightful. I believe the historical roots of the Christian Embassy heresy sprung from the Holiness Movement:

Thanks for the link.. and the kind comments.. I do try to find articles that are more obscure ..the story behind the story so to speak..

I was raised in a holiness church.. and also attended charismatic churches so Ive had s close view of both.. the holiness church I attended as a child and young adult.. took an amillennial approach to eschatology.. most if not all charismatic churches didnt evolve from Wesleyan churches but rather Baptist .. and the problem is political.. IMO there was and is a concerted effort to sway political ideology .. beginning with Cyrus Scofield..

I see the blame game going on (which is in itself a sign that things are falling apart). They used some of the worst Evangelicals to build support just as they used the GOP. They destroyed the GOP and now they don't mind pointing a finger of blame at the Evangelical base. In both cases, there is much to blame, but it puts the focus off the major culprits, and onto the smaller fish.

No one is the ally of the NeoCommie and the ZioNazi, their so-called allies were only being used to further their agenda.

And for a last hurrah, these patsies will be used as fall guys for the NeoCommies and ZioNazis to hide behind.

Watch them point at BlackWaterUSA before long. I shall be happy when they turn on them, but take note, it will be to throw all the evils of the mercenaries on them and give the NeoCommies and ZioNazis someone to hide behind.

It's similar to convicting Lyndie England and none of those who created the orders, the agenda.

Kind of the same game that'll come into play as the economy implodes..."Look vhat they've done...more varfronts !"