Liberal Policy: Pentagon Forces US Army Post in Afghanistan to Remove Cross
Posted by Jim Hoft on Wednesday, November 23, 2011, 11:50 AM
What a bonanza!
Liberals find a way to insult Christians and the military with one easy policy change.
The Pentagon forced an Army post in Afghanistan to remove a cross on its worship tent. It’s offensive to liberal atheists.
The Politico reported:
A large cross that had been prominently displayed outside a chapel on an isolated military base in northern Afghanistan was taken down last week, prompting outrage from some American service members stationed there.
“We are here away from our families, and the chapel is the one place that feels like home,” a service member at Camp Marmal told POLITICO. “With the cross on the outside, it is a constant reminder for all of us that Jesus is here for us.”
“Not having it there is really upsetting,” added another. “I walk by the chapel daily on the way to chow and the gym, and seeing the cross is a daily reminder of my faith and what Jesus accomplished for me. It is daily inspiration and motivation for me to acknowledge my faith and stay on the right path.”
Camp Marmal is a German base that hosts NATO forces. The interfaith chapel in question is supervised by the U.S. Army.
The soldiers said they found great comfort in the chapel — and the cross visible outside. “Sometimes the Church and the ability to openly express religious views ultimately gets people through the deployments over here,” one told POLITICO by email.
The service member said he asked the base chaplain, a military officer, what had happened to the cross. “I had to take it down,” said the chaplain, according to the solider, without further explanation.
Pentagon spokesperson Commander William Speaks confirmed the cross was removed and told POLITICO, “The removal was, in fact, in accordance with Army regulations” and pointed out that the Army chaplain manual prohibits permanent display of religious symbols.
“Distinctive religious symbols, such as crosses… will not be affixed or displayed permanently on the chapel interior, exterior or grounds,” reads the manual.
Nothing like being denied the right to express your faith while fighting for your country, huh?
ADVERTISEMENT
-
Featured Story:
Rough Night… Obama Loses 36 Arkansas Counties to Unknown Democrat – Loses 67 Kentucky Counties to “Uncommitted”
Published May 23, 2012 at 4:57 am - 45 Comments
ant commented:
“…forbids permanent display..”. If the preacher was able to take it down, it wasn’t permanent.
Taxpayer commented:
It’s the atheists, not the Muslims, insisting on this…the irony meter has asploded!
lizzy84 commented:
So, I say put it back up and if anyone is offended, that’s too damn bad.
vityas commented:
To quote Charlie Sheen, “Winning!”
The pagans are winning.
Lisa G in NZ commented:
These leftist, pc policy ‘makers’ and federal boobs in Washington extremely offend me on a daily basis. Please remove them.
sincerely,
the center/right majority
AMEN
Redlite commented:
DISGRACEFULL!
The military is bending over backwards not to offend the Muslim service member who are in the military. They don’t want to remind them that they are serving in a predominantly Christian military. The services have gone way overboard with this PC crap. I read that the Marines have issued a directive restricting all Marines from pissing in their direction of Mecca. The even have developed an APP for that. Pure insanity!
One can clearly see that the Cross remains on the end of the tent in the way the door was constructed. The Lord does not suffer fools lightly. He also has shown his humor about mans attempt to deny him.
kingslayor commented:
The sign of the cross brings fear on sight to the atheists and muslim hearts!!! Because they relize that if their convictions are wrong they will stand before GOD and be judged for their denial of him!!!!
Gregor commented:
Not much of a Chaplain. A real man of God would refuse to take it down and accept whatever punishment comes his way. If I was still in the military, I’d put it back up myself and tell them to send me home if they don’t like it. Every Christian soldier should do the same and see how they respond to that. What are they going to do? Discharge the entire military? Lock them all up? Come on!
This is why we lose. Cowards everywhere. Nobody is willing to stand up for what they believe anymore. To all you Christian residents of Camp Marmal … what are you going to do? Whine about it, or defend God?
jann commented:
WHEN ARE CHRISTIANS GOING TO FIGHT BACK??!!!!!!!!!! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!
American Woman commented:
The Progressives offend me on a daily basis, as does the political correctness of those in leadership.
My heart goes out to members of our armed services. May God bless them, and bring them home safe and sound.
jann commented:
One more thing, liberals COUNT ON Christians NOT fighting back!!!!!!!!!! WHEN???????? when will you fight for GOD and your faith?
bg commented:
++
well, it’s not like Obama has been, is, and will continue to do right
under our noses, in plain sight, hasn’t been as transparent as he
promised..
albeit he’s always in our face, tis “we the people” who have
turned a deaf ear and blind eye to Obama’s dumbing down
of America (scroll thread for much more)..
also much more here, in connecting links & threads..
==
Patty commented:
“Distinctive religious symbols, such as crosses… will not be affixed or displayed permanently on the chapel interior, exterior or grounds,” reads the manual.
I have never hear of such a thing. I suppose that everything seems to be revolved around securing that the cross be eliminated from every aspect of our life. All faiths fight in the military.
I don’t believe there is a way to get around this decision other than, wearing a cross around ones neck but hidden. That too, may be off limits.
The one thing that brings home and faith to some of the military taken away, sad and for me it breaks my heart.
bg commented:
++
Obama et al
Tarek Fatah
[he worked for & supported Obama]
much more here & here & in connecting links & threads..
==
James in LA commented:
If you need a cross to have faith, all you have is a cross. If you demand others see your cross to maintain your own faith, all you have is your demand. None of these things is even remotely related to faith. But they do make handy (albeit unchristian) clubs to hammer those with whom you disagree.
bg commented:
++
duh re: #12 November 23, 2011 at 12:57 pm bg
like Obama = like what Obama
==
bg commented:
++
this is a prelude to the DISMISSAL OF THE 911 CROSS AT GROUND ZERO
which will basque in the shadow of the CORDOBA MOSQUE.. not kidding
sarc/
anyone keeping count of the “missing crosses” so far?? gah!!
==
Patty commented:
The military is turning into mush. This president will cut military. And this president will use more technology and other nations to fight wars.
Drones.
Military will need a great deal of work once Obama is out of office.It may take years to rebuild it. Once, this nation gets back to its roots and our foundation and trust in a great president returns, we will never hear stories like this. Americans are great and we have had enough of Political Correctness, we are better than that.
bg commented:
++
re: #17 November 23, 2011 at 1:24 pm bg
911 = 9/11
==
bitterclinger commented:
The Constitution affords of freedom OF religion, not freedom FROM religion.
I’m with Gregor. Strength in numbers.
Granny commented:
This is no surprise. Or did you all skip right over the link I posted (twice!) to the report that the US military in all seriousness is making our service members in Afghanistan carry little “mecca” compasses so they don’t spit or piss in the direction of Mecca?
bg commented:
++
Patty #18 November 23, 2011 at 1:25 pm
Barry/Barack Dunham Soetoro Obama’s heart is GREEN
in every way imaginable, namely, climate, creed & cash..
Breaking The War Mentality;
March 10, 1983;
by Barack Obama
much more here in connecting links & threads..
[also connected to the Weather Underground and the Black Panthers,
not to mention al Mansour, Obama's Saudi Arabian Harvard sponsor..]
==
bg commented:
++
Granny #21 November 23, 2011 at 1:39 pm
what?? where is the link??
thank you..
==
Bill commented:
I pray for a military unit that tells the Pentagon: “come and try to take it down”.
#1AMERICAN commented:
odumbass is probably the one who told them to take it down
Gordo commented:
Just the other day when I was reading about the cross that was placed at Camp Pendleton and the issues there I found myself wondering how long it would be before someone complained about the facilities that our servicemen have available to them for worship. Now I know.
Paddy commented:
The Army has taken two contradictory positions concerning the display of the cross. This post involves and order to remove the cross from chapel door so as to avoid offending local Muslims.
Michael Yon, the Iraq and Afghanistan wars reincarnation of Ernie Pyle, has written about the Army’s refusal to arm or remove the red cross from our medevac helicopters even though the cross marking identifies them easy pickings for our enemies. Medevacs are particularly vulnerable during dustoffs to recover wounded soldiers. See:
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/crusadercopters.htm
The Army justifies this practice on compliance with the Geneva Convention Protocol regarding ambulances. The rest of the NATO forces in Afghanistan are not stupid. They arm their medevac copters and do not mark them with red crosses.
After all, what is more important, protection of forces or compliance with Geneva convention protocols that do not apply to fighting against terrorist enemy combatants? Whatever happened to common sense?
retired military commented:
I go to mass on Ft Hood and have done so for 10 years. The crucifix in the chapel has not moved. Yet a cross which has been on A TENT for less than that time has to be taken down becuase it cant be “will not be affixed or displayed permanently on the chapel interior, exterior or grounds,” ”
What kind of crap is this?
butch commented:
Shame
retired military commented:
http://www.hood.army.mil/chaplain/Chap_Chapels.htm
Look at the pictures.
Crosses all over the place.
Formerly known as Skeptic commented:
While the demand to remove the cross is irritating, the regulation is long-standing and serves a valid purpose. If you notice in the story, this is an INTER-FAITH chapel, as are many in the military. Even permanent chapel buildings at smaller bases stateside are often inter-faith. I have personally seen a chapel with pulleys, wires and curtains to allow for the display of a cross, a crucifix or nothing at the front of the chapel depending on the service or mass taking place. When the only thing available is an interfaith chapel it must be open and inviting for members of ALL faiths and even those of NO faith (chaplains are commonly the closest thing to a social worker available as well). Chaplains themselves, while they identify with a single religion, are often called upon to minister to members of other religions. Generally, the military does an excellent job of making this all seem perfectly natural. In wartime, I suspect things get a little more intense!
Molon Labe commented:
#31
All chapels are interfaith moron. Yet I have never seen a chapel without a cross. Perhaps you can enlighten us and reveal what chapels you have been in that didn’t have a cross? Was it at Benning, Bragg, Polk, or maybe it was at the ACLU fantasyland you attend?
Formerly known as Skeptic commented:
Maybe it is different in the Army, but in the AF we did have dedicated Protestant and Catholic chapels on bases which were big enough to have multiple facilities. The chapel to which I referred with the curtains and pulleys was at Edwards AFB.
BTW, I do not appreciate the name-calling. It is uncalled for and juvenile. I particularly take offense to the suggestion that I’m some kind of liberal troll given my over 20 years of service to this proud nation.
donh commented:
Atheists ? Just a euphamism for vampires of the Church of Satan…within 10 years the cross will return …only it will be upside down.
Spartan commented:
So can the army form a group (striker group) that is ‘athiest only’ and send them in the front lines? I mean, they will be the very first group called when something needs to be blown up. They shouldn’t be afraid to die. There’s nothing for them to be afraid of. If this life isn’t good enough what does it matter what’s on the other side for them? And they obviously joined the army to blow things up, right? So taking a life shouldn’t mean a whole to them, either. If they don’t believe in anything they should be the perfect ‘terminator’ drone?
I wonder how many if put in that reality would come back believeing in God?
Sojo commented:
All Christians should leave the military. Let gays, transgenders, etc., protect us.
Taqiyyotomist commented:
I still see a cross.
They better redesign that chapel’s framework.
/sarc, but nearly not.
Taqiyyotomist commented:
#30 retired military
shhhhhh….!!
Why you wanna give the Progs a complete list of new targets?
ant commented:
James in LA, if a cross offends an Atheist, their non-belief is sensitive and weak, and all they have left is intolerance and fear . If you demand noone display their faith, in deference to your weak-spirited faith in nothing, all you have is your demand.
kilroy64 commented:
This ship has no rudder, it will continue to drift until it sinks.
conservativeczar commented:
I say send the platton a bunch of black sharpee’s and let them draw as many crosses as they want all over all of the buildings!
Earthmover commented:
If I were in that camp I would PAINT a new cross on that tent. I’d imagine
85% of the soldiers are offended that they took the cross down! I think
it’s time you liberals find yourself a different place to live, you offend US!
Joanne commented:
It is a manual for pete’s sake. The men should take a vote and if they want the cross up, then so be it. Christ’s crucifixtion on the cross was a gift of salvation to all those who believe and obey God’s Commandments and laws. A cross on a tent is never going to change this. Atheists, leftards, socialists, and the rest will never be able to change our hearts.
tommy mc donnell commented:
someone needs to remind the politicans christians vote.
C-Christian Soldier commented:
and we CHRISTIANS are doing WHAT about IT!~!!!!
NADA-why am I not surprised…
the DoD also burned our Soldiers BIBLES – NO CHRISTIAN out rage on that tiehr!
Carol-CS
rcl commented:
Christians should take the hint and leave the armed forces. This country doesn’t deserve us.
Matt commented:
The Army is not Christianity on a Crusade.
Not one soldier has been prevented from worshiping or attending chapel.
I can just imagine your squealing if muslims had a permanent Crescent on a building.
Patty commented:
Campus Shock: Michigan Professor Actually Takes Nude Pictures…With Students
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/msu-professors-photographs-taken-nude-students-have-shock-value/
Yes, here is another liberal going at it. Teaching our kids well, wouldn’t you say. They are getting by with everything and yes, we must no stand for it anymore.
Patty commented:
http://www.theblaze.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/symbols-620×86.jpg
from the manual.
Patty commented:
Army doesn’t allow crosses but a professor posing nude with students is okay.
who would have thought it.
Danny Liu commented:
The real reason they don’t want to abandon Afghanistan is, because of the Exxon Mobile’s pipeline pumping oil from Afghanistan. George Bush Jr. brags he went to Iraq for the oil, to show off to his affluent friends. So instead of half the national deficit, we have it double, they want to build permanent bases in Iraq and Afghanistan, so big oil, and the Republican’s can get rich. So why do they want to make Afghanistan a permanent duty station so they can protect the interest’s of big oil and the pipeline, before they started drilling and pumping oil out of Afghanistan, the country was considered the largest untapped oil resource in the world. They don’t talk much about the pipeline now because the Billionaire’s and corporations have silence everyone. I don’t vote and support neither party, nor will I be a registered voter, ever, because I never register to vote. George Bush Jr and the Republican party wanted to control the oil infrastructure of Iraq, and Afghanistan to enrich themselves, Billions traded for the corporations, while America accumulated Trillions in national debt, not such a good trade off, but it was for 1% of the population. The people of Afghanistan live simple lives as farmers and ranchers, living off of mountain goats, and sheep’s, and simple crops, too stupid to realize what they have an abundant source of natural resources that they do not benefit from, while Hamid Karzai hordes over 100 Billion in secret accounts for himself. The people of Afghanistan use horses and donkeys, and pick up trucks, as their main weapons, while military contractor’s keep building new weapon system’s for themselves and get richer, America goes down hill in debt. China owns 11% of the national debt, and Japan owns 10% and they are over 200% over GDP in national debt. So who owns most of the national debt Private Security Firms profiting off the national debt of the U.S. They want to go to war with Iran that will cost the U.S. 90 Billion a year, instead of executing precision strikes. Like Iraq, they always have known, since they have too much oil, no economic sanction will work, and only by declaring a full scale war can they actually bring about change.The real reason they don’t want to abandon Afghanistan is, because of the Exxon Mobile’s pipeline pumping oil from Afghanistan. George Bush Jr. brags he went to Iraq for the oil, to show off to his affluent friends. So instead of half the national deficit, we have it double, they want to build permanent bases in Iraq and Afghanistan, so big oil, and the Republican’s can get rich. So why do they want to make Afghanistan a permanent duty station so they can protect the interest’s of big oil and the pipeline, before they started drilling and pumping oil out of Afghanistan, the country was considered the largest untapped oil resource in the world. They don’t talk much about the pipeline now because the Billionaire’s and corporations have silence everyone. I don’t vote and support neither party. George Bush Jr and the Republican party wanted to control the oil infrastructure of Iraq, and Afghanistan to enrich themselves, Billions traded for the corporations, while America accumulated Trillions in national debt, not such a good trade off, but it was for 1% of the population. The people of Afghanistan live simple lives as farmers and ranchers, living off of mountain goats, and sheep’s, and simple crops, too stupid to realize what they have an abundant source of natural resources that they do not benefit from, while Hamid Karzai hordes over 100 Billion in secret accounts for himself. The people of Afghanistan use horses and donkeys, and pick up trucks, as their main weapons, while military contractor’s keep building new weapon system’s for themselves and get richer, America goes down hill in debt. China owns 11% of the national debt, and Japan owns 10% and they are over 200% over GDP in national debt. So who owns most of the national debt Private Security Firms profiting off the national debt of the U.S. They want to go to war with Iran that will cost the U.S. 90 Billion a year, instead of executing precision strikes. Like Iraq, they always have known, since they have too much oil, no economic sanction will work, and only by declaring a full scale war can they actually bring about change.
drjohn commented:
What if not having it present offends me?
Oh Lordy, look what dey done... commented:
Correct me if I am wrong, but NO chapels on ANY U.S. Military installation has a “cross” affixed to it, since all the chapels on U.S. Millitary installations serve ALL FAITHS. Imagine the Army Rabbi trying to hold Sabbath services in a chapel with a cross on it…or a Lutheran chaplain holding services with a Virgin Mary in the background.
Much ado about NOT A DAMN THING. Obviously written by a FOOL who NEVER SERVED!
Read The Freaking Manual! commented:
Read The Freaking Manual:
Army Regulation 165-1
12–3. Religious facilities
Sub-para K: Symbols. The chapel environment will be religiously neutral when the facility is not being used for scheduled worship.
Portable religious symbols, icons, or statues may be used within a chapel during times of religious worship.
Symbols are to be moved or covered when not in use during services. Distinctive religious symbols, such as crosses, crucifixes, the Star of David, Menorah, and other religious symbols will not be affixed or displayed permanently on the chapel interior, exterior, or grounds.
Permanent or fixed chapel furnishings, such as the altar, pulpit, lectern, or communion rail will be devoid of distinctive religious symbols.
bg commented:
++
hmm, could be not many Atheists are serving in A-stan.. /s/
==
Valerie commented:
#52 November 23, 2011 at 11:38 pm
Danny Liu commented:
So much writing, so little sense.
The POTUS just refused to sign an agreement to get oil in a pipeline from CANADA. Why the hell should we safeguard Afghanistan as a source of supply for oil, when we don’t even want it from CANADA????
bg commented:
++
Valerie #57 November 24, 2011 at 10:16 am
not to mention how it’s just pouring
in by the gazallions from Iraq.. /s/
==
ely commented:
WHEN ARE THEY REMOVING THE CROSSES FROM ARLINGTON? FOOLS HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY ARE DOING…MY BROTHER SON, AND FATHER.
ALL SERVED AND ARE SERVING IN THE ARMY…ARMY STRONG WOITH OUT A SOUL OR SPIRIT…DENYING JESUS CHRIST? TALKING ABOUT PUTTING OUR PEOPLE AND COUNTRY IN HARMS WAY! ALLOT OF FOLKS ARE GOING TO HELL IN THE EXPRESS LANE! I’LL BE THERE TO HELP THEM DOWN THE SLIDE!!!