Al Jazeera Special Report Covers Advance of Fundamentalism in US Military

A June 23, 2009 report from Al Jazeera (English) by Josh Rushing, "Fault Lines - Religion in the Military", expertly covers a topic the US media has been reluctant to address: an aggressive effort, often abusive, coercive and even illegal, to advance a heavily sectarian, supremacist form of Christianity in the United States military.

Rushing, a United States Marine for 15 years, explained to Former National Security Adviser Brent Scowcroft that he was initially very skeptical but had become personally convinced while researching his story. When Rushing told Scowcroft, "[Al Jazeera] received ...video of missionaries embedding with the US troops," Scowcroft responded, "...I would be very surprised if that were true. Missionaries embedded with the troops -- I find a very unusual statement." Rushing then informed Scowcroft that three half-hour show segments were aired on the Trinity Broadcast Network (TBN) popular reality TV show Travel The Road, in which the show's central characters, "extreme" Christian missionaries Will Decker and Tim Scott, were embedded with US troops in Afghanistan and illegally proselytized and distributed native-language copies of the New Testament. Travel The Road claims to reach three million viewers per episode. Scowcraft, incredulous, testily declared he'd look into the matter.

[below, part 2 of Al Jazeera special report: Brent Scowcroft is incredulous]

[below: video clip from documentary aired on Trinity Broadcast Network, shows Christian missionaries embedded with US troops in Afghanistan]

Josh Rushing's Al Jazeera special report features, most notably, Jeff Sharlet, author of The Family, The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power and a May 2009 Harpers Magazine story, Jesus Killed Mohammed: The Crusade For a Christian Military. Talk To Action contributor and Military Religious Freedom Foundation Senior Research Director Chris Rodda makes a brief appearance in the Al Jazeera special report as well. Rodda is also author of Liars For Jesus: The Religious Right's Alternative Version of American History (Volume I).

If Brent Scowcroft was incredulous concerning the embedded-missionaries story, he likely would have been rendered speechless by another story to recently have surfaced from Military Religous Freedom Foundation research, which concerned a highly connected chaplain endorser with power over perhaps 7-8% of US active duty military chaplains who has made made both veiled and direct calls for the execution of a sitting United States president and leading members of the US Senate. Some of that research appeared in the June 19, 2009 Newsweek story, Christian Soldiers: The growing controversy over military chaplains using the armed forces to spread the Word, by journalist Kathryn Joyce.

But Joyce's Newsweek article was framed as an extension of a preexisting story concerning the illegal distribution of Bibles in Iraq and Afghanistan. In fact, the most disturbing research findings concerned the activities of individuals, both in the military and influential within the US military and Congress, who have made a minor career of promoting and mainstreaming a class of seditious and racist anti-government conspiracy theory that, presented in the guise of "Bible prophecy," arguably played an important role during the 1990's in helping to inspire right wing violence and the rise of the American militia movement.

I have included some of that material in my June 23, 2009 story, "Defense Department-Certified Agency Newsletter Suggests Killing Democrats" [also see these two Talk To Action stories: 1, 2]

Over 100 mainstream and alternative press stories and television and radio interviews addressing the attempted Christian fundamentalist takeover of the United States Military can be found here, collected on the Military Relgious Freedom foundation website.

[below, part one of Al Jazeera special report, "Fault Lines - Religion in the Military" by Al Jazeera reporter Josh Rushing]

Comments

[been2there]

This is a real problem, and it is a real threat. When the "render unto Caesar" stuff gets lost, military take over becomes a possibility. If enough soldiers are brainwashed by the abusive elements, WE the people could be in trouble.

[martykz]

That does it. I'm going to go out and buy a gun so I can defend my family when U.S. President Jerry Falwell, Jr. sends the Christian Soldiers to confiscate my books on evolutionary theory.

[MalleusMaleficarum]

Shocking -- deeply shocking -- that militant religious fanatics have a solid foothold in the US military where they advocate the assassination of a sitting president. These people should be totally ineligible for military service. They should be interrogated, investigated, indicted and court-martialed or committed to mental institutions as a matter of course.

[GrammyP]

When it comes right down to it, how is this any different than the Taliban/Al Qaeda wanting to fundamentally change our way of life?

[CanisLatrans]

It's no different at all. I've served in the military for years, and while I've ben fortunate enough to never run across this sort of militant evangelizing, I have to admit that it doesn't surprise me to hear that it's happening.

[Acidic]

This not surprising at all.

[FogBelter]

Sounds ominous. Armed Fanatics who believe they are doing God's work are capable of anything ... including overthrowing the very Secular Constitutional Democratic Republic they are sworn to protect, if they believe they are conquering evil in the process.

[ThinkCreeps]

Natural selection will work its worst on the comrades and subordinates of these deluded cultists. The battlefield is a very rational place: those with the myth of immortality and a disrespect for evidence will suffer higher attrition than the professionals.

[jsanti7]

As I have posted before ,,In 20 years of military service I had more trouble with troopers more intent on spreading the word than I did with DADT........or gays in the military...or even gang bangers..some of these guys made it hard to build a team that was capable to win in combat with the lest cost .. for the simple reason that they answered to a higher power and where so protected as well.. The fact that a soldiers survival is based on the skills of those around him and that a first class training is the best welfare of a soldier. was lost on them . I very seldom took a difference of opinion as a challenge to authority but a few challenged regulations and direct lawful orders ....due to they answered to a higher power....Its a problem!

[Lori Bowles]

what don't they understand about keeping religion to themselves?
Thanks for the report, great work.

[Derelict outlaw]

I remember Sunday mornings in the barracks trying to sleep off a hangover or just recuperating from an exhaustive routine 12 miles hike with 50lbs of gear and weapons being rudely awakened by proselityzing christians asking if I knew Jesus or the Lord? I would always tell them that he was in the next room or barracks and go back to sleep but I always wondered "who was letting these evangelical civiilans wander the base to accost and harass us Jews and agnostics?

[noaxe397]

Is it any wonder the Bush administration "accidentally" bombed Al Jazeera sites in Iraq? I wish someone would poll Americans and ask what Al Jazeera is. Al Qaeda-Al Jazeera, hey those people all look the same.

It was reported as far back as 2005 that white supremacist grafitti was being sprayed across buildings in Iraq.

Maybe Janet Napolitano apologized too quickly for that Bush-ordered DHS report on returning veterans being brainwashed by the people mentioned in this blog.

I wish a poll would ask the American people how many times they think the word God appears in the US Constitution.

Christians are so adamant about having more religion in the public square. Republicans said this was important for ecumenical and religious freedom reasons. In reality it is part of RNC/GOP plot for destruction of our government and our middle class way of life.
Scenario: GOP/Cheney tips off terrorists; Us is attacked. GOP says we will keep you safe. Patriot Act in full force. Martial law declared. 2A crowd stunned their pea shooters ineffective against tanks /heavy artillery. Rich people safe in gated communities guarded by Blackwater (remember NOLA.) The rest of us live like Soviets.

Think about it.

Let's stop fawning over the military. Let's remember we are a civilian nation and military service is voluntary, like being a fireman or teacher. It is a choice. Let's respect their service but maintain a bit of healthy skepticism as to where their future loyalties may lie.

[Bruce Wilson - Huffpost Blogger]

Before I started studying this realm, I thought the volunteer military service regime OK. Not any more.

Now, I'd advocate mandatory national service with a non-military & nonviolent service option.

[jsanti7]

Bruce I bet if some one said universal service a year ago you might have said What are YOU thinking ? Well not all of us that advocated that for years have an evil agenda

[CanisLatrans]

I would not support a military draft, but a universal service requirement (with military service being one of many civil service options) is, I think, an increasingly good idea. But there needs to be some way to make sure that the political and corporate elites don't abuse loopholes so their little trust-fund darlings can evade responsibility.

[knowBuddhaU]

Thanks for the MRFF. I call this "myth-jacking."

Myths are metaphors that give shape to the cosmos in which we enact the theater of life. Myths deliver a people, into either a Promised or a Waste Land, exactly as we load them with our intentions. Like passengers into life boats, or kittens into burlap sacks.

Our dominant myth today is called "American Exceptionalism." We and only we are beloved of God; the rest of humanity is damned, and it's our solemn duty to "rid the world of evil doers," Bush preached only five days after 9/11/2001.

Captain Furner: "...our mission: to eradicate insurgents and Taliban and everybody else who’s bad."
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/5/6/the_crusade_for_a_christian_military

Joseph Campbell: "The rest of the world meanwhile (that is to say, by far the greater portion of mankind) is left outside the sphere of his sympathy and protection because outside the sphere of the pro­tection of his god....Instead of clearing his own heart the zealot tries to clear the world. The laws of the City of God are applied only to his in-group ... while the fire of a perpetual holy war is hurled (with good conscience, and indeed a sense of pious service) against whatever...alien people happens to occupy the position of neighbor. [The Hero with a Thousand Faces, p. 155]"

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-8313-Seattle-Buddhism-Examiner~y2009m5d11-Onward-Christian-soldiers

[YankinCanada]

32 comments thus far...I'm surprised how little attention this garners, perhaps because of the stigma of Al Jezeera. This is even more frightening to me when I think that these same soldiers will be walking the streets in due time.

[Derelict outlaw]

Oh it's much worse than that, which is probably part of what Bruce is saying about mandatory service. These "volunteers" for Jesus are in the creche of leadership that will one day become movers and shakers in Congress and administrate our government agencies and LEO and whatnot.

[WorkingClass]

The commander in chief could bring this to a grinding halt in a matter of weeks. But then he could do the same for don't ask don't tell. He just doesn't want to.

[Derelict outlaw]

Harry Truman had some big ones didn't he? He just decides one day to end segregation of the US military and issues an exectuive order one day and it's over just like that.
No fuss no muss, no Congressional hearings or opportunity to screw it up and dleay it interminably, he just did what was right.
There is nothing preventing President Obama from doing exactly the same excpet for his personal ethic and integrity in keeping promises.

[CanisLatrans]

Unfortunately, Obama is in a precarious position to start piddling in the Cheerios of the Christofascists. I hate to say it, but they do hold a lot of sway in this country, and a fight with them will be an all-consuming affair.

[pissedmichael]

Disgusting. Is this really the 'mission' of military chaplains? To spread the word? I find that difficult to digest. I really thought they were there to comfort and support our troops, not forcefully shove religion down their throats. This is not what our soldiers need to prepare and strengthen them for battle. This is a distraction from their efforts to keep themselves and their fellows alive, and will only serve to draw their attention from that effort. Any fool should understand that some degree of situational awareness is fundamental is performing their duties with minimal or no casualties. In order to maintain that awareness requires a singleness of purpose, a constant awareness of surroundings, and supreme focus. They do not need the politics of religion to hamper their ability to survive by focusing their attention elsewhere. This is a crime against the troops and inexcusable conduct on the part of those engaging in those distractions.

[SiberianRat]

If this is allowed to continue, it will be VERY detrimental to our military and will harden opponents' resolve like nothing else. Groups like Al Qaeda misuse the idea of Jihad, but THIS type of crud is exactly what is prescribed in the Quran for Jihad--being forced to renounce Islam. There's no moral difference between US soldiers imposing their radical conservative Christian views on a besieged people than if the Taliban do it. These soldiers bring indescribable shame to the military, IMO.

[bdaved]

Wow!