Camp David Chaplain: "First we get the military, then we get the nation"

Note: The White House has denied the report that Obama has chosen the chapel at Camp David as his church. This, however, does not change the the core issue raised in this post -- the problem of military chaplains and chaplain endorsed organizations that seek to use the U.S. military as the vehicle to transform the nation and the world for Christ, or the fact that Obama appears to be doing nothing to curtail this, so I am not changing anything in this post, written prior to the White House's denial.

One thing we do here at the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) is to do a quick check on any military chaplain whose name shows up in the news for anything other than a routine reason. So, with the news this morning that President Obama had selected the chapel at Camp David as his church, we did our usual thing of checking to see if any big red flags popped up regarding the chapel's pastor, Lt. Carey Cash. Within minutes, we found Lt. Cash quoted as saying, "First we get the military, then we get the nation," a statement that, needless to say, we considered a big, giant red flag.

Cash made this statement via video in 2005 to the congregation of Grace Church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The event was an Independence Day weekend service at which Campus Crusade for Christ's (CCC) Military Ministry Executive Director Bob Dees delivered the sermon, a sermon during which Dees made statements such as:

"I'm here today to testify that we have found the weapons of mass destruction. It is Satan's artillery," and, "...the reality is, too many of our troops are prisoners of war still. Prisoners of war to the master of deceit, these troops do not yet know liberty in Jesus Christ."

During the service, Lt. Cash came up on a video screen, reiterating Dees's CCC talking points, and making the statement, "First we get the military, then we get the nation," a statement that echoes CCC's mission:

"Evangelize and Disciple All Enlisted Members of the US Military. Utilize Ministry at each basic training center and beyond. Transform our culture through the US Military."

According to Dees:

"We must pursue our particular means for transforming the nation -- through the military. And the military may well be the most influential way to affect that spiritual superstructure. Militaries exercise, generally speaking, the most intensive and purposeful indoctrination program of citizens..."

According to CCC's Military Ministry, in a statement referring to their "gateway" strategy of preying on new recruits and cadets while they are worn down by the rigors of training:

"Young recruits are under great pressure as they enter the military at their initial training gateways. The demands of drill instructors push recruits and new cadets to the edge. This is why they are most open to the 'good news.' We target specific locations, like Lackland AFB and Fort Jackson, where large numbers of military members transition early in their career. These sites are excellent locations to pursue our strategic goals."

CCC's goal, which appears again and again in their literature and videos is to transform the U.S. military into "government paid missionaries for Christ," and, with the organization's already prodigious presence at our military's basic training installations, military service academies, and ROTC campuses, they are well on their way to achieving this goal.

As commander in chief, President Obama, rather than giving his tacit endorsement to a chaplain who subscribes to the goals of CCC's Military Ministry by choosing to attend his services, should be ridding the military of such chaplains and organizations.

For more on CCC's Military Ministry and the disturbing extent to which it has become ingrained in our military, see MRFF's reports from October 2007 and December 2007.

Comments

[LiarLiarIraqsOnFire]

Talk about your Pastor Problem. I'm a Christian and garbage like this makes me embarrassed, angry and very very concerned for my country. The U.S. is not a Theocracy and the U.S. military should never be used as a means to over-throw our pluralistic society or used for religious crusades.

[HeevenSteven]

Obviously BO feels he has bigger fish to fry. One move against these fanatics, and it's a 24/7 right-wing media feeding frenzy about his secret Muslim faith and his anti-Christian agenda. He can't count on the MSM to do the fact checking and serious reporting on such good "controversy"; so he'll just lay low and aim for 2012.

[offred]

I just sent an e-mail to whitehouse.gov, including this story's web address and asking for an investigation. I also added a reminder that the Pilgrims came to America to avoid being subjected to an official government religion.

[jhamm1]

Either Obama is truly going overboard in his pandering inititiaves, or he might be harboring intentions far less noble than we fathomed.

[Bruce Wilson - Huffpost Blogger]

There are other possibilities. We don't need to cast aspersions on Obama's motives.

As Chris Rodda's story suggests, the Christian supremacist penetration of the US military is quite extensive. I doubt the Obama Administration can snap its collective fingers and suddenly rectify this. It's a pervasive, deeply embedded cultural phenomenon.

[jhamm1]

No, but he can choose which Chaplins he does or does not associate with, and Lt. Cash is not the only Chaplin in the military.

[cminca]

First Rick Warren--now this.

I guess we shouldn't be surprised.

[JackRusselTerrier]

Rumsfeld put Bible quotes on top of national security briefings. Christian soldiers were passing Bibles out to Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan. This article comes as no surprise.

You would think in modern times this would not happen, but there are some who would still prefer to live in the Dark Ages. We're still fighting the Crusades. Politicians are still quoting the Bible to promote their values or excuse their behavior.

While facts are ignored, beliefs are passed down. All throughout history religion is used as a tool to lead the masses. Some things never change.

[dadw5boys]

CHRISTIANS WILL RULE WITH A BLOODY SWORD !!!!!!!!!!!!

THEY ALWAYS HAVE AND ALWAYS WILL WHEN IN POWER !!!!!!!

[Rule Of Law]

Google Blackwater, DeVos, and Dominionism--an extreme right wing neo-con christian sect favoring the military installation of a religious based government (just like they have in Iran!) here in America. The players are all household names on the Sunday morning born again hour.

[Rule Of Law]

and once more--

Google Blackwater, DeVos, and Dominionism--an extreme right wing neo-con christian sect favoring the military installation of a religious based government (just like they have in Iran!) here in America. The players are all household names on the Sunday morning born again hour.

[willr]

"Young recruits are under great pressure as they enter the military at their initial training gateways. The demands of drill instructors push recruits and new cadets to the edge. This is why they are most open to the 'good news.'"

This is wrong on so many levels. This is blatant brainwashing to create an army for God as well as subversion of the US Constitution for the Bible!

[Derelict outlaw]

Wow that is so evil and insidious. Recruits are stressed and made pliable by basic training and are subsequently really emotionally vulnerable in such a space and to piggy back some evangelical agenda or permit some fellow traveler dogma to infect and influence our culture is actually seditious IMO.

Thanks for this post.

[audadvnc]

What better way to continue the Crusades than by converting an army of fanatics that are already armed?