When Evangelicals Attack... Me

When the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call labels your latest novel "a Christian Jihad," angry emails are sure to follow.

My new novel entitled, The Apocalypse Directive, is out this week. Unfortunately, long before the book came out, I started to get emails from self-proclaimed Evangelicals who had seen the cover or a description of the book online, and based solely on that, decided to condemn me to the fires of Hell. Once the two-page Roll Call article came out, the hate emails increased in volume and creativity.

In a previous career, I spent three years working in a Joint Command at the Pentagon. I had gone there after a stint at the White House. About two years ago, two former colleagues of mine from the Pentagon called to warn me about a "right-wing Christian organization that was operating out of the Pentagon." Both of the people who called me would describe themselves as "conservative Christians." Knowing that, if this group scared these two individuals, then I felt a little more research was in order.
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While doing some digging, I found out that The Washington Post had done two major editorials on this "right-wing Christian organization." The first editorial, entitled, "Questionable Mission," said in part:

"THERE ARE over 25,000 Department of Defense leaders working in the rings and corridors of the Pentagon. Through Bible study, discipleship, prayer breakfasts, and outreach events, Christian Embassy is mustering these men and women into an intentional relationship with Jesus Christ," a narrator explains toward the start of a promotional video for Christian Embassy, an offshoot of Campus Crusade for Christ that focuses on diplomats, government leaders and military officers. As a uniformed Air Force Maj. Gen. explains, "I found a wonderful opportunity as a director on the joint staff, as I meet the people that come into my directorate, and I tell them right up front... my first priority is my faith in God, then my family and then country. I share my faith because it describes who I am."

Free exercise of religion doesn't stop at the entrance to the Pentagon or other government buildings, but when those in senior positions are moved to share their religious views with colleagues and subordinates, the tension between the twin constitutional guarantees -- the mandate of free exercise of and the prohibition against government establishment of religion -- comes into play. The Christian Embassy video suggests that such sensitivity has not always been present. With its extensive, inside-the-Pentagon footage and interviews with senior officials and high-ranking officers in uniform, the video conveys a sense that the group's mission has been endorsed by the Pentagon... the video has been removed from Christian Embassy's Web site and the Pentagon is reviewing the matter. It would be wise to consider not only whether the video and the Christian Embassy's other activities comply with the letter of Pentagon rules but also with the spirit of the Constitution its personnel are sworn to protect.

The second Washington Post editorial, entitled, "Pulling Rank on Religion -- an Evangelical group and top officers cross a line," said in part:

THE PENTAGON'S inspector general has concluded that seven current or former military officers, including two major generals and the Pentagon chaplain, violated ethics rules when they appeared in uniform in a promotional and fundraising video for the evangelical group Christian Embassy...Maj. Gen. John J. Catton Jr. explained that he felt comfortable praising the group because it had effectively become a "quasi-federal entity."

What's important to me in the context of our work here in the Pentagon is to get together with other believers and be encouraged," Maj. Gen. Peter U. Sutton says on the video. Maj. Gen. Sutton is now based in Turkey, where an article in a Turkish newspaper about the video described him as a member of a "radical fundamentalist sect."

A "radical fundamentalist sect." Where have we heard that before? How many people in our nation and our government have uttered those exact same words?

As someone who has experienced the good and the bad of life, I know that any human can become twisted. I also know that any faith can become twisted. Hence, the premise of a novel that is now offending some of my fellow Christians.

While fiction, the novel is meant to also serve as a bit of a warning. What if you had a conservative Evangelical President in the third year of his second term who believed the Lord spoke directly to him? What if he, and like-minded individuals in the military, shared a common belief that the apocalypse was not only coming but that it was their duty to God to hasten the process? What if, they felt they had to act before losing control of much of the government and much of our nuclear arsenal? What if, unless stopped, they would set in motion a chain of events that would wipe clean the face of the earth?

As comedian Jon Stewart once said: "Not so funny when it's your guy." How right he was.

Comments

[Crowhaul]

If this 'Christian Embassy' enjoys a tax-free status, it should be revoked immediately...

[lewes17266]

We should all be thankful to God that Pat Robertson never became an elected official. Mr. MacKinnon, I wish you would read my profile.

There really are people in positions of power who think they have authority to do whatever they choose and who say boldly that God speaks to them and gives them authority to speak on HIS behalf. There are people who kneel at their televisions and touch the screen praying for a miracle because these frauds tell them to. These frauds tell their dupes who God wants them to send their money to -- them. Faithfuls who genuinely desire closeness with God fall prey to conmen who teach prejudice and hate and who have found a way to lie, to cheat, and to steal and say that God blesses them. It all comes together perfectly so that the frauds can gain political power by telling their gullible followers how to vote and who to fear and who to hate and how to think. They have tax exempt status somehow even though they are all about political organizing.

It is scarey. Everyone loses except the holymen...and their sons. I doubt if any of the tv preachers have faith that is genuine. They all know what the other is doing as they work in "signs and wonders and the realm of miracles and spiritual discernment" because God is a myssssstery. They raise their sons to take over the lucrative family business when they die.

[Pragman]

Let's not go overboard in attacking religion in general. It's best to emphasize that the Constitution prhohibits government establishment of religion and that it's absurd to claim that the US was founded as a Christian nation (let alone that God Himself intervened).

[oxford]

Chris Hitchens was correct "Religion poisons everything".

[azureblue]

These so called Christians in the Pentagon are anything but.
If a person claims the name of Christ, then he must walk in His ways. and that means following what Jesus taught. So they cannot be military officers, and be Christians. You can't kill and then say you are a Christian. Simple as that.

[larmarch5]

These fakes in the Pentagon are so far off the mark
For those of you who are Christians and those of you who are curious about Jesus' words from the Bible, read Matthew 23. Just google it. And if you're not a Christian, consider the text as just words of wisdom. This rebuke holds a mirror up to corruption.

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[Bitsko]

Think of being attacked by evangelicals as a badge of honor.

[gallonjug]

Hey, you must be doing something right!

[KHAAANNN]

Absolute Faith in any "Apocalyptic /End-TIme" view of ANY religion is a clear sign of insanity.
Remember: "If you talk out loud to God, that is called Prayer. If God talks out loud to you, that is called Schizophrenia."
These officers have violated their oath of service, which pledges them to "defend the constitution of the United States of America against ALL enemies domestic and foreign" and should be court-marshaled on that basis. They did not swear to defend a religion. They did not swear to defend a particular Faith. They swore to defend the CONSTITUTION which explicitly rejects promoting one religious view over another. As U.S. Officers they MUST be totally neutral on the subject of religion in their official capacity. They can do and believe whatever they want in private BUT NOT ON DUTY!
Any investigation of these officers would surely find that they discriminated against junior officers based solely on their religious views. That right there is another court-marshal offense.
"When Fascism comes to America, it will come carrying the Cross and wrapped in an American Flag."

[headstrong]

Said it before ... I'll say it again. All religions, everywhere, are the greatest evil and lie ever foisted upon humanity.
This world would be centuries ahead of where we are if it wasn't for the suppression of progress, brought about by the religious nutbars of all faiths. Not to mention the millions who have died throughout history in the name of religion.
Will this nightmare never end?

[rubinoff]

It has been my observation, that sooo many of these so-called evangelicals, do Not live the life they preach or sing about.....Scary group....
BTW, I'm a believer in God (its personal and spiritual) and I leave it at that.

[AndrewW]

Speaking as a former "mainline" Christian, agree wholeheartedly. Would say "Amen" but...

[Agent420]

The military is supposed to stay neutral in both politics and religion. If they don't then we have become just another 2-bit 3rd world country.

[Chris Rodda - Huffpost Blogger]

The Christian Embassy video is still available on the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) website:

http://www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org/Media_video/christian-embassy/index.html

As I mentioned a related post here last week ( http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-rodda/who-will-guard-the-guards_b_114638.html ), although the DoD Inspector General found these officers guilty of violating a number of military regulations by appearing in the video, and recommending that "appropriate corrective action" be taken, not a single one of them was punished. In fact, two of them were soon promoted.

Maj. Gen. Robert L. Caslen, Jr., a brigadier general at the time of the Christian Embassy scandal, remained in his position of Commandant of Cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point until May 2008. His promotion to major general was confirmed by Senate on April 29, 2008, and he was appointed to the prestigious position of Commanding General of the 25th Infantry Division.

Col. Lucious Morton, a lieutenant colonel when he appeared in the Christian Embassy video, was selected to attend the U.S. Army War College, and was promoted to colonel in October 2007, less than three months after the Inspector General's report.

And last, but certainly not least, Pete Geren, who also appeared in the video, but, as a civilian employee of the Department of Defense was not subject to military regulations, is now the freakin' Secretary of the Army.

[Bitsko]

But I thought the evangelicals have changed, and now love the environment, cherish the planet, hold services in Irish bars, and have discovered that there are poor people in the world. Thanks for bursting my bubble!

[dallashailee]

We all know now that you do not speak against (or appear to speak against) the Bush administration without suffering the consequences of free speech.

[portwes]

Earlier this year I had a letter published in The Oregonian, in response to an article in the paper which said (in reference to Mitt Romney) basically, that there should be no "litmus test" in regards to religion, and that a candidate's religion should not be an issue.

My letter said, basically the same as this novel, that it should be a HUGE issue, if the candidate believes that Jesus will return to rule for 1000 years, and that war in the Middle East will trigger Jesus' rule. As a former evangelical, I think it is crucial that we do NOT elect evangelicals whose view of the "End Times" colors and influences all their decisions, and could destroy the world. We have come too damn close under GW Bush (and mind you, he's still got a few months to achieve that!)

On the other hand, I have no problem with electing Christians whose primary life mission is to follow the Jesus who said, "love your neighbor as yourself", and to care for those less fortunate than yourself.

[TunaFish]

Saddening, sickening, but not surprising.

[lthuedk 1]

The Pentagon must lose the Infiltraitors for Jesus, or we'll go deep into that theofascist good night. We need more than flimsy military rules. I4i Proselytizing is indoctrination and subversion of the worst kind when violence becomes the only way to reach peace. What sort of Jesus would look at the world through a rifle scope?

We need to see heads roll, Mr. Gates, or the union of deadly power and religious madness will produce America's demise by thrusting it into a war that cannot be won. There are forty + born again generals running loose in the Pentagon. Forty + unstable, faith warriors in positions of power, programmed to take on the "islamofascist" (a Norman Podhoretz creation) threat as if Rev. Hagees' brain cells infused their weak minds like a drug.

http://www.light-to-dark.com/t_equals.html

Times' a-wastin' Mr. Gates.