Because the Crusades turned out sooooo well.

Morans.

He should be cashiered. I thought this went out with the Bush maladministration. Silly me.

Actually, in my twenty years of Army service it doesn’t surprise me one iota, fortunately, I usually steered clear of the chaplains anyways…

Somehow I think this news might cause al Quieda to get more recruits than the news that Bush ordered torture.
You can kill a man but take his soul? The religious folks get touchy about that.
I’m worried that as a joke someone will explain how the Mormons baptize the dead into their faith then as a punch line lie (well I hope its a lie) and say that the Mormons have already Baptized Mohammed.
If the Muslims start believing thats true things will get worse and I’m tired of Death and Torture.

In Korea, 67-68, we had a small chapel and a circuit riding chaplain. When he came on his monthly visit either you went to services or you pulled police call. For another look at this issue read: “The Arnhietner Affair by Neal Sheehan:

A sailor at sea has only one ultimate authority; his commanding officer (CO). What happens when the CO goes beyond the brink of rational thought? This tell-all true story describes a man who is obsessed with the enormous power of his position and wields it to do practically whatever he wishes. Force religious services on the crew, ban movies at sea, wage war against the Vietnameese in violation of direct orders not to…the only thing missing is a search for the key to the strawberries.

finally, in December 69 I received a letter from my dad informing me that one of my best friends from high school was killed 2 weeks earlier in Operation Meade River. I became distraught and visited our chaplain. He proceeded to tell me (I was 18) that I was not really mourning my friend but fearing for my own safety and “If you give you heart to the Lord Jesus Christ” you will be reborn. I was, it took me 35 years to develop an interest in spirituality in the form of Buddhism and I even can go to church in those rare family occasions when it is the right thing to do for other people. Every time I do I think of that asshole and how I’d like to let him know how he impacted me with his bullshit.

thanks for asking

This despite the fact the military explicitly bans proselytizing.

Are you sure a friend of mine followed Odin and he said some officer forced him out for *cough* non religious reasons of course.
He’s the only guy I met who really wanted to go back to the army.

finally, in December 69 I received a letter from my dad informing me that one of my best friends from high school was killed 2 weeks earlier in Operation Meade River. I became distraught and visited our chaplain

Mourning a dead friend is weakness its really fear for your own safety?
Empathy is not a requirement for the Chaplin’s job I see.
Maybe lack of Empathy is better for an Army Preacher who has to keep the troops fighting.
Maybe it helps the troops sleep if they think God is on their side and the enemy is evil/nonhuman?

Check out “Generation Kill” the fine HBO miniseries about 1st Marine Recon in Iraq. There is one great scene where the chaplain tries to gives services to the jar heads before an op.

TCU, I’m a Baha’i and I saw right through much of their bs err… preaching, but, I didn’t tell them I was one… A sort of ‘nother DADT…! I did bow my head when they prayed for our mission success… ;-)

Aloha, Raven!

Yea, and seeing how I was a REMF truck driver and stayed high as the cost of living I wasn’t really in anymore danger than I would have been riding my motorcycle back in the world!

yo CT

Why are we trying to convince people to worship our God? Let the God’s defend themselves is what I think the Romans would say.
If our God is so great then any sane person would follow our example to get the benefits of following our God.
There are benefits right?
I stopped going to church a while ago.

If I see my friend again I’ll tell him that his mistake was that any God but Christ is don’t ask don’t tell.

Get the dragon and the viking here and we’ll have a quorum!

Conversions at the end of a bayonet ,that ought to work out real well !!

Sure in Chicago Traffic in a Blizzard

What? Norske and SD…? ;-)

Managed to stay clear of all chaplains during my time in active service. It had been only a few short years since I told the catholic church, and more than a few of its’ faithfull, to stay out of my life.

Good morning all and thanks for the post, Attaturk.

The minister of my wife’s family church in Virginia went to Emory. We were shooting the shit one day when I mentioned I’d seen the Dalia Lama there and he got all smirky about, “yea, they have all kinds of weirdos there”. Wanted to bitch slap him but I figgered the Dali would frown on me smakin someone in his name!

Yea

Btw, Raven, can you believe there’s still snow atop Mauna Kea…? It’s already May for pete’s sake…!

OT Second part of my new diary

I heard the Marine’s song today

You know the one “From the Halls of Montezuma “
Great tune catchy isn’t it?
Just the kind of song you can sing all day without thinking about the words…but
I have to think about the words for I’ve been to Chapultopec
The last Mexican Fortress to surrender the real Montezuma’s hall mentioned in the song
and I’ve seen the statues of the Men and Boys who died there
I heard that when the Ammo was gone one Man wrapped himself in the Mexican Flag and threw himself from Chapultopec’s high walls just so that the American’s could not claim that anyone had lived to surrender
the boy lived a few minutes after the fall
The American commander saw that he was just a boy
and said that I never would have fought if I had known that the solders I was fighting were so young
The Boy said that If I had one more bullet left you would not be standing here now
I wonder why the Marines never mention their opponents bravery in their song?
Maybe because if our Marines thought that their opponents were noble and brave
and that they had both a Mother who loves them and a Girl back home waiting for their safe return
Just like our Marines do
Then maybe no one would ever go to war

And of course we can’t have that now can we?

I have been in touch with Chaplain Jackson Day lately. He gave the service at the gate of Arlington at Operation Dewey Canyon III when the Park Service closed that gates in the faces of Gold Star mom’s. (I’m in the second picture right to the left of the mom in the black and white._

“yea, they have all kinds of weirdos there”.

Profoundly confused by genuine spirituality was he?

That’s WAY kinder that I am.

Blondish sitting down or hat and glasses guy next to him?

Hands crossed, ZZ beard!

Projection on his part I take it

The brother right in front of the guy in the white shirt with the headband lost both legs, another phony vet.

So did Bush have an ulterior motive ,trying to convert the infidels to Christianity?

First person sitting down next to the mom the beard is a little hard to see cause of the light?

Just another ploy to get “Red America” revved up.

Yea, maybe this shot is clearer. That’s Nixon’s chopper on the WH Lawn, he had just landed.

very sad to see how far christianity has strayed from Christ

Think I see you:)

No shirt, weak power fist! It was on it’s way up.

Yep its you

Spirituality is a personal thing ,what works for me may not appeal to others. There are many Christians who fail to see this,they feel they must cram their religion down others throats. They fail to see that there are many paths to God , or spirituality . How we get there doesn’t matter it’s getting there that counts !

It’s the journey not the destination, :)

I wonder if the army will study just how well this bible thumpers win hearts and minds by conversion plan is working? I’m thinking an honest study might convince the army to leave the chaplains at home for the next war or at least keep them away from the locals.

Interesting any faith that says then that it is the ONLY way then of course must logically be the wrong path.

Good morning, pups. I hate Tuesdays. It’s Douthat, Brooks and Herbert. Little Mr. Asshat has produced “A Hole in the Center,” and opines that the Republican Party needs centrists, but not unprincipled ones like Arlen Specter. Bobo gives us “The Long Voyage Home,” and says Republicans are so much the party of individualism and freedom that they are no longer the party of community and order. Crap — I just had a flashback to Tricky Dicky’s cries for Lawn Order… Mr. Herbert, in “Jack Kemp’s Futile Quest,” says Jack Kemp meant well, but the great irony that cloaked his career was that it was not possible to achieve the ends he sought using the means he pushed with such zeal.

Here they are.

The coffee and tea are ready, and I’ve got bagels with cream cheese this morning. After Douthat and Bobo I think I’m going to go and pour some gin on my cornflakes… I hate Tuesdays. Oh — Happy Cinco de Mayo. Have a great day.

these people never heard of the separation of church and state, or they think there should be no such seperaion

That picture brings back memories , not good ones though!
I spent most of my childhood believing I would be sent to Vietnam to be killed.
The war started when I was 4, by the time I reach my teens, it seemed to me that this war had been going on my whole life and would continue to go on.
I ended up developing a bad attitude and rejecting all authority I felt , what’s the point they’re just gonna send me to ‘Nam to be killed

the face god showed me is not even close to the face he showed to anyone else

any religion that preaches their religion is the only face of god has a lot to learn as far as I am concerned

since most religions teach that, most religions have a lot to learn

Good point!

You had a bad attitude! Dude. . . I have to say that despite the fact that we were deadly serious about stopping the war there were hilarious moments at Dewey Canyon III. A bunch of us went to Paul Mc Closkey’s office for a visit. His secretary informed us he was out and to come back after lunch. We went to the senate cafeteria, grabbing every raggedy ass vet we could find, and proceeded to have lunch on Mc Closkey. The folks working in the kitchen thought it was hilarious. After lunch a couple of guys sparked up numbers and we had a toke in the bowels of congress!

Hard to be positive when you think the only value you have to society is as cannon fodder !

Agreed I wonder though how a Jesuit would handle this? Reading attempts to logically prove the existence of God is like reading Republican plans to pay the National debt a through listing of every logical fallacy I have ever heard of and lots of Faith to hold the inconsistencies together.

” we had a toke in the bowels of congress!”
That’s something to tell the grandkids ! LOL

Funny you should mention this, Attaturk, because Gerald at Turn Maine Blue did a post on our Evangelical soldiers passing out bibles in Afghanistan (watch video):

http://turnmaineblue.com/diary…..nt-em-down

Hope you all have a great day !!
I enjoyed our chat Raven I look forward to many more, now it’s time to assume my role as greedy capitalist pig. (gotta pay the mortgage you know) !

Goodbye for now !

. Little Mr. Asshat has produced “A Hole in the Center,” and opines that the Republican Party needs centrists, but not unprincipled ones like Arlen Specter.

But as Herbert shows the principled GOP moderates good ideas are ignored its only their ideas that agree with the Asshats that ever get any attention.
So just what ideas does the GOP have that will attract moderates?
The GOP poll tests everything and they test how to best sell it surely they must have something?
Something real like a real plan to pay the National Debt get the economy moving etc not none of their Lower Taxes will magically fix everything deals.

Oops. I just noticed Attaturk linked to the Think Progress post that contains the same video! Sorry about that Attaturk.

Nuther result of the war, no kids being brought into this world for me!

“President Bush. I met him personally and liked him very much.
He was honest and straightforward, and that is very important.
I may not have agreed with all his policies, but I thought he was
very honest and a very good leader.”
— The Dalai Lama, Link

The Dalai Lama has been visiting the Boston area, and I’d like to mention a few reports. First, a note from an NRO reader:

Hi, Jay,

I had the great opportunity to see the Dalai Lama speak at MIT this afternoon. When he opened the forum to audience Q&A, the following stunning exchange occurred (I will paraphrase):

Audience member: “Can you give us an example of a leader we should look up to as a positive influence?”

Dalai Lama (after thinking for a few seconds): “President Bush. I met him personally and liked him very much. He was honest and straightforward, and that is very important. I may not have agreed with all his policies, but I thought he was very honest and a very good leader.”

All this in Cambridge . . .

Incidentally, when he said, “I may not have agreed with all his policies,” the audience broke out into relieved laughter, as if they could not believe that someone — the Dalai Lama — almost made it through remarks about Bush with only positive sentiments.

And here is an item from The Tech, an MIT newspaper:

After his speech, the Dalai Lama answered questions, including one about model leaders. He singled out President George W. Bush for his straightforwardness, but stopped short on complimenting him for much else.

“I love him”, said the Dalai Lama of President Bush, “but as far as his policies are concerned, I have reservations.”

Full article, here. (Is it MIT policy to leave commas outside of quotation marks, British-style?) And here is something from the Boston Globe: “. . . the Dalai Lama said, referring to former President George W. Bush, ‘I love President Bush,’ acknowledging serious policy disagreements, but citing Bush’s warm personality.” (Full article.)

Finally, a blogger, whom Google brought up:

. . . he came out and told people he and Bush instantly hit it off and he loved the warmonger. He said he would withhold judgment on the attack of Iraq. He also said he supported Bush’s “war on terror” because, according to him, some humans are just inherently evil, referring to the Muslim “extremists” Bush branded for the kill. Bush is evil but the Dalai Lama proclaimed he loved him. The Dalai Lama is no Buddist.

(Full piece here.)

In my experience — and I’m just generalizing here — the better the person, the more positive he is about George W. Bush. Certainly the less snarky and narrow. Most of the people I admire most, admire the 43rd president. (Please note that I said “most of the people,” not “all of the people.”) This is particularly true of those who know something about tyranny, and the need to resist it: e.g., the Dalai Lama.

Anyway . . .

Can you distill your thoughts on this a bit?

WWJD? How about this twist: “What would the Prince of Peace do?”

I have come to the conclusion that the beleif in god is the fact that we know we can die and we don’t want to

belief in god gives us at least the a hope that we will not die

there, I said it

After lunch a couple of guys sparked up numbers and we had a toke in the bowels of congress!

Dayam, Raven! Right the f*ck on…! ;-)

im disturbed by his words about chimp,and perplexed

Perris @ 60

I think there are things that are things like sunsets that make me appreciate things not related to me at all.
I think trying to be good is what I want to do most of the time regardless of hell or heaven.
God may be exist but I think the way I do without him

Prince of Peace, Leon Russell

No problem.

I just really remember many scenes from the first half of “Full Metal Jacket” which is really an incredible indelible movie in that section. R. Lee Ermey and Vincent D’Onofrio are amazing.

Raven, I had to listen to this utter BS on NPR on the way up here atop the mtn… It had my blood boiling… Spencer does an awesome job…!

Got it. Well, remember this man believes there is good in everyone.

Sociopaths are suppose to be very good at fooling people the Lama has heard that Bush has tortured people right?
That part is just to big to ignore I mean sure he may be a great guy BUT that fact is just to big to ignore.

We know what the Prince of Lies would do.

me to thingscomeundone, me too

Hands down the best scene in the movie!

The Duality of Man Sir!

And for the record I find it hard to believe that he is a great guy in person.

yes, but he said honest, and straightfoward………….uhm….no

me too…..little twerp

BT has the Early Morn Swim posted…

There is public pressure to try Bush on Torture a big check to the Lama to help free Tibet might have bought Bush a Character reference and a public show of support.
I bet the MSM will run with this story huge.

I thought Buddhists believed that actions were telling of character. The Dalai Lama XIV dropped a whole bunch in my estimation.

I was looking at the Fedbizopps website a while back and noticed that the government procures chaplain (and other religious) services for the military through an RFP process.
This may serve to explain a good deal about the whole “quality” issue.