Herbert Cain would deny that he is a token candidate, the comic relief in a drama playing out in televised pretences of political discussion and debate.
Pat Oliphant sees it somewhat differently, as do I. I’ll credit his perception and skills as a political cartoonist and let his pen and wit cover the “token” category today.
“Military backs off threat to pull atheist from ceremony
By Jennifer Rizzo, CNN
Washington (CNN) - After almost being pulled from a graduation ceremony for refusal to lower the head during a benediction, a soldier is now allowed to attend but must instead stand at attention.
The 20-year-old private first class, a proclaimed atheist, is graduating from Advanced Individual Training at Fort Jackson in South Carolina on Thursday.”
Should be on everyone’s reading list.
Cassi Creek:
This site documents the misuse of rank and pay grade by evangelical officers and NCOs to force other members of the armed forces into participation in evangelical Christian rites and rituals. This is clearly unconstitutional and is proscribed by military regulations. Please visit the site and read about the continual abuse of power in forcing American citizens into the practice, real or pretense, of evangelical Christianity.
The teavangelists are intent upon forcing their particular brand of religious fanaticism upon all aspects of American life. From conception through gestation, into geriatrics, they wish to control every social, cultural, and political second of life for all Americans.
This includes periods of military service. Men and women in uniform are measured against a piety scale and. If found lacking sufficient teavangelism, are “encouraged” to increase their levels of obeisance to the criteria laid down by the professional priests of the dominant fairy-tale mythology.
In short, our military is being suborned and infiltrated by evangelical Christians who wish to make it the military arm of a church, not the military service of a nation.
From commentary submitted to CNN this morning,
“brad
I see this all the time. I have been active duty for a very long time and since day you there is always a prayer at every single ceremony. I just stand there quietly watching everyone else. No one has ever said anything to me. This seems like case of overzealous Christianity from someone in a leadership position. What saddens me is the fact that slowly but surely we are reverting back to the dark ages when the church ruled society. It is only a matter of time before science books get burned and the inquisition happens again.
This matter concerns me greatly. The divisive nature of refusing to participate in the groupthink of small units with respect to religion and culture can make it impossible for atheists and members of minority religions to carry out their roles in the unit. They are likely to be excluded from social practices and overlooked for promotions. Depending upon unit demographics, they may be harassed and physically injured by fundamentalists who claim a right and calling to “educate” non-Christians, or who have been encouraged by superiors to make outsiders compliant with the groupthink.
The risk, in today’s political world, of establishing an internal inquisition is high, as is the risk of establishing a “crusader” mind set among many troops who grew up in and attend evangelical/fundamentalist churches.
While our founders tried to preclude and prevent any state religion, the current crop of teavangelists will do everything they can to change this nation into a theocratic dictatorship that exceeds Iranian and Afghani/Pakistani extremism in scope and practice. This must not happen!
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