The author of “After the Storm," Colonel E. H. (Jim) Ammerman, writes proudly about exploiting the first Gulf War to proselytize thousands of U.S. soldiers stationed in Saudia Arabia (and local Muslims) to his brand of charismatic evangelical Christianity. The first chapter is titled “A Christian Holy War” and he writes that the U.S. was there for "spiritual warfare" against demonic principalities in order to convert millions and "begin a revival among Islamic nations."

This is the same Jim Ammerman who still serves as the endorsing agent for “270+ Military Chaplains/Chaplain Candidates and180+ Civilian Chaplains/Seminarians” according to his Chaplaincy of Full Gospel Churches website, and the same Ammerman who produced videos with “The Prophecy Club” in the 1990s (still marketed) in which he promoted “New World Order” conspiracy theories. He claims that the U.S. is under imminent threat of military attack by millions of foreign troops stationed on our bases and in our national forests, and that our financial markets are controlled by a demonic Jewish/Illuminati cabal who gave orders to the Clintons. (Like many spreading anti-Semitic New World Order conspiracy, Ammerman presents himself as a supporter of Israel and a Christian Zionist. He is also a close friend of John Hagee, founder of CUFI.) A military memorandum from 1997 stated that Ammerman encouraged military personal to affiliate with organizations that are prohibited due to their "supremacist viewpoints" and that his video and interview [radio] have a "suggestion of a military overthrow of the United States government." www.talk2action.org/story/2009/6/22/115820/165

Despite this, Ammerman still heads the chaplain endorsing agency and is a leader in a sector of the evangelical world, serving as board member (with Chuck Norris) of the National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools and as an Apostle in C. Peter Wagner’s International Coalition of Apostles, the top tier of the New Apostolic Reformation.

Mikey Weinstein is one of the few people who have been willing to challenge the aggressive proselytizing and abuse of our military. He is fighting for the rights of the men and women in uniform who do not share Ammerman's goal of manipulating the U.S. military to promote an evangelical holy war against our own troops and the people of other nations.

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation is the brainchild of Michael L. “Mikey” Weinstein, a graduate of the Air Force Academy and a 10-year Air Force veteran. The Military Religious Freedom Foundation is dedicated to ensuring that all members of the United States Armed Forces fully receive the Constitutional guarantees of religious freedom to which they and all Americans are entitled by virtue of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. new york local florists Since he launched his watchdog organization few years ago, Weinstein’s web site has been bombarded by thousands active duty and retired soldiers, many of whom served or serve in Iraq, who pleaded for the Foundation’s help as they were pressured by their commanding officers to convert to Christianity, or face other consequences. If you think this is just a fight over some abstract principle, with ramifications only for atheist, Jewish, Buddhist and other cadets who may be “offended” by fundamentalist God talk, I urge you to check out Weinstein’s book or website (militaryreligiousfreedom.org). new york city flower delivery He documents a chilling phenomenon: The whole U.S. military, up and down the chain of command, is coming to be dominated by members of a small, characteristically intolerant sliver of Christianity who truly regard themselves as Christian soldiers, on a God-appointed mission to harvest souls and battle evil.

Well, not to pry, jkolak, but are you Christian?

As a minority religious adherent I feel pretty oppressed in the Army, at least weekly. I suck it up, but it's there, and I am getting my kids the hell away from the post and Army kids' activities for that reason (and so there's a related issue about support for families): they've heard some stuff I really regret their hearing. At three posts I've asked the chaplains for help finding local services/communities, been told to leave my contact info and "we'll get right on it." Never has it happened, and the info was easy to get in the end if one looked. At most mandated events I hear chaplains give explicitly sectarian prayers.

Again, I think Weinstein's a bit of a nut, and supported by some flat-out nuts. But I think it's difficult to overstate the extent to which the Army pushes Christianity on its members.

Really? Did you really just ask, "what loss of freedom even exists in the military"? I'm not sure what/if you're reacting to something in the article, or another forum post, but if you're seriously asking that question then you either know zip about the military and/or have never served; I'm willing to bet on both. For your information, you certainly DO lose freedoms when you join the military.

I am currently an Air Force officer, and was previously enlisted in both the Air Force AND the Army. I can attest to the need for Mike Weinstein's work. I consider myself a secular Christian, however the degree to which fundamentally Christian religiosity pervades the military is abhorrent to me as an officer, a civil libertarian, and an American. I fully and enthusiastically support an individual's right to observe their religion, except where it compromises the capability of the military to execute its mission.

I support Mike's work, for there IS a pervasive and large fundamentalist Christian element in the military, which retains attitudes and creates an atmosphere that, unless changed, I fear will create a day that mission planning will devolve to the inanity of "God's Will will see us to success". While I say that only half in jest, the basic point is that religion, by it's very definition, involves relinquishing reason and logic to faith, ergo abandoning critical thought on matters controlled by one's faith. If the overwhelming majority of serving Christians were able to remain open-minded and critically thinking on topics spoken to by their religion, rather than dogmatic, there would be far fewer issues created by religion in the military than there are. Unfortunately, dogma usually prevails.

I would contend that the degree to which Christian proselytizing is both tolerated and tacitly encouraged by fundamentalist Christian officers and NCOs within the military creates an atmosphere of intimidation, and chills the airing of candid perspectives on issues - which is vital to successful policy development, mission planning, and daily operations - for fear of somehow offending the religious sensibilities of more senior personnel, with the attendant negative impact to one's career. Such an atmosphere fully compromises every other facet of effective military planning and operations, and we as Americans, tax-payers, and possibly relatives of, or actively serving members of the military should be not be willing to tolerate any compromises that may potentially cost us treasure and blood.