A slideshow presentation shown to US Army Reserve recruits classifies Christians, including both evangelicals and Roman Catholics, as religious extremists, placing them in the same category as skinheads, the Ku Klux Klan, Hamas and Al Qaeda.
The presentation also warned that members of the military are prohibited from taking leadership roles in any organization the Pentagon considers ‘extremist,’ and from distributing the organization’s literature, whether on or off a military installation.
The opening slide warns that ‘the rise in hate crimes and extremism outside the military may be an indication of internal issues all [armed] services will have to face.’
Citing a Southern Poverty Law Center report as evidence that extremism is on the rise, the Army Reserve presentation blames ‘the superheated fears generated by economic dislocation, a proliferation of demonizing conspiracy theories,the changing racial make-up of America and the prospect of 4 more years under a black president who many on the far right view as an enemy to their country.’
Later in the slideshow is a list of groups that exemplify ‘religious extremism.’
Included are ‘evangelical Christianity,’ ‘Catholicism,’ ‘Ultra-Orthodox’ Judaism, and ‘Islamophobia.’
Most of the list is populated by more widely accepted examples of religious extremist groups, including Al Qaeda, Sunni Muslims, Hamas, and the Ku Klux Klan.
‘Men and women of faith who have served the Army faithfully for centuries shouldn’t be likened to those who have regularly threatened the peace and security of the United States,’ retired Col. Ron Crews, executive director of the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty, said in a statement.
‘It is dishonorable for any U.S. military entity to allow this type of wrongheaded characterization.
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
13 Responses
Well. that is how secular Jews feel. But as long as they give us money, I’m sure many frum Jews will vote Democrat.
There is also a movement to ban Catholic chaplains from college campuses and to ban religious groups that object religious groups that don’t support homosexuality. They’re a bigger target, but we should worry.
The Conservative Christians and Catholics will have the biggest adjustments getting used to be persecuted. We are old hands at it, but they aren’t. Even we’ll have trouble getting used to the fact that our secular (i.e. Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist) cousins are the leading source of this renewed bigotry.
This sounds pretty reasonable to me. The military wants the undivided allegiance of their people. It’s much easier to get that from bland, pareve, uncommitted Americans than from people who belong to any of those groups. If I was in the military of ANY country, and I was ordered to do something contrary to Torah, I’d be in quite a mess.
I’m an extremist, and proud of it.
Keeves – You do understand this is about putting Orthodox Jews, Catholics, and Evangelical/Fundamentalist Protestants in the same class as Nazis, KKK, AlQueda. This means a ban from any government aid (no tax exemption for shuls, possible arrest for people giving money to the charities that support them, etc. parents can lose custody for sending children to frum schools, etc.). Once something is classed as criminal, it isn’t protected by the first amendment. The people who drew this up have a “night and fog” program in mind, and we are in their sights.
As a former adherent to Reform, this has Reform and Conservative fingerprints all over it. The irony is that it is these very non-Torah movements that think it’s a religious obligation of the highest order to denigrate Presidents and others who don’t toe the line with their world view, whereas the “ultra-Orthodox” have tended to maintain a business-like, civil manner with governmental authority, including where there are disagreements.
This report sounds unbelievable, and I suggest we not believe it until it is confirmed by other sources. British tabloids play faster and looser with the facts than the New York Post.
akuperma – I did not see anything in this article about gov’t aid, parental custody, or anything like that. From what I see, it only “warned that members of the military are prohibited from taking leadership roles”. So, for example, if you are in the Army Reserves or the National Guard, you can’t have a leadership role in a Chareidi shul or maybe even in something like Hatzolah. Did I miss something?
Keeves – once you decide that a group of people is in the same class as the Nazis, KKK, al Queda, etc.– you can treat them the same way. If a parent can lose custody for being a Nazi, so can a Hasid. If sending money to al Queda lands you in jail, so does support tsadakkah. If you can be fired from your job for joining the KKK, same goes for any frum Yid.
According to the Washington Times (a conservative American newspaper) as soon as this became public the military announced it was totally unauthorized. However there is a case in today’s Washington Post (an establishment liberal newspaper) of efforts to ban the Catholic Church from George Washington university on the grounds that the Church teaches that being gay is morally wrong.
The Democratic Left is a serious threat to religious groups that don’t go along with their social engineering.
Keeves you don’t seem to understand that the government is regulating what a person can do so if you’re religious Jew and you lead an organization which is religious you are now going on a watch list. This is one more thing the government is deciding for you and telling you what you can and cannot do. As far as taking away your children they can and will take them away if you are part of an extremist organization such as those organizations that ia mentioned in the article above. Even if you are a leader such as a coodinator for Hatzaloh you are going to be on a watch list. Do you think this is fair? I do not.
akuperma – I didn’t know that a person can be fired for joining the KKK. I thought that’s illegal.
responder88 – I didn’t see anything in this article about a watch list.
Both of you: As I wrote above, the only thing I see in this article refers to members of the military. If you know of a connection from this story to other sorts of discrimination, please state what that connection is. Maybe I’m naive, but I don’t want to be, so please enlighten me.
Doesn’t surprise me in the least.
To Keeves, comment #6: Keeves you are indeed mistaken. Members of the National Guard and Reserves are in fact allowed to serve in leadership positions. I’m a rabbi in the ANG and am not barred from any leadership position in the community or politics. The Mayor of Lakewood NJ is in the AF Reserves. A buddy of mine who is a Southern Baptist Chaplain in AF Reserves is a State Senator. I’m not sure where this slideshow is. I doubt it is an official military publication, as it clearly violates laws of defamation. In the context of a military briefing, that presentation would clearly violate policies of thenPublic Affairs Office. You’d probably see 75% of the assembly lodge complaints with the Military Equal Opportunity officer, and the Inspector General. Be real, you’re talking about maligning the entire Chaplain Corps and all mainstream American religions. It’s just not reasonable to allege that this is official military educational or culturally sensitivity material. I’ll bet this story is bogus.
Maybe they are confusing the us ultra orthodox with the Israeli ultra orthodox some of which make themselves heard through violence
AvrahamYishai – thank you, I’m glad to hear it. (and yasherkoach on your work as chaplain! )