Onward, Christian Soldiers
It's no big secret that the vast majority of Americans define themselves as some variety of Christian. Nor would it shock anyone (particularly in the past few years) to see many top level government or military personnel profess their beliefs in the Christian faith. What might surprise some, however, is seeing high ranking military officials in uniform and in the Pentagon participating in a promotional video for an evangelical christian group without anyone ever mentioning that those views might not be endorsed by the military.
In the video, much of which was filmed inside the Pentagon, four generals and three colonels praise the Christian Embassy, a group that evangelizes among military leaders, politicians and diplomats in Washington. Some of the officers describe their efforts to spread their faith within the military.
The 10-minute video is on the group's Web site, Christianembassy.com. The organization was founded nearly 30 years ago by the late Bill Bright, who also founded Campus Crusade for Christ. The Christian Embassy Web site says the group holds prayer breakfasts each Wednesday in the Pentagon's executive dining room and organizes small groups to help military leaders "bridge the gap between faith and work."
Army Brig. Gen. Bob Casen refers in the video to the Christian Embassy's special efforts to reach admirals and generals through Flag Fellowship groups. Whenever he sees another fellowship member, he says, "I immediately feel like I am being held accountable, because we are the aroma of Jesus Christ."
The aroma smells distinctly different from where I'm standing. A former Air Force officer "Mikey" Weinstein, who has pushed for a more removed role of religion in the military for the past few years, would probably agree, and is pushing the military to begin a formal inquiry into the video.
Weinstein, a White House lawyer in the Reagan administration, cites Defense Department regulations barring personnel from appearing in uniform in "speeches, interviews, picket lines, marches, rallies or any public demonstration . . . which may imply Service sanction of the cause for which the demonstration or activity is conducted."
All the officers are identified in the video by their Defense Department positions, "yet the video failed to include any disclaimers indicating that the views expressed were not those of the Department of Defense," the letter says.
It asks whether the officers received permission to promote the Christian Embassy and whether any other religious or secular organizations have been allowed to use Pentagon facilities and uniformed personnel in promotional videos.
Catton said yesterday that he does not remember whether he sought approval to appear in the video, which he said was made in 2005. "If someone asked me today to do it, I for sure would ask permission," said the general, who sparked controversy this year by raising money from fellow officers for a congressional candidate.
It's an understandable policy for the Defense Department to maintain, considering that the participation of military personnel in a movie endorsing a specific brand of religion could come uncomfortably close to seeming as if the federal government itself were endorsing that religion, a concept that would be anathema to the idea of a separation of church and state.
The officers who participated in the video are, in all probability, not involved in any evangelical Christian conspiracy to take over the military and the federal government. However, it's their duty as officers, and representatives of the United States, to understand the delicate and uncomfortable situation their starring in this movie creates for all military personnel. Particularly in places like Iraq, where the widespread belief, especially in the Middle East, that the Christian right is controlling US foreign policy is only making problems worse for soldiers currently stationed in Iraq. If they're seen not only as foreign invaders but also as missionaries it makes them even bigger targets for terrorists looking to make a statement. And the assumption that the US military is any way a Christian organization by virtue of association with any type of project like this is antithetical to some of the fundamental principles that it is meant to uphold in the first place. That's something everyone should take very seriously, especially those in uniform.
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