How do you feel about religious (yes, Christian) expression in the military?

If this is a voluntary activity, I don't see the problem. The U.S. was founded by people who did not want to be forced into a particular state-sponsored religion, e.g., the Church of England. They did not come to America to prohibit ANY public expression of religious belief, they came here so they would not have to adopt a religious faith imposed on them by a dictatorial government. The notion that there should be a prohibition of religious expression in public is nonsense. If you are offended by prayer, then don't watch..you don't have the right to ban others from expressing their beliefs.

I am a Christian, and I don't plan to walk on egg shells about that. I read my bible at work, at lunch, in the morning or anytime I have down time. I can handle others doing the same. Why are folks becoming so upset when they see Christians expressing their faith? Is it intolerance? Is it bigotry? Is it political correctness gone too far? I refuse to get one the same level as others who complain but what won't do is answer to someone's PC needs if it discriminate against me as a Christian.

We don't give up our free exercise of religion rights when we enter the military, in fact it is an essential part of fulfilling our duty. The USAF has completely surrendered to the anti-Christians bigots like Mikey Weinstein. When he says jump the USAF Chief of Staff says "How high?" The problem is not religion in the military, it is the anti-Christian bigotry of Mikey Wienstein, ACLU, Freedom from Religion and other such KKK-like groups.

I have mixed feelings. Having read the article I do not fully agree with the author. The fact that a group kneel in prayer does not in itself indicate that is evangelical or fundamentalist. It does happen after virtually every college and pro football game, though many broadcasters do not show it on TV. 

As to devotees of other faiths expressing their thanks in public, it would probably be surprising at first. However, I am not sure it would happen given the differences in the way thanks is expressed, and the differences in belief over free will vice predetermined outcome. 

As to the UCMJ angle, I do not believe so, however I suspect it could be argued it depends. The military is a unique environment and faith has always played a strong role in that environment. Dating back for centuries, if not eons before there was an American military or an Amrcian Nation. 

There has never been a time in the history of the American military tradition that has not Included public displays of faith.

It does not take a social scientist to figure out that Christianity and Christians are under attack abroad, and in the US.

Instead of us mere mortals, let's ask Jesus for his perspective...

Allowing the free expression of religion does not equate to endorsement of that religion. Suggesting that it does is disingenuous at best.

Did he seriously compare evangelicals to the Taliban? He lost all credibility at that point.

This is not a stab at you, but just imagine a SNL skit where George Washington says lets pray and his Continental Army gets in groups by Jews, Islamic , Christians, Atheists beliefs; but they cant even stomach that. We are now a country of unreasonable adults and various forms of government are at times endorsing this unreasonable behavior of the vocal minority (not race).

If prayer in the armed forces of this country was good enough for George Washington, it is good enough for me. We have a real issue with understanding our history and how we got here and the vision of our founders. Prayer would have never been compulsory as all had the freedom of conscience but for the Air Force Academy to act like this might be an issue demonstrates the lack of historical awareness even in those hallowed halls.
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The Prayer at Valley Forge is a depiction of one of these moments of intense prayer. It is said that a local British loyalist named Isaac Potts came across Washington praying in the woods one cold, wintry day during that terrible winter of 1777 and 1778. The Potts family owned a local iron forge, to which the name Valley Forge referred, to distinguish it from other forges in the area.

The Pottses were Quakers and loyalists to the British cause. Isaac himself was apparently not connected with the forge at this time, but owned and operated a local grist mill. All the grain that was processed at this grist mill was requisitioned by the Continental Army during the Valley Forge encampment. In addition, General Washington actually stayed in the very home of Isaac Potts during the Valley Forge encampment, requisitioning it as his personal headquarters. Click here to read a personal account of a visit to Valley Forge and the Isaac Potts home from one of Revolutionary War and Beyond's visitors.
There are some conflicting accounts and questions about the accuracy of the story of Isaac Potts, George Washington and the prayer at Valley Forge. The following account is taken from the "Diary and Remembrances" of the Rev. Nathaniel Randolph Snowden, an ordained Presbyterian minister and graduate of Princeton with a degree from Dickinson College, who was born in 1770 and died in 1851. Rev. Snowden stated:
"I knew personally the celebrated Quaker Potts who saw Gen'l Washington alone in the woods at prayer. I got it from himself, myself. Weems mentioned it in his history of Washington, but I got it from the man myself, as follows:
"I was riding with him (Mr. Potts) in Montgomery County, Penn'a near to the Valley Forge, where the army lay during the war of ye Revolution. Mr. Potts was a Senator in our State and a Whig. I told him I was agreeably surprised to find him a friend to his country as the Quakers were mostly Tories. He said, 'It was so and I was a rank Tory once, for I never believed that America c'd proceed against Great Britain whose fleets and armies covered the land and ocean, but something very extraordinary converted me to the Good Faith!" "What was that," I inquired? 'Do you see that woods, and that plain. It was about a quarter of a mile off from the place we were riding, as it happened.' 'There,' said he, 'laid the army of Washington. It was a most distressing time of ye war, and all were for giving up the Ship but that great and good man. In that woods pointing to a close in view, I heard a plaintive sound as, of a man at prayer. I tied my horse to a sapling and went quietly into the woods and to my astonishment I saw the great George Washington on his knees alone, with his sword on one side and his cocked hat on the other. He was at Prayer to the God of the Armies, beseeching to interpose with his Divine aid, as it was ye Crisis, and the cause of the country, of humanity and of the world.

'Such a prayer I never heard from the lips of man. I left him alone praying.

'I went home and told my wife. I saw a sight and heard today what I never saw or heard before, and just related to her what I had seen and heard and observed. We never thought a man c'd be a soldier and a Christian, but if there is one in the world, it is Washington. She also was astonished. We thought it was the cause of God, and America could prevail.' "He then to me put out his right hand and said 'I turned right about and became a Whig.'"

There are several other accounts of the Prayer at Valley Forge, mostly differing in minor details, but remaining substantially the same. One even exists in the writing of Isaac Potts' own daughter Ruth-Anna, who died in 1811. She relates the story even down to the detail of Potts converting to the American cause after seeing General Washington in prayer.


Read more: http://www.revolutionary-war-and-beyond.com/prayer-at-valley-forge.html#ixzz3tY8ncQnP

All our sports events begin with two lead ins, prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. That includes public school events. During my 21 year career, this was never an issue, if you were interested in joining religious activities, no one thought anything about it. (They were not the ones most of us went on liberty with, however) The same applied to those that didn't want to participate, for any reason. As the Philosopher, Rodney King once said, "Can't we just get along?"