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The video documents a troubling level of Christian proselytizing in the U.S. military, where servicemen who are physically, emotionally and mentally exhausted are targeted for conversion so that they may become "government paid missionaries." Although the speeches shown in the video are not dated, some of the proselytizing shown takes place in Afghanistan, where military operations are currently taking place.

"From an evangelistic standpoint, I always refer to them as 'ripe as black bananas,'" Maj. Douglas W. Duerksen, Army Chaplain, told a laughing audience about new recruits. "And IT'S GREAT TO BE A GOVERNMENT PAID MISSIONARY!"

"Missions To Military, a ministry designed to win and train the military for Jesus Christ" is also shown in the video, as well as "Rock the Fort" types of events hosted by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association where military personnel are trained to "have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ" and become members of "God's Army" by "giving their lives over to Jesus Christ."

Maj. Jeff Struecker, Army Ranger School Chaplain, had this to say about his mission:

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It puts the student - the Ranger student - in the absolute worst possible conditions. Most of them will go a couple of days with no food, some of them have gone as long as three days without any sleep whatsoever. My goal has been to meet them when they are at their absolute worst, when they're coldest and the most tired and the most hungry that they are going to be because the more difficult the circumstances, the more receptive the average person becomes to issues of faith.

Civilian para-church organizations such as Cadence International view the military as a mission field. According to Cadence, "Shaken people are usually more ready to hear about God than those who are at ease, making them more responsive to the gospel."

The largest para-church ministry targeting young, vulnerable service members is Military Ministry, a division of Campus Crusade for Christ International (now known as "Cru"). MG (Ret.) Bob Dees, Executive Director, Campus Crusade for Christ International Military Ministry, is shown on the video saying,

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OUR VISION IS TO TRANSFORM THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD THROUGH THE MILITARIES OF THE WORLD. We try to reach our recruits immediately [...] We have staff at half of the nation's boot camps.

A spokesperson for Campus Crusade's military mission claimed that Air Force recruits will become "government paid missionaries" as they are sent throughout the world. The MRFF video shows service members in Afghanistan describing themselves as Christian missionaries who "serve as witnesses" for Christ and who pray for the Afghanistan people so that "they may know the truth of Christ." Lt. Colonel Gary Hensley, Army Command Chaplain, is shown in the video telling troops in Afghanistan that "You are commissioned to be witnesses for Him. Does that mean we are all preachers? Um-hm. [...] The special forces guys, they hunt men, basically. We do the same thing as Christians. We hunt people for Jesus."

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ORIGINAL: LafayetteLady

Considering how many military men are also recruited for racist hate groups like the Hammerskins, this really should be the worst of the problems.

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ORIGINAL: fucktoyprincess
I have no problem with people practicing their chosen faith in the military HOWEVER I think proselytizing efforts (of any religion) should actually be prohibited while someone is on active duty. I personally feel that it creates unnecessary tension among a group of people who are already facing a difficult situation. This is just plain unnecessary and completely disrespectful of freedom of religion.
Neither the U.S. nor the U.S. military is a "Christian" institution. Those who believe otherwise need to move to a different country with a different constitution. If one wants to fight a religious war, there are several countries that I can recommend.....[sm=2cents.gif]

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PAUL JAY, SENIOR EDITOR: So you recently joined the board of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. Why?

COL. LAWRENCE WILKERSON, FMR. CHIEF OF STAFF TO COLIN POWELL: I didn't know the problem was as rampant as it is. And when Mikey Weinstein, who is the head of the foundation, identified to me that his board member Doherty, Glen Doherty, had just been killed in Benghazi and he needed a replacement, I was a little reluctant, because I understand that sometimes Christ is necessary in the foxhole, or Buddha, or whomever. And so I wasn't really interested in it. And then Mikey showed me the depth and profundity of the violations of the Constitution going on in the Armed Forces of the United States, and I changed my mind immediately.

JAY: Okay. So I said the name very quickly when I said Military Religious Freedom Foundation, so we better dig into what all that means. And, in fact, we did a story with Mikey Weinstein a few years ago, and he primarily has been focused on the sort of collaboration between some of the military leadership and outside evangelical churches to proselytize in the army, in the military forces. So where is that at? 'Cause in terms of Real News coverage, we're a few years later now.

WILKERSON: Right. Well, one group in particular - and you can just Google them and you can see what they're about, called the Dominionists. THIS IS A GROUP THAT BELIEVES THAT ITS MISSION IS TO TAKE OVER THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES AND THEN USE THEM IN A CRUSADE AGAINST ALL THOSE WHO DON'T BELIEVE IN CHRIST IN THE WORLD. Mikey's clientele now is over 32,000, some 90 percent of whom are Protestant or Catholic. SO YOU'VE GOT MOSTLY CHRISTIANS WHO WERE LOOKING TO MIKEY'S ORGANIZATION TO PROTECT THEM AGAINST THE CHAIN OF COMMAND IN THEIR OWN MILITARY UNIT.

JAY: So when you say clients, these are people that have complaints.

WILKERSON: Yes.

JAY: Which are what?

WILKERSON: THEY'RE EVERYTHING FROM I'VE BEEN ORDERED TO GO TO A PRAYER BREAKFAST TO I'M BEING PROSELYTIZED BY MY COMMANDING OFFICER OR BY MY PLATOON LEADER OR BY MY NCOS TO BE A CHRISTIAN; OR WORSE, IF YOU WILL, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT COIN, PEOPLE BEING DERIDED AND EVEN KEPT FROM PROMOTION AND FROM ADVANCEMENT, EDUCATION, AND TRAINING, AND SO FORTH BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT THE KIND OF CHRISTIAN THEY SHOULD BE, THIS SORT OF DOMINIONIST CHRISTIAN.

So it's a scary proposition when you start thinking about the ability of leadership in the Armed Forces to coerce people, and to get away with it, and religion. It's not quite as bad in one respect as sexual assault, which is also rampant in the Armed Forces right now and is because leadership won't crack down on it, but ultimately it is a violation of the Constitution and it is something clearly that bothers people if Mikey's got over 30,000 clients.

JAY: Now, when you were in the military and coming up through the ranks and when you become an officer, how much of this was already going on?

WILKERSON: There was very little of it. My first, perhaps, run in with it was with a chaplain that I had in a squadron in which I was the executive officer. And this chaplain actually was an evangelical chaplain and did some things that I had to caution him about. And he immediately corrected what he was doing.

I HAD NO IDEA THAT IT HAD SPREAD THE WAY IT HAS SPREAD NOW WITH CERTAIN OF THE MORE FUNDAMENTALIST RELIGIONS IN THIS COUNTRY ACTUALLY COMBATING THE MORE MAINLINE RELIGIONS. SO YOU HAVE BAPTISTS AND PRESBYTERIANS AND METHODISTS AND LUTHERANS WHO ARE MORE OR LESS ON OUR SIDE IN THE MRFF BECAUSE THEY'RE BEING DERIDED AND DENIGRATED BY THE DOMINIONISTS WITHIN THE RANKS. IF YOU'RE A BAPTIST, YOU'RE NO GOOD. IF YOU'RE A PRESBYTERIAN, YOU'RE NO GOOD. IF YOU'RE LUTHERAN, YOU'RE NO GOOD. IF YOU'RE CATHOLIC, YOU'RE ANATHEMA. AND IF YOU'RE JEWISH, YOU'RE TRULY ANATHEMA. IF YOU'RE MUSLIM, YOU'RE THE ENEMY....

If you look at it from the perspective that the military should be looking at it from - and I think they are now - -that is, good order and discipline in the military, you want good order and discipline in the military. IT'S A VIOLATION OF THE UNIFORM CODE OF MILITARY JUSTICE, THE LEGAL SYSTEM FOR THE ARMED FORCES, IF YOU DISTURB THAT GOOD ORDER AND DISCIPLINE. AND THAT'S WHAT THESE DOMINIONISTS ARE DOING, THAT'S WHAT CHRISTIANS LIKE THIS ARE DOING.

WE'RE NOT, AT THE MRFF, AGAINST CHRISTIANITY. WE'RE NOT IN ANY WAY AGAINST CHRISTIANITY. WE'RE AGAINST ALL FORMS OF MISUSE OF THE LEADERSHIP TO PROSELYTIZE, TO FORCE, TO CAJOLE PEOPLE INTO DOING THINGS BECAUSE YOU BELIEVE THEY SHOULD BASED ON YOUR RELIGION, NOT BASED ON GOOD ORDER AND DISCIPLINE IN THE ARMED FORCES.

JAY: And isn't it illegal?

WILKERSON: It is illegal. IT'S UNCONSTITUTIONAL ON THE ONE HAND, AND IT'S ILLEGAL ON THE OTHER.

JAY: And is the military leadership doing anything about it?

WILKERSON: Well, that's one reason why we went to the Pentagon a couple of weeks ago to talk to the leadership of the Air Force. And I think they were listening, so far, as with sexual assault. The military has not brought the hammer down, and it's going to take bringing the hammer down, punishing some of these leaders, punishing some of these people who are violating the law and the Constitution before the message gets out to the rest of the military that this won't be condoned. And, frankly, it's just not happening the way it should be happening....

The problem is you need the bond between soldiers in order to have an effective fighting force. It's not Mom and apple pie and patriotism. When the rubber hits the road, when the bombs start dropping, when the artillery fire starts, it's not that that keeps soldiers together; it's the bond between them, it's the bond forged in training, the bond forged in combat. S. L. A. Marshall wrote a brilliant piece about this post World War II. This is what keeps soldiers together.

IMAGINE WHAT YOU DO TO THAT BOND WHEN YOU SEXUALLY ASSAULT YOUR COMRADE, OR WHEN YOU PROSELYTIZE THEM ABOUT JESUS CHRIST WHEN THEY'RE JEWISH OR THEY'RE MUSLIM, OR YOU TELL THEM, AS HAS HAPPENED ON MANY OCCASIONS, THAT THEY'RE A LOWER FORM OF LIFE BECAUSE THEY DON'T BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST. THIS IS UNCONSCIONABLE, AND IT'S VERY DAMAGING TO THE BOND BETWEEN SOLDIERS.

JAY: And this is a Christianity which essentially is the Christianity of medievalism. It's the Christianity of the Crusades.

WILKERSON: Of the Inquisition. It's the Christianity of the Inquisition. That's what these people are, inquisitors.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Lawrence Wilkerson is a retired United States Army soldier and former chief of staff to United States Secretary of State Colin Powell. Wilkerson is an adjunct professor at the College of William & Mary where he teaches courses on US national security. He also instructs a senior seminar in the Honors Department at the George Washington University entitled "National Security Decision Making."

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ORIGINAL: fucktoyprincess

whoa, these Dominionists sound even worse than I could have imagined. Truly. The Spanish Inquisition returns.

On other threads when I have criticized certain religions for their proselytizing I always get told, no, no you don't understand. NO. Actually I DO understand. Monotheistic religions that believe they have the ONLY spiritual path and for whom proselytizing is PART of their religious beliefs (Christianity and Islam come to mind) engage is this "you are a lower form of life because you don't believe in [my god]" kind of ridiculousness.

Both these religions need to come into the current century and abandon those aspects of their teachings that hinge on spiritual superiority and proselytizing. These things have NO place in a contemporary society. Religious freedom means very little when I have to constantly confront people who have these sorts of superior attitudes. [sm=2cents.gif]

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ORIGINAL: thishereboi

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ORIGINAL: fucktoyprincess

whoa, these Dominionists sound even worse than I could have imagined. Truly. The Spanish Inquisition returns.

On other threads when I have criticized certain religions for their proselytizing I always get told, no, no you don't understand. NO. Actually I DO understand. Monotheistic religions that believe they have the ONLY spiritual path and for whom proselytizing is PART of their religious beliefs (Christianity and Islam come to mind) engage is this "you are a lower form of life because you don't believe in [my god]" kind of ridiculousness.

Both these religions need to come into the current century and abandon those aspects of their teachings that hinge on spiritual superiority and proselytizing. These things have NO place in a contemporary society. Religious freedom means very little when I have to constantly confront people who have these sorts of superior attitudes. [sm=2cents.gif]

do you have the same problems with atheists and their superior attitudes? Now I am not saying that the idiots in the article are right. The army is not the place for this, but to sit there and talk about a superior attitude is fucking laughable when I read posts on here about how ignorant folks are for believing in any kind of god.

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ORIGINAL: FelineRanger

Of all those responding to this tripe, I have to ask how many actually served in any branch of the armed services? I served in the Air Force and I can say, based on my experiences, that this is utter garbage that doesn't deserve any further discussion thatn a simple and firm "bullshit." Are you certain that you're not reprinting al-Qaida psych warfare material?

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ORIGINAL: fucktoyprincess

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ORIGINAL: thishereboi

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ORIGINAL: fucktoyprincess

whoa, these Dominionists sound even worse than I could have imagined. Truly. The Spanish Inquisition returns.

On other threads when I have criticized certain religions for their proselytizing I always get told, no, no you don't understand. NO. Actually I DO understand. Monotheistic religions that believe they have the ONLY spiritual path and for whom proselytizing is PART of their religious beliefs (Christianity and Islam come to mind) engage is this "you are a lower form of life because you don't believe in [my god]" kind of ridiculousness.

Both these religions need to come into the current century and abandon those aspects of their teachings that hinge on spiritual superiority and proselytizing. These things have NO place in a contemporary society. Religious freedom means very little when I have to constantly confront people who have these sorts of superior attitudes. [sm=2cents.gif]

do you have the same problems with atheists and their superior attitudes? Now I am not saying that the idiots in the article are right. The army is not the place for this, but to sit there and talk about a superior attitude is fucking laughable when I read posts on here about how ignorant folks are for believing in any kind of god.

Tell me the last time you had an atheist knock on your door trying to "convert" you.[&:]

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ORIGINAL: fucktoyprincess

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ORIGINAL: thishereboi

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ORIGINAL: fucktoyprincess

whoa, these Dominionists sound even worse than I could have imagined. Truly. The Spanish Inquisition returns.

On other threads when I have criticized certain religions for their proselytizing I always get told, no, no you don't understand. NO. Actually I DO understand. Monotheistic religions that believe they have the ONLY spiritual path and for whom proselytizing is PART of their religious beliefs (Christianity and Islam come to mind) engage is this "you are a lower form of life because you don't believe in [my god]" kind of ridiculousness.

Both these religions need to come into the current century and abandon those aspects of their teachings that hinge on spiritual superiority and proselytizing. These things have NO place in a contemporary society. Religious freedom means very little when I have to constantly confront people who have these sorts of superior attitudes. [sm=2cents.gif]

do you have the same problems with atheists and their superior attitudes? Now I am not saying that the idiots in the article are right. The army is not the place for this, but to sit there and talk about a superior attitude is fucking laughable when I read posts on here about how ignorant folks are for believing in any kind of god.

Tell me the last time you had an atheist knock on your door trying to "convert" you.[&:]

quote:

ORIGINAL: FelineRanger

Of all those responding to this tripe, I have to ask how many actually served in any branch of the armed services? I served in the Air Force and I can say, based on my experiences, that this is utter garbage that doesn't deserve any further discussion thatn a simple and firm "bullshit." Are you certain that you're not reprinting al-Qaida psych warfare material?

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ORIGINAL: DomKen

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ORIGINAL: fucktoyprincess

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ORIGINAL: thishereboi

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ORIGINAL: fucktoyprincess

whoa, these Dominionists sound even worse than I could have imagined. Truly. The Spanish Inquisition returns.

On other threads when I have criticized certain religions for their proselytizing I always get told, no, no you don't understand. NO. Actually I DO understand. Monotheistic religions that believe they have the ONLY spiritual path and for whom proselytizing is PART of their religious beliefs (Christianity and Islam come to mind) engage is this "you are a lower form of life because you don't believe in [my god]" kind of ridiculousness.

Both these religions need to come into the current century and abandon those aspects of their teachings that hinge on spiritual superiority and proselytizing. These things have NO place in a contemporary society. Religious freedom means very little when I have to constantly confront people who have these sorts of superior attitudes. [sm=2cents.gif]

do you have the same problems with atheists and their superior attitudes? Now I am not saying that the idiots in the article are right. The army is not the place for this, but to sit there and talk about a superior attitude is fucking laughable when I read posts on here about how ignorant folks are for believing in any kind of god.

Tell me the last time you had an atheist knock on your door trying to "convert" you.[&:]

There must be cadres of eager atheists knocking on doors on Saturday morning spreading the "good news." At least in the paranoid delusions of certain christians.