Outchurched

I saw links to this video from the Christian Embassy pop in my aggregator several times today, but didn’t really think much of it until I watched the video. Frankly, it’s disturbing.

“I found a wonderful opportunity as a Director on the Joint Staff as I meet the people who come into my directive… I tell them right up front, who Jack Catton is, and I start with the fact that I’m an old-fashined American. And my first priority is my faith in God, then my family, then my country. I share my faith because it describes who I am. I would say Christian Embassy, in my interaction with my fellow Flag Officers has helped inspire some of that. Y’know We talk about that kind of stuff. I think it’s a huge impact. Because we have many men and women who are seeking God’s counsel and wisdom as we advise the Secretary and the Chairman of Defense. Hallelujah.”

…

Narrator: “In each of these trips, the objective is simple and very clear:”

Congressman John Carter (Texas): “We were Congressmen going over to represent the Lord. And our message was very simple: we are here to tell you about Jesus of Nazareth and what he teaches, and… We are not here to talk about religion. We are here to talk about the love and demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ. That’s it.”

Nationalism and Religion are a bad mix. I think the video clearly demonstrates what kind of dangerous cocktail is brewing in the Nation’s capitol.

Narrator: Not only are these Washington leaders taking the gospel abroad, they are applying their faith on Capitol Hill.

Congressman Vern Ehlers (Michigan): All the decisions I make here should be informed by my faith. And I’ve never made any apologies for that to my constituents.

I’ve had some of them tell me very directly: ‘Vern, you’re a great guy, I agree with your decisions, but I think it’s absolutely wrong for you to base your decisions on your faith,’ and I says ‘well, that comes with the package.’

Former Majority Leader Tom Delay: “Christian Embassy has been very good to me and God has been working through the Bible Studies that have helped me really mature in my walk.” [The Bible apparently has better plans on how to accept illegal campaign contributions and kickbacks than his buddy Jack Abramoff.]

I personally would rather see taxpayer money wasted on crap like Barney’s Holiday Extravaganza (I can’t believe I actually watched that). These people in the Capitol who are placing their own evangelical religious agenda before their jobs need to acknowledge that they should be doing their job. If they feel their primary job is to spread Christianity, I’ll be happy to provide them with a soapbox to stand on so that they can pursue their calling full-time so that we can get people in the Capitol who are there to y’know… PROTECT THE COUNTRY and SERVE THE PEOPLE.

In fact, I think the section of the White House site dedicated to Barney the Scottish Terrier is an exceptional use of money when compared to paying people to spread their religious beliefs. When did politics become missionary work?

NPR did a segment on the Christian Embassy: (heavy lift, sorry NPR)

A military watchdog group is asking the Pentagon whether senior uniformed officers had permission to appear in a video endorsing an evangelical Christian group.

The Christian Embassy is an evangelical missionary group focused on government workers in Washington, DC. The group’s recent promotional video features endorsements from several prominent military officers.

In response, another group, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, is preparing a possible class-action lawsuit against the Pentagon for what lawyer Michael Weinstein calls “the creation of a theocracy, of a particular fundamentalist perspective within our own military branches.”

The foundation says a core of evangelicals are gaining influence at the Pentagon, and violating military policies. It cites Wednesday-morning prayer sessions in the Pentagon’s executive dining room, which features speakers from the Christian Embassy.

The Pentagon released a statement Monday insisting it does not endorse any religious viewpoint or organization. But the Defense Department also promised to review the promotional video. In it, Brig. Gen. Vince Brooks and seven other uniformed officers endorse the Christian Embassy.

I’m inclined to wonder how many people would be throwing a monstrous fit if the organization involved was the Islam Embassy… or the Athiest Alliance.

This entry was posted by Rev. Dan on Wednesday, December 13th, 2006 at 2:14 am and is filed under Politics, Dominionism. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.