Army Reserve training material lists Catholics, evangelical
Christians and some Jews in 'religious extremism' category along with
the KKK, Hamas and Al Qaeda
Pentagon based conclusions on Southern Poverty Law Center report
Chaplains' group calls lecture material 'dishonorable' and 'wrongheaded'
Presentation says extremism is increasing because some Americans fear '4 more years under a black president'
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.
Crews also took a shot at the Southern Poverty Law Center.
'It
also appears that some military entities are using definitions of
"hate" and "extreme" from the lists of anti-Christian political
organizations,' he added. 'That violates the apolitical stance
appropriate for the military.'
He noted that the Army
Chief of Chaplains has investigated the presentation and determined that
it was 'an isolated incident not condoned by the Department of the
Army.'
The Army Reserve presentation defines religious
extremism as 'beliefs, attitudes, feelings, actions, or strategies of a
character far removed from the "ordinary."'
It concedes
that 'ordinary' is a subjective term, but condemns religious Americans
'who believe that their beliefs, customs and traditions are the only
"right way" and that all others are practicing their faith the "wrong
way," seeing and believing that their faith/religion [is] superior to
all others.'
Many Christians and Jews, the presentation suggests, fit into that category, making them as objectionable as Muslim terrorists.
The
U.S. Army Office of the Chief of Chaplains did not immediately respond
to a request for comment. But the Catholic Archdiocese for the Military
Services said it 'is astounded that Catholics were listed alongside
groups that are, by their very mission and nature, violent and
extremist.'
'The Archdiocese calls upon the Department
of Defense to review these materials,' the organization said in a
statement, 'and to ensure that tax-payer funds are never again used to
present blatantly anti-religious material to the men and women in
uniform.'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2304739/Army-Reserve-training-material-lists-Catholics-evangelical-Christians-Jews-religious-extremism-category-KKK-Hamas-Al-Qaeda.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
Monday 8 April 2013
U.S. Army says Orthodox Jews, Hamas, Al Qaeda are ‘Extremists’
Posted @ 19:52
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