In the past few weeks, the Navy Times has had an online ad with the teaser, “As a Christian in the Armed Forces, What Does Active Duty Mean to You?” I found it provocative, probably because I’ve been reading about the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.
MRFF has not been able to convince the courts that there is a systemic DoD-condoned problem of religious intolerance but I can see why MRFF founder Mikey Weinstein believes that evangelicals are trying to “take over” the armed forces. It is an understatement to say that Weinstein, a former Air Force JAG, is a grandstander who can make his critics sound reasonable. On the other hand, there is no dispute that chaplains are only authorized to provide spiritual guidance and are not allowed to prosyletize and that some have disobeyed their orders.
It turns out that the ad is for a school that trains veterans — not active duty servicemembers — to become missionaries. Judging from their website, high-caliber weapons are apparently helpful in the program when the Bible is not enough.
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