Bizarre. I think you will find in general that many of those in the military tend to come from conservative (often religious) backgrounds. Many of them are "cultural Christians." Some of them are true believers.

Many of the Christians that I know are very patriotic people, but I really doubt that the military is actively seeking to convert soldiers to Christianity or any other religion. Any appearance of this, in my opinion, is simply military personnel abusing their authority.

Ultimately, Lt. Gen. Boykin (who, interestingly, spoke at my H.S. graduation) sees the current conflict with Islam as the fulfillment of the Biblical prophecy that Ishmael (and by extension, his descendants, the...

Bizarre. I think you will find in general that many of those in the military tend to come from conservative (often religious) backgrounds. Many of them are "cultural Christians." Some of them are true believers.

Many of the Christians that I know are very patriotic people, but I really doubt that the military is actively seeking to convert soldiers to Christianity or any other religion. Any appearance of this, in my opinion, is simply military personnel abusing their authority.

Ultimately, Lt. Gen. Boykin (who, interestingly, spoke at my H.S. graduation) sees the current conflict with Islam as the fulfillment of the Biblical prophecy that Ishmael (and by extension, his descendants, the Arab peoples) will always be in opposition to the children of Israel and true believers. In that perspective, his comments make perfect sense.

Personally, I agree with Lt. Gen. Boykin that the current conflict is a result of spiritual issues, but I also feel that a Christian is called primarily to spiritual warfare, as the Apostly Paul writes, and not physical warfare. That said, I would have no problem at all serving my government against either a pagan nation or a Christian one.

schreibe said:

I don't really understand any of the "back and forth" rhetoric about this religion or that religion.....about this belief or that belief. To me, it is very simple. If you are in a public place....if it be to eat a hot dog, or get an education, you should not have to put up with any talk about religion, god, the hereafter, or the thereafter, or the whatever! Live and let live......if you want to pray etc....do it in private! The only prayer that makes sense to me is a prayer to be saved from religion.

Requiring me to pray only in private is infringing upon my right to freedom of religion.

I'm not forcing you to pray or passing some law that says we are in a Ch...

schreibe said:

I don't really understand any of the "back and forth" rhetoric about this religion or that religion.....about this belief or that belief. To me, it is very simple. If you are in a public place....if it be to eat a hot dog, or get an education, you should not have to put up with any talk about religion, god, the hereafter, or the thereafter, or the whatever! Live and let live......if you want to pray etc....do it in private! The only prayer that makes sense to me is a prayer to be saved from religion.

Requiring me to pray only in private is infringing upon my right to freedom of religion.

I'm not forcing you to pray or passing some law that says we are in a Christian or Muslim cafe. I'm simply exercising my right to pray before a meal or at a specific time or for any reason what-so-ever.

It's amusing how those wishing to abolish religion spew forth "tolerance" rhetoric at such a fantastic rate, yet refuse to (pardon the pun) practice what they preach.

When someone prays in public (and honestly, they are probably doing so silently with their eyes closed) all you are being asked to do is tolerate... not convert.

Live and let live right?

When I'm at work, and we are having a luncheon get together to celebrate some kind of holiday or other event, and all of a sudden at everybody is holding hands and bowing their heads.......
I guess this is the time for me to be "the outsider"
I don't want to be the "outsider"
I'm in a place of work
To earn a living
But, all of a sudden, I'm sanding outside the circle.
Not fair.....Not right!
------------------------------------------------------------------
If I got my grandson standing next to me at a soccer game, and all of a sudden the coach is asking the team to bow their heads in prayer....
All of a sudden I, and my grandson are the "Outsiders"
I want to be with him at a soccer game
I d...

When I'm at work, and we are having a luncheon get together to celebrate some kind of holiday or other event, and all of a sudden at everybody is holding hands and bowing their heads.......
I guess this is the time for me to be "the outsider"
I don't want to be the "outsider"
I'm in a place of work
To earn a living
But, all of a sudden, I'm sanding outside the circle.
Not fair.....Not right!
------------------------------------------------------------------
If I got my grandson standing next to me at a soccer game, and all of a sudden the coach is asking the team to bow their heads in prayer....
All of a sudden I, and my grandson are the "Outsiders"
I want to be with him at a soccer game
I did not think I was taking him to a church service!
But, all of a sudden, I and my grandson are standing outside the circle.
Not fair.....Not right!

If you attend a seminar on women's studies and are the only male in the conference... you may feel like an "oustider."

If you are passing through a small rural town and decide to walk into a crowded local bar.... you may feel like an "outsider."

If you are the only child at your school without a cell phone or the latest sneakers... you may feel like an "outsider."

If you are the only employee in your company without a college degree... you may feel like an "outsider."

If you are sitting in the middle of your opponent's fans at a soccer game... you may feel like an "outsider."

If you are the only overweight person at a pool party... you may feel like an "outsider."

Being conspicuously d...

If you attend a seminar on women's studies and are the only male in the conference... you may feel like an "oustider."

If you are passing through a small rural town and decide to walk into a crowded local bar.... you may feel like an "outsider."

If you are the only child at your school without a cell phone or the latest sneakers... you may feel like an "outsider."

If you are the only employee in your company without a college degree... you may feel like an "outsider."

If you are sitting in the middle of your opponent's fans at a soccer game... you may feel like an "outsider."

If you are the only overweight person at a pool party... you may feel like an "outsider."

Being conspicuously different from those around you does not constitute a violation of your rights or even your sensibilities. It constitutes being human and dealing with the reality that people instinctually strive for a sense of belonging, for making sense out of chaos and for trying to control their environment.

The act of feeling like an "outsider," much like the act of being embarrassed, is an internal mechanism and generally points to our own insecurities.

As long human beings continue to exist among one another being so physically, intellectually, culturally, morally and emotionally diverse... there will always be differences. And as long as human beings gather in groups seeking to be part of something larger than themselves, those differences will always be opportunities (both geographically and ideologically) for a majority and a minority.... for feeling like an outsider.

Welcome to life.

f you attend a seminar on women's studies and are the only male in the conference... you may feel like an "oustider."
If you are passing through a small rural town and decide to walk into a crowded local bar.... you may feel like an "outsider." If you are the only child at your school without a cell phone or the latest sneakers... you may feel like an "outsider." If you are the only employee in your company without a college degree... you may feel like an "outsider." If you are sitting in the middle of your opponent's fans at a soccer game... you may feel like an "outsider." If you are the only overweight person at a pool party... you may feel like an "outsider."

What in t...

f you attend a seminar on women's studies and are the only male in the conference... you may feel like an "oustider."
If you are passing through a small rural town and decide to walk into a crowded local bar.... you may feel like an "outsider." If you are the only child at your school without a cell phone or the latest sneakers... you may feel like an "outsider." If you are the only employee in your company without a college degree... you may feel like an "outsider." If you are sitting in the middle of your opponent's fans at a soccer game... you may feel like an "outsider." If you are the only overweight person at a pool party... you may feel like an "outsider."

What in the world does, being the only male, not being local at a crowded local bar, not having a cell phone or the latest sneakers, being without a college degree, being fat in a room full of skinnies or sitting amongst the opponent's fans at a soccer game have to do with religions, "pray tell"?

Any public arena such as a local soccer match or a work place luncheon should not be an area open to proselytizing. We all come together with our own personal belief and we should not think it proper to make this belief visible to others. One can pray silently any place or at any event but to dictate that all there should hold hands and pray to some Christian God is bizarre and totally inappropriate.

Let's look at this another way... What if a non-believer or what I like to call a RATIONALIST (Bill Maher coined that one here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IcUumWzue4 ) would stand up and start ranting to everyone while they were watching a game or at a luncheon, preaching to all, THAT THERE IS NO JESUS, HE'S JUST AN ABERRATION THE SAME AS ZEUS, or IF YOU PRAY YOU ARE JUST TALKING TO YOURSELF or THE BIBLE IS A BOOK OF FICTION or "god forbid" THERE IS NO GOD, HEAVEN OR HELL!! I think you and everyone around you would look at this person like he was nuttier than a fruitcake and should be

Why is it that you can state your opinion and that's considered your "right" and your "freedom of speech," but when I calmly and rationally state some observations from my perspective it's considered religious persecution tantamount to some holy crusade?

I went ahead and checked in on that whole "1776 Founding Fathers rigmarole" to see what nifty information you pointed me to and this is what I found...

The 1st amendment to the US Constitution states:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

Pretty straight forward. I see that no law has been made saying you must pray... or that you must hol...

Why is it that you can state your opinion and that's considered your "right" and your "freedom of speech," but when I calmly and rationally state some observations from my perspective it's considered religious persecution tantamount to some holy crusade?

I went ahead and checked in on that whole "1776 Founding Fathers rigmarole" to see what nifty information you pointed me to and this is what I found...

The 1st amendment to the US Constitution states:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

Pretty straight forward. I see that no law has been made saying you must pray... or that you must hold hands... or that you must bow to some religious figure.

In fact I see that it says that while a law shouldn't be passed establishing a religion, neither should one be passed "prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

I don't know, perhaps they accidentally left off the "only in private" part, or perhaps they meant to include "but not if someone else can see you" at the end of that line. You think?

What in the world does, being the only male, not being local at a crowded local bar, not having a cell phone or the latest sneakers, being without a college degree, being fat in a room full of skinnies or sitting amongst the opponent's fans at a soccer game have to do with religions, "pray tell"?

Well thinkingblue, according to schreibe, religion makes him feel like an outsider. And if I need to explain the whole outsider reference to the bar-soccer-fat-degree then I'm afraid any further response would just be lost on you.

Any public arena such as a local soccer match or a work place luncheon should not be an area open to proselytizing.

Saying a prayer befo...

What in the world does, being the only male, not being local at a crowded local bar, not having a cell phone or the latest sneakers, being without a college degree, being fat in a room full of skinnies or sitting amongst the opponent's fans at a soccer game have to do with religions, "pray tell"?

Well thinkingblue, according to schreibe, religion makes him feel like an outsider. And if I need to explain the whole outsider reference to the bar-soccer-fat-degree then I'm afraid any further response would just be lost on you.

Any public arena such as a local soccer match or a work place luncheon should not be an area open to proselytizing.

Saying a prayer before a meal is not "1. To induce someone to convert to one's own religious faith." Neither is asking teammates to keep quite while those interested, participate in a prayer before a game.

Bill Maher coined that one here:

Clearly the very essence of rational thought.

And if someone hopped up in the middle of an event and screamed anything, ANYTHING AT ALL, I'd think they were being disruptive. That's just common sense.

But if before the game, a teammate asked us to observe a moment of silence while he communed with mother earth or spoke to the stars or asked for words of encouragement from his invisible alien friend... I'd let him. To each his/her own right?

Do us all a favor, and start practicing some of that "tolerance" that the liberal left is always preaching about.

Let's look at this another way... What if a non-believer or what I like to call a RATIONALIST (Bill Maher coined that one here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IcUumWzue4 ) would stand up and start ranting to everyone while they were watching a game or at a luncheon, preaching to all, THAT THERE IS NO JESUS, HE'S JUST AN ABERRATION THE SAME AS ZEUS, or IF YOU PRAY YOU ARE JUST TALKING TO YOURSELF or THE BIBLE IS A BOOK OF FICTION or "god forbid" THERE IS NO GOD, HEAVEN OR HELL!! I think you and everyone around you would look at this person like he was nuttier than a fruitcake and should be

Oh Good Grief, I must have gone over my allotted amount of words... Any way here is th...

Let's look at this another way... What if a non-believer or what I like to call a RATIONALIST (Bill Maher coined that one here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IcUumWzue4 ) would stand up and start ranting to everyone while they were watching a game or at a luncheon, preaching to all, THAT THERE IS NO JESUS, HE'S JUST AN ABERRATION THE SAME AS ZEUS, or IF YOU PRAY YOU ARE JUST TALKING TO YOURSELF or THE BIBLE IS A BOOK OF FICTION or "god forbid" THERE IS NO GOD, HEAVEN OR HELL!! I think you and everyone around you would look at this person like he was nuttier than a fruitcake and should be

Oh Good Grief, I must have gone over my allotted amount of words... Any way here is the rest of my tirade...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I think you and everyone around you would look at this person like he was nuttier than a fruitcake and should be removed from the decent folk there who came just to have some relaxing fun.

I do BELIEVE this scenario would be very insulting to you and your sensibilities. But yet, it's perfectly OK for a religious zealot to open up his bible and tell EVERYONE to hold hands and pray in a public area outside of their church.