Living in a Multifaith Military

Anonymous you don't know anything about me!

I know and have heard the sound of the call to prayer in several countries. I also know how it is received. My personal observation is that it sounds like some kind of dark evil thing wafting over the city like something form some movie about evil forces. My observation is that most of the inhabitants of the places where I've heard the call to pray just try to ignore it an go about their business.

But in Saudi Arabia they have religious police that make sure that all observe the call to prayer. That's why in that particular country it appears to be a serious matter. After all, nobody wants to go to jail and especially in Saudi Arabia. So everybody must play act and that is the essence of hypocrisy, play acting.

Saudi Arabia is full of hypocrites because that's what you get when you force people to be religious and you have FORCED prayer time. I don't play act because I live in America and don't have to fear some religious jerk throwing me in prison. Anonymous, you would like to do this and much more. Wouldn't you.

Anonymous, who was it that lead the attack on the World Trade Center? Right you are -- they were the guys in Saudi Arabia who for most of their lives probably observed that call to prayer. What were they praying for?

They were praying for the death of all infidels. They were praying for my death and I am sure you are too.

What a hypocrite you are Tim. Do you even have a point? You have never heard the call to prayer, have never been in Saudi Arabia, and have no idea how it sounds or is received.

Why neither Christianity or Islam will ever rule the world:

Reality and Religion 101

Part A- The Flaws and Errors of Christianity and Islam:

Jesus was an illiterate Jewish peasant/carpenter/simple preacher man who suffered from hallucinations and who has been characterized anywhere from the Messiah from Nazareth to a mythical character from mythical Nazareth to a mamzer from Nazareth (Professor Bruce Chilton, in his book Rabbi Jesus). Analyses of Jesus’ life by many contemporary NT scholars (e.g. Professors Crossan, Borg and Fredriksen, On Faith panelists) via the NT and related documents have concluded that only about 30% of Jesus' sayings and ways noted in the NT were authentic. The rest being embellishments (e.g. miracles)/hallucinations made/had by the NT authors to impress various Christian, Jewish and Pagan sects.

The 30% of the NT that is "authentic Jesus" like everything in life was borrowed/plagiarized and/or improved from those who came before. In Jesus' case, it was the ways and sayings of the Babylonians, Greeks, Persians, Egyptians, Hittites, Canaanites, OT, John the Baptizer and possibly the ways and sayings of traveling Greek Cynics. earlychristianwritings.com/theories.html

For added "pizzazz", Catholic/Christian theologians divided god the singularity into three persons and invented atonement as an added guilt trip for the "pew people" to go along with this trinity of overseers. By doing so, they made god the padre into god the "filicider".

Current crises:

Pedophiliac priests, atonement theology and original sin!!!!

Luther, Calvin, Smith, Henry VIII, Wesley et al, founders of Christian-based religions, also suffered from the belief in/hallucinations of "pretty wingie thingie" visits and "prophecies" for profits analogous to the myths of Catholicism (resurrections, apparitions, ascensions and immaculate conceptions).

Current crises:

Adulterous preachers, "propheteering/ profiteering" evangelicals and atonement theology. .

Mohammed was an illiterate, womanizing, lust and greed-driven, warmongering, hallucinating Arab, who also had embellishing/hallucinating/ plagiarizing scribal biographers who not only added "angels" and flying chariots to the koran but also a militaristic agenda to support the plundering and looting of the lands of non-believers.

This agenda continues as shown by the assassination of Bhutto, the conduct of the seven Muslim doctors in the UK, the 9/11 terrorists, the 24/7 Sunni suicide/roadside/market/mosque bombers, the 24/7 Shiite suicide/roadside/market/ mosque bombers, the Islamic bombers of the trains in the UK and Spain, the Bali crazies, the Kenya crazies, the Pakistani “koranics”, the Palestine suicide bombers/rocketeers, the Lebanese nutcases, the Taliban nut jobs, and the Filipino “koranics”.

And who funds this muck and stench of terror? The warmongering, Islamic, Shiite terror and torture theocracy of Iran aka the Third Axis of Evil and also the Sunni "Wannabees" of Saudi Arabia.

Current crises:

The Sunni-Shiite blood feud and the warmongering, womanizing (11 wives), hallucinating founder.

PPlace, you are in the minority. Christians and Muslims dominate on the world stage. I think what you believe is silly and so do the Muslims.

The nature of competition is that all will either eventually live under a majority Christian culture or a majority Muslim culture (think many years out). A principle of Islam is that one day Islam must rule the world. And the only thing that has stopped them and still stops them from ruling the world is, Christianity. Forget for the moment who is right just think about what dominate religious culture you would want to live under.

If Islam wins this battle of the religions (think hundreds of years), then people like you will hear the call to prayer five times a day. You will be wearing different clothing.

When you hear those church bells and chimes it should remind you that Jesus said to "love your neighbor as yourself" and that is the culture you live in. If those chimes stop you will most likely be hearing the droning of the call to prayer (ugh, five times a day), and then you will be living in a society where the prophet said to kill the unbeliever.

If this were to happen, then you and others who represent your minority beliefs might just long for the tolerance and love of Jesus Christ that is represented by the sound of bells and chimes on a Sunday morning. That sound is as beautiful as our Lord and the the call to pray is a reminder five times a day how ugly is the Prophet Mohamed.

Anyway, Tim, the way I see it, you got nothing to complain about till the Christian churches upgrade the *doorbell chimes* they run through two hundred watt speakers. I'm sure it sounds charming from a distance, but this is pots and kettles, here.

"A moment of silence is the same as forced prayer time. Say for example that in some Islamic nation, like Saudi Arabia, they decided to stop the obnoxious practice of the call to pray blasted over loud speakers 5 times a day and replaced it with an enforced moment of silence 5 times a day."

Maybe that *is* obnoxious, Tim, but you'd be surprised how many times in one's life she ends up with canned churchbells blasting in her window.

Point?

"The armed forces have themselves recognized this diversity as they now hire chaplains who are Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, etc"

The 'etc' part really ain't actually happened.

A moment of silence is the same as forced prayer time. Say for example that in some Islamic nation, like Saudi Arabia, they decided to stop the obnoxious practice of the call to pray blasted over loud speakers 5 times a day and replaced it with an enforced moment of silence 5 times a day. This would be worse than the current situation and the expression of religious control by those in power would still be present.

Anyone can pray anytime they want without saying a word or making a show of it with a moment of silence.

Mathew 6:5-18 "And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. "And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our debts, As we also have forgiven our debtors; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. "And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

PAMELA K TAYLOR

Nice post and I agree that mandatory prayer should not be and for the reasons that you gave.

Whether someone believes or knows that God is real is that person's belief or knowledge and forcing, which mandatory means, someone to pray actually is not even prayer because prayer should come from within.

Teaching a child about God and teaching a child about prayer is one thing but these are not children and if they wish to pray in whatever way they wish, then it should be their choice.

I agree that a moment of silence is a good idea and one day all will know that we are all brothers and sisters even the "enemy" are our brothers and sisters.

Chaplains are definitely needed in the military, I, personally, never went to a chaplain when I was in the military that I remember but that was a different time in my life and chaplains are there for more than conducting religious services.

Take care, be ready.

Sincerely, Thomas Paul Moses Baum.