Military Book Endorsement Draws Complaints
Friday August 22, 2008
Thanks to blog reader HumVeeJockey for forwarding this my way - it appears that a recent endorsement of a religious book by a couple of high-ranking generals has earned some complaints from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. The book, entitled "Under Orders: A Spiritual Handbook for Military Personnel," by Army Chaplain (Lt. Col.) William McCoy, came out a few years back, and advertising and press releases contained endorsements by General David Petraeus and Maj. Gen. Mark Hertling.
MRFF says the endorsement crosses the line into prosetylizing. In particular, Petraeus said that a copy of the book (which includes a chapter called Believe in God) should "be in every rucksack for those times when soldiers need spiritual energy." Petraeus claims that his endorsement was made privately to McCoy and was never intended for publication. MRFF director Mikey Weinstein says that when a high-ranking officer like Petraeus makes a statement like this, he "is endorsing religion as something all Soldiers should have and, specifically, the Christian religion." On the author's Amazon blog, McCoy acknowledges that the book does indeed promote Christianity.
Weinstein is calling for a court-martial of Petraeus. What do you think? Are Petraeus and Hertling crossing the separation boundary, or are they just offering an opinion that soldiers can take or leave as they choose?
MRFF says the endorsement crosses the line into prosetylizing. In particular, Petraeus said that a copy of the book (which includes a chapter called Believe in God) should "be in every rucksack for those times when soldiers need spiritual energy." Petraeus claims that his endorsement was made privately to McCoy and was never intended for publication. MRFF director Mikey Weinstein says that when a high-ranking officer like Petraeus makes a statement like this, he "is endorsing religion as something all Soldiers should have and, specifically, the Christian religion." On the author's Amazon blog, McCoy acknowledges that the book does indeed promote Christianity.
Weinstein is calling for a court-martial of Petraeus. What do you think? Are Petraeus and Hertling crossing the separation boundary, or are they just offering an opinion that soldiers can take or leave as they choose?
Comments
I personally think it is only his opinion that he is offering. It did not sound anything like an order. A belief in God does not necessarily mean only the Christian god. I believe in the Consort who is also a God. I believe in the Goddess who is also a God (in the unisex fashion of actor encompassing actress as well). And he used the word soldier to mean male and female. I am a veteran and believe me the opinion of any general is not taken as an order. They are too far above the normal soidier that we did not even notice them unless they were right in front of us.
The only way that it could be construed as an order would be if some Major, Captain, or Colonel took it as such and tried to impose it on the troops. Then you would have reason to call for some form of discipline.
A court-martial would be way overboard. I can believe Petraeus didn’t mean his comment to be in publication and not taken as any type of order. I’ve been attached to the U.S. military in some fashion or another my entire life and like Rowan Phoenix said, it’s not like soldiers would take this as an order. And what’s wrong with endorsing anyways? If you like something, you like it.
While calling for a court-martial is going way overboard, I do think the statement was in poor taste. It would have been fine if he had said that the book should be in every Christian soldier’s rucksack. As it stands, he seems to either believe that all soldiers should be Christian or not realize that there are non-Christian soldiers.
Either way, as long as his commanders don’t try to infringe on my husband’s right to practice his faith, I’m not worried. No harm, no foul.
As a former Field Soldier the last thing I would need is another book telling me that there are no atheists in foxholes( Or rice paddies).As for a General Officer expressing his opinion, they are renown For expressing Inaccurate opinions , Like Billy Mitchell about the possibility of Japan’s destroying Pearl Harbor at the start of our next big War and the importance of aircraft in it. If a Sgt. had said it maybe I could see the hoopla ,after all it’s really the Non-Coms who run everything. Semper-Fi! Blessed Be!
I think that he was privately expressing his opinion, and is human, and i think it must be horribly difficult to live in a fishbowl the way people of status have to do anymore. I work at Ft Campbell, where Petraeus was stationed prior to going downrange, and have a lot of respect for him as an officer and a person, and think that blowing this up into a courtmartial would be a tragedy. The Army needs proven, experienced leaders desperately at this point. That said, it would be nice if he had said “Christian” soldiers…… ah well, in a perfect world…..