U.S. Armed Forces and Religion

Forever Atlas · 05/30/08, 03:50 AM

Okay, so I just read this article from Yahoo! that speaks about how there was a group of Marines in Iraq passing out Bible verses on a coin to those of the Muslim faith... kinda a condemning attitude too with the coins...

The coins said on one side "where will you spend eternity?" and the other side offered a Bible verse. So in other words, "You are going to hell if you dont accept the Christian faith"

Marines pass out Gospel verse to Iraqi Muslims

This raises many many issues. Some are:

Separation of Church/State

Trying to convert others of another faith

The condemning tone of the coins

This may give even more reason's for extremists to act out their "holy wars" against U.S.

and there are others... that is just to name a few. How do you all feel about this?

InfiniteTwilight · 05/30/08, 04:12 AM

That's not right. Trying to convince people to switch faiths is just stupid. It's sorta of biting at their own freedoms. Teaching them about the religion is good enough and they can decide on their own if they want to switch. What's wrong with letting people practice any religion they want?

Forever Atlas · 05/30/08, 05:07 AM

Yeah, I honestly believe as this is making world news that this is going to cause a bigger problem than those soldiers could have even thought of.

InfiniteTwilight · 05/30/08, 05:18 AM

Sorta of ironic that these people, coming from a country where freedom of religion is in the 1st Amendment, are passing stuff like that out outside of our country to others. That doesn't really make any sense.

Phoenix · 05/30/08, 06:14 AM

Instead of a verse, they should totally put like a furnace or an oven on the other side of the coin to drive the point home.

HadesDragon · 05/30/08, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Instead of a verse, they should totally put like a furnace or an oven on the other side of the coin to drive the point home.

lol

Funny thing is, they don't even know their own faith. Hell doesn't exist, so even according to the flawed Pascal's Wager, they lose nothing.

Forever Atlas · 05/30/08, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HadesDragon

lol

Funny thing is, they don't even know their own faith. Hell doesn't exist, so even according to the flawed Pascal's Wager, they lose nothing.

According to their faith, hell does exist. However, the hell that they believe in doesnt exist in the Bible.

KingBlade · 05/31/08, 01:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HadesDragon

Funny thing is, they don't even know their own faith. Hell doesn't exist, so even according to the flawed Pascal's Wager, they lose nothing.

Pascal's wager basically said if, you believe in God, you have nothing to lose. If, you don't believe in God, you have every thing to lose. Like its better to be safe then sorry.

Are you talking about the marines?

Electropop · 05/31/08, 01:10 AM

Marines.

My dad is a Marine. Was.. Keyword.

But anyway: Marines do not care what religon you are. Sirsly. If your Muslim or Mormon..Whatever they have mass on Sunday's. All Marines must attened by..8 I think my Brother said. Anyway but it is regualy "Christian" Faith. =/ so I do find it a tad...odd. But thats how they are trained. They really dont care who you are. You just show up for Church at 8. >_>

Forever Atlas · 05/31/08, 01:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Electropop

Marines.

My dad is a Marine. Was.. Keyword.

But anyway: Marines do not care what religon you are. Sirsly. If your Muslim or Mormon..Whatever they have mass on Sunday's. All Marines must attened by..8 I think my Brother said. Anyway but it is regualy "Christian" Faith. =/ so I do find it a tad...odd. But thats how they are trained. They really dont care who you are. You just show up for Church at 8. >_>

Lolz its funny because I know a lot of atheist Marines and Muslim Marines >.>

I am sure it was just that particular group that was doing that stuff as mentioned in the article though.

HadesDragon · 05/31/08, 01:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Silent Soldier

Pascal's wager basically said if, you believe in God, you have nothing to lose. If, you don't believe in God, you have every thing to lose. Like its better to be safe then sorry.

Yes, I know what the wager states and the point it tries to make. I believe Pascal was refering to the Christian God in particular, but this can be applied to any God really. Therein lies the problem: how do you which God you should believe in? In that respect, every theist is taking as much a risk as the other.

As for the bolded part, I was reffering to the fact that they supposedly have christian beliefs. They lack the knowledge that hell does exist according to Christianity, therefore they don't know as much about their religion as they probably think they do.

06/02/08, 12:07 AM

Who cares? It's not like they hit them in the face with an outrageously large hammer and said GO CHRISTIAN!!11!!!!ELEVEN!

Sure, it's offensive. But it's not evil.

Phoenix · 06/02/08, 05:25 AM

Thing is it's illegal for soldiers to preach, I think =/

bamak93 · 06/02/08, 05:28 AM

stuff like this makes me feel the world's motto should be:

"God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts!"

Electropop · 06/03/08, 01:47 AM

I think Pho is right.

But hasnt this been going on for Ages? Like when the Spanish came to Southern Parts didnt they bible thump people?

05/30/08, 03:50 AM	#1
Forever Atlas The World Rests On Me Join Date: May 2007 Location: In your eyeball Age: 20 Posts: 2,768 Rep Power: 5	U.S. Armed Forces and Religion Okay, so I just read this article from Yahoo! that speaks about how there was a group of Marines in Iraq passing out Bible verses on a coin to those of the Muslim faith... kinda a condemning attitude too with the coins... The coins said on one side "where will you spend eternity?" and the other side offered a Bible verse. So in other words, "You are going to hell if you dont accept the Christian faith" Marines pass out Gospel verse to Iraqi Muslims This raises many many issues. Some are: Separation of Church/State Trying to convert others of another faith The condemning tone of the coins This may give even more reason's for extremists to act out their "holy wars" against U.S. and there are others... that is just to name a few. How do you all feel about this?

05/30/08, 04:12 AM	#2
InfiniteTwilight Classical Bebop Drake <3 Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: In a cereal box Posts: 1,714 Rep Power: 3	Re: U.S. Armed Forces and Religion That's not right. Trying to convince people to switch faiths is just stupid. It's sorta of biting at their own freedoms. Teaching them about the religion is good enough and they can decide on their own if they want to switch. What's wrong with letting people practice any religion they want?

05/30/08, 05:07 AM	#3
Forever Atlas The World Rests On Me Join Date: May 2007 Location: In your eyeball Age: 20 Posts: 2,768 Rep Power: 5	Re: U.S. Armed Forces and Religion Yeah, I honestly believe as this is making world news that this is going to cause a bigger problem than those soldiers could have even thought of.

05/30/08, 05:18 AM	#4
InfiniteTwilight Classical Bebop Drake <3 Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: In a cereal box Posts: 1,714 Rep Power: 3	Re: U.S. Armed Forces and Religion Sorta of ironic that these people, coming from a country where freedom of religion is in the 1st Amendment, are passing stuff like that out outside of our country to others. That doesn't really make any sense.

05/30/08, 06:14 AM	#5
Phoenix Knight of Zero Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Borinquen Age: 20 Posts: 14,102 Rep Power: 21	Re: U.S. Armed Forces and Religion Instead of a verse, they should totally put like a furnace or an oven on the other side of the coin to drive the point home.

05/31/08, 01:10 AM	#9
Electropop Edward Fan Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Staring at an Orange Juice bottle as it says "Concentrate" Age: 16 Posts: 2,087 Rep Power: 6	Re: U.S. Armed Forces and Religion Marines. My dad is a Marine. Was.. Keyword. But anyway: Marines do not care what religon you are. Sirsly. If your Muslim or Mormon..Whatever they have mass on Sunday's. All Marines must attened by..8 I think my Brother said. Anyway but it is regualy "Christian" Faith. =/ so I do find it a tad...odd. But thats how they are trained. They really dont care who you are. You just show up for Church at 8. >_>

06/02/08, 12:07 AM	#12
Tyler Durden Guest Posts: n/a	Re: U.S. Armed Forces and Religion Who cares? It's not like they hit them in the face with an outrageously large hammer and said GO CHRISTIAN!!11!!!!ELEVEN! Sure, it's offensive. But it's not evil.

06/02/08, 05:25 AM	#13
Phoenix Knight of Zero Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Borinquen Age: 20 Posts: 14,102 Rep Power: 21	Re: U.S. Armed Forces and Religion Thing is it's illegal for soldiers to preach, I think =/

06/02/08, 05:28 AM	#14
bamak93 in love with Rhyme... Join Date: May 2006 Location: Partnered with Rhyme, erasing the Noise. Age: 14 Posts: 2,523 Rep Power: 6	Re: U.S. Armed Forces and Religion stuff like this makes me feel the world's motto should be: "God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts!"

06/03/08, 01:47 AM	#15
Electropop Edward Fan Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Staring at an Orange Juice bottle as it says "Concentrate" Age: 16 Posts: 2,087 Rep Power: 6	Re: U.S. Armed Forces and Religion I think Pho is right. But hasnt this been going on for Ages? Like when the Spanish came to Southern Parts didnt they bible thump people?

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