More like this
US troops take on Taliban with secret ‘Jesus rifles’
‘No one realised’ rifle sights had been inscribed with Bible references by manufacturer
American troops fighting in Afghanistan are using rifle sights secretly inscribed with coded biblical references. The inscriptions are in direct contravention of military rules designed to prevent criticism that the US is embarked on a religious "crusade" against al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
What is bizarre about this revelation - unearthed by ABC News - is that US military commanders were apparently unaware of the fact. The inscriptions were made by the sights' manufacturer, Trijicon, a Michigan company that has always operated under Christian ideals.
The news has brought a strong reaction from those who feel the separation of of church and state must be upheld in the US military. "It's wrong, it violates the Constitution, it violates a number of federal laws," said Michael Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF).
"It allows the Mujahedeen, the Taliban, al-Qaeda and the insurrectionists and jihadists to claim they're being shot by Jesus rifles," he said.
The news is likely to be just as galling for military commanders who, given the rules, will presumably have to withdraw the sights from the frontline or have the inscriptions filed off.
Spokesmen for the US Army and the US Marines, both of which have multi-million-dollar contracts with Trijicon, told ABC News they were unaware of the secret inscriptions and were discussing what they should do about it.
The inscriptions are all references to New Testament passages and appear in the same type font and size as the model number on Trijicon's ACOG (Advanced Combat Optical Guides sights) sights.
One of the coded references reads JN8:12, short for John chapter 8 verse 12. The passage reads: "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."
Other references seen by ABC News were to verses from Second Corinthians, Revelation and the Gospel According to Matthew.
Trijicon put their hands immediately when approached by ABC News. Director of sales Tom Munson said the inscriptions "have always been there". The tradition was begun by the company's founder, Glyn Bindon, a devout Christian who died in a plane crash six years ago.
The company website could hardly be clearer about where Trijicon stands. "Guided by our values, we endeavour to have our products used wherever precision aiming solutions are required to protect individual freedom," it states. "We believe that America is great when its people are good. This goodness has been based on Biblical standards throughout our history, and we will strive to follow those morals."
Munson told ABC News that in his company's view, there was nothing wrong or illegal about adding the inscriptions and said the MRFF was "not Christian".
Weinstein of the MRFF responded: "This is probably the best example of violation of the separation of church and state in this country," said Weinstein. "It's literally pushing fundamentalist Christianity at the point of a gun against the people that we're fighting. We're emboldening an enemy."
No one seems sure where this one will go. But as one observer commented last night, if commanders feel bound to withdraw the sights, or at least order Trijicon to desist, will they also act against those troops who choose to wear a crucifix around their necks? ·
Comments are now closed on this article
Comments
Mr. Stanton.... I don't suppose you've ever heard of the danegeld have you?
as i am a spiritual person,not a religious one i do not feel that it is right that there should any reference to the bible on military items. not to mention the fact that we are a government that is based on "SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE". This is not a jihad for us,we are not in a holy war. we are all free to worship-or not worship as we would like to in this country so i do not feel that it is right to force a soldier who might not believe in Christianity to fight with a weapon that goes against something that he does not believe in. if you were a devout christian would you like to go to your church one day and find out that instead of a christian service you were going to have an Islamic service? i do believe that the govt. knew what the co. was about and that they o.k.ed the deal cause that's what they were looking for.
As an American, I'm disturbed by this but not surprised in the least. It's all part of the "Praise the lord and pass the ammunition" mentality you see a lot. Proof is found with "the sights' manufacturer, Trijicon, a Michigan company that has always operated under Christian ideals." It's not unusual to see the hypocrisy here of a company that makes weapons/weapon parts under the guise of religion. But Christians have been using the religious name for the last couple of thousand years.
This doesn't change my opinion of the war, religion or the USA any more. It confirms it.
This is a Pope Innocent II crossbow.
"will they also act against those troops who choose to wear a crucifix around their necks?"
This is an invalid argument. If a soldier was to wear a crucifix around his neck it would be a personal item. Not all soldiers would wear them. Some would be different. Our enemies do understand we have religions too.
If passages from a religious artifact such as the bible were factory inscribed onto military weapons used to kill the enemy that is a COMPLETELY different story.
Not a very educated closer.
"Separation of church and state" doesn't appear in the US constitution, as Chris Zschokke pointed out, so there is no legal basis to claim these sights are a problem. ABC is wrong to bring the subject up. The US isn't governed by Christian principles - something that the religious right often shouts is a problem - and it is foolish to see every clash of cultures as a holy war.
For you commenting about a lack of Christian morality, consider that the manufacturer is fulfilling this responsibility: Col 3:23
Also consider Matthew 8, where Jesus helps a Centurion and makes no mention of pacifism. That commandment is better understood as "do not murder."
I can't help but wonder with the first quote if the sights were laser sights? That's how I would define irony. Although the hypocrisy of Christianity is part of the reason why I never re-enlisted in the first place. Everyone I knew claimed to be "Good Christians" but wanted to "kill them sand n-------." Thou shalt not kill, and love thy neighbor apparently didn't fit in with it for them.
Who was responsible for?
Has disciplinary action been taken?
Should compensation be made by manufacturers?
Who received delivery, responsibility for checking?
Weapons should have been returned and NOT accepted on delivery.
Obviously, 'AIRHEADS' at work?
Why..?
Just when one think the religious right in amerika couldn't become any weirder, they do. As they lack the gene for irony, one must assume the well known bumper sticker "Who would Jesus Bomb?" is a simple question.
Thanks to Eric Brophy for his illuminating text block. It's precisely his high-and-mighty attitude that gets up our noses in that marginal place not called the USA. America (and its massive arms industry) has no right to claim that it does more to help other countries than any other nation on this planet. We all do what we can, Eric. We just don't make as much of a song-and-dance about it as you yanks do. Put a sock in it.
How pathetic. What ever happened to the ethic "thou shall not kill" in the first place?
Personal possessions that have been accrued by making weapons to kill hardly fits in with that Commandment.
Take a leaf from the Quaker's attitude towards sucour for those damaged by war rather than the undercover way used by the sight manufacturers.
Quite apart from the obvious hypocrisy-I bet there's nothing about "Thou shalt not kill", or anything about loving thy neighbour or turning the other cheek-there is the open goal for Taliban propaganda. The Western coalition is forever denying they are at war with Islam-this is pure gold for the Taliban.
Bigots and hypocrites.
Killing people deliberately and then believing in Jesus.
Prime example of who is living in the dark ages...
I'm fascinated at both the article, and some of the comments. As to the latter, I never get tired of how some of the readers can't resist to work in some Anti-American statement; ironically some of them are Americans who make such statements. That's ok, even though you may not think much of us, we still like you; it's just that we won't really think about you that often until either you, or your countrys' governments step up and take an active role in addressing the World's woes. (By the way, an 'active role' is not sitting back and criticising those who are doing the work; Americans are getting a little tired of 'The no good deed goes unpunished treatment' we get from........well, almost everyone outside the former Soviet Bloc countries.)
As to the topic of the article.....PLEASE! What kind of world do we live in where we have this amount of time to focus on such a non-issue as how are enemy will feel about an inscription on a gun sight? Now, I'm not a member of the Taliban, nor have I ever played one on tv; however, I think that the average "Joe Taliban" is a little more concerned about the bullet. (Call me crazy.) Additionally, I can't help think that this is a case where 'ingnorance is definitely bliss." The average American soldier, and dare I offer.....the average 'European Soldier'......would, at a glance, just assume that is was merely a part of the serial number, rather than some form of 'subliminal Christian proselytizing.' In other words, "Who cares?"
Anyway, I'm off. I have to get supplies to my church's fundraising drive for a Haiti benefit. You all know about Haiti, don't you? That's where they just had a major earthquake, and we horrible, red-necked, "neo-con thugs" (Classy comment, Neil) are sending in our troops to dispense aid, because the UN structure that was there.......one that was HATED by the Haitians.....proved to be impotent. However, we do appreciate all of the comments of support that we're receiving........especially those from 'French Ministers in charge of humanitarian relief.' ;-)
God Bless Texas!
Trijicon's coded bible references probably wouldn't have been a problem, but now that someone has pointed them out...
There's a world of difference between the holy symbols a soldier chooses to wear and the equipment that's issued to him. Not every soldier who uses a Trijicon sight is necessarily a devout christian. Trijicon are guilty of believing that America is the world, as well as the conceit that America was founded on christian principles. America is where it is now through capitalism, something you'd expect a company that makes gun sights to understand and accept.
Trijicon needs to remove all religious references from its products. They are designed to help kill people, an act that pretty much every religion on this planet classes as a sin. Putting bible references on army gun sights is like a medieval blessing on every death they expedite.
Anyone who believes this is a violation of "separation of church and state" is uneducated, and needs to pull up a copy of the constitution and read it.
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . . ."
No law is being passed for Christianity. No movement to establish Christianity as the official religion of the war was proposed or made.
Guns kill the same with or without characters or symbols printed upon them. Print Buddhist mantra, Muslim prayers, or Wiccan chants: I could care less. Just as long as the guns fire correctly.
Who's surprised? The yankee neocon thugs have been killing in the name of their "God" since their illegal war began.