Photo: Air Force Lt. Gen. Ronnie Hawkins 3-Star Ripped For Presentation Referencing God -- Army Times
Air Force Lt. Gen. Ronnie Hawkins, the new head of the Defense Information Systems Agency, is under fire for a commander’s call Wednesday that included references to God. But Hawkins, who just took over the directorship of DISA in January, said his presentation has been taken out of context.
As part of an all-hands meeting with DISA employees, Hawkins apparently showed a power point presentation that contained two slides titled “Ronnie’s Rules” that outline 18 priorites, the first and last of which are “Always put God first, and stay within His will” and “Always remember God is good — all the time!”
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Update: Defending Air Force Lt. General Ronnie D. Hawkins: Under fire for invoking God -- Washington Times
My Comment: OK .... if I can do the mental leap of ignoring U.S. military history since the Revolution .... and that God was never referenced by .... say .... every Commander in Chief since then .... and that phrases like .... 'God Bless the U.S.A.' .... and scores of others have never been uttered by a man in uniform .... the case can then made that Air Force Lt. Gen. Ronnie Hawkins is breaking with precedent by referencing God and he should be reprimanded.
Otherwise .... to those who are demanding Air Force Lt. Gen. Ronnie Hawkins court martial .... I say .... Go To Hell.
5 comments:
You either believe that military personnel conduct themselves in the performance of their governmental duties according to a set of rules, or you don't. The fact that historic figures are guilty of this doesn't justify it's perpetuation. Personal beliefs (that give preference to one religion over an other by the organs of state, for instance) have no place in their professional conduct.
Thank you Liam for your comment.
I always enjoy reading the opinions of my readers who disagree with the opinions of others .... which in our case is George Washington, John Adams, Abraham Lincoln, FDR ....
Greetings! There is much to say here, but Abraham Lincoln never joined any church, as far as I know. I find slightly degrading to witness people praying before meetings or gatherings! Since that presupposes God will not only stop what he is doing & listen, but intervene in a manner that pleases you.
But Hawkins presumably prayed to a specific God. He did not invoke Allah, Anobis, Thor etc ... and which of the 20,000 denominations of Christianity did he invoke. Secularists simply ask government get out of giving preference to religion in any way - and let personal faith remain precisely that. Religion and political power must never be reconciled.
Btw, I like your blog. :)
Thanks Liam for your comment and support.
I agree that we can spend a lot of time discussing this. I came from a life experience that (I suspect) is a little bit different than yours (I grew up in the Cold War/Soviet Union), and it is from this life experience of growing up under a government that had a very secularist point of view that has shaped my point of view .... i.e. a contrary point of view. I guess that is why I find America's founding fathers so fascinating .... they were unique in being able to tie in God and freedom within government .... and then followed through by other Presidents. See the following http://warnewsupdates.blogspot.com/2012/02/us-presidents-opinions-on-god-on.html
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech . . ."
Again, the Constitution ensures that our right to freely exercise our religious beliefs (as the Declaration said -- "unalienable", "endowed by our Creator") shall not be abridged by the federal government. This is what Thomas Jefferson was saying when he replied to the Danbury Baptists in Connecticut, the source of the oft-out-of-context quote about the wall of separation between church & state.
We are ensured freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. My faithful belief in God should not be restricted publically condemned by your faithful belief that there is no God.
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