US Army brands Walt and Ed. "extremists"

Yes, dear readers, we've finally been outed. Walt [and Ed. Ed.] are members of a group of dangerous extremists. So says "Extremism and Extremist Organizations" -- a slide presentation used in training US Army Reserves in Pennsylvania.

Please don't check your calendar. April Fools Day has come and gone, but this Army training material is real! Click on the link and check it out for yourself. Scroll through to Slide 24 and you'll find a list of 17 forms or types of "religious extremism", such as the Ku Klux Klan and National of Islam. Also included are "Catholicism" and -- at the top of the list, no less "evangelical Christianity".

The text below the slide explains that “Every religion has some followers that believe that their beliefs, customs, and traditions are the only ‘right way’ and that all others are practicing their faith ‘the wrong way,’ seeing and believing that their faith/religion superior to all others.” [sic]

Well, DUH. If you don't believe your faith is "the right way", then why would you hold to that faith? Practising Christians -- and Jews and Muslims and Hindus and so forth -- cling to the tenets and practices of their religions precisely because they believe that doing so will make them better people/please God/save their souls/whatever. That's what they -- I should say "we" -- believe.

Last time I looked at the Constitution of the US of A -- not to mention that of other so-called "Christian" nations -- freedom of religion was guaranteed. An American, Aussie, Brit or Canuck [That's enough citizenships. Ed.] is free to believe whatever he or she pleases...even if he or she is wrong.

You would think, wouldn't you, that the Army of the US of A would be required to uphold and protect the principle of religious freedom. Apparently not. Slide 4 says, “Extremist organizations’ goals are inconsistent with the Army’s goals, beliefs, and values with regard to equal opportunity.”

Which means that, in the words of Slide 5, "Soldiers are prohibited from participating in an extremist organization’s public demonstration or rally, taking a visible leadership role in the organization, or distributing literature on behalf of the organization." That part about "a visible leadership role" would seem to place Army chaplains in an invidious position, to say the least. And God help the evangelical Christian soldier who distributes Bibles!

The slide presentation prompted a protest from the (US) Archdiocese for the Military Services. Its call for a review of Army training materials states "The Archdiocese is astounded that Catholics were listed alongside groups that are, by their very mission and nature, violent and extremist." Sounds to Walt like that's extremist language right there!

What the slide presentation really is is yet another example of the aggressive secularism and extreme political correctness which permeates the US government -- every root and every branch -- under Barack Hussein Obama.

The Archdiocese "calls on the Department of Defense to review these materials and to ensure that taxpayer funds are never again used to present blatantly anti-religious material to the men and women in uniform." If you're American and you agree, write to your Congressperson... as if it will do any good.

Footnote: According to Slide 24, "Mormans" [sic] are extremists too. Walt and Ed. are not "Mormans" or even "Mormons". And we wish they'd stop knocking on the door of our log cabin. But we think they're entitled to believe in the golden plates and all that without being demonized by the US Army.