2006年VOA标准英语-Pentagon May Inquire into Evangelical Video

By Jeff Swicord
Washington, D.C.
18 December 2006
 
watch Religion report

Separation of religion and state is one of the founding principles of American democracy.  Recently that constitutional principle has been tested by several high profile events involving conservative evangelical Christians² and the military.  Jeff Swicord reports on the latest incident.

 
"There are over 25,000 Department of Defense³ leaders working in the rings and corridors of the Pentagon.  Through bible studies discipleship⁴, prayer breakfasts and outreach events, Christian¹ Embassy is mustering⁵ these men and women into an intentional⁶ relationship with Jesus Christ."  So begins a promotional video for "Christian Embassy," an Evangelical organization whose ministry⁷ targets high-powered government and military professionals. 

The video has been criticized by a religious freedom watchdog group, which claims it violates the American principle of separation of religion and state.

At a news conference in Washington D.C. the Military Religious Freedom Foundation asked the Pentagon to investigate whether the video appearance of uniformed officers on location at the Pentagon, violates military regulations and the United States Constitution.  Mikey Weinstein, the foundation president, says the video is symptomatic of a larger problem.

 
Mikey Weinstein
"I have received thousands of complaints from people being tormented⁸ all over the world from a radicalized version of Christianity being pushed upon them.  Ninety six percent of the complaints that come to me are from Christians."

According to U.S. military policy on religion, "professionals and especially commanders must not take it upon themselves to change or coercively influence the religious views of subordinates." 

Robert Varney, the Executive Director of Christian Embassy, the organization that produced the video, declined VOA's request for an on-camera interview.  But in a telephone conversation he said, in his words, "Investigations¹⁰ are good. And in the end, the Pentagon investigation⁹ will show there is no merit to the complaint." 

The Reverend MeLinda Morton disagrees.  She is a former Air force chaplain, and works with the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.

 
MeLinda Morton
"It definitely was against regulations and that it demonstrates incredibly poor officership that this never entered their mind.  Well, why doesn't this enter their mind?  Because the whole issue of religiosity in the military has become such a systemic problem.  It has infiltrated¹¹ the military so much, that that is the problem that no one gives this a second thought."

In the video a lieutenant¹² colonel refers to Evangelical Christian officers as being "Godly men," a term Reverend Morton says shows favoritism toward one belief over another. She says this has a coercive effect on subordinates and is bad for moral and order.

Part of the video’s soundtrack provides an example of this problem. "These Godly men are taking godly principles that they are learning in the Christian Embassy Bible studies and they are applying those things to their personal lives.  And as a result they are going to go out and they are going to lead men.  And their soldiers are going to benefit from the fact that these military men who are also Godly men."

"Now you draw a line, a line that is in no way to be drawn¹³ by regulation or by ability.  Suddenly the good officer is the Godly officer.  And the Godly officer is defined in fundamentalist Christian terms."

 
A military field bible
In another segment, a general says when he meets people in his office, he tells them up front that he is a Christian. "I found a wonderful opportunity as a director on the Joint¹⁴ Staff, as I meet the people that come into my directorate, and I tell them right up front who Jack¹⁵ Caton is. And I start with, ‘I am an old fashioned American and my first priority is my faith in God, then my family, and then country.’  I share my faith because it describes who I am.

"That is not the concept of officership that has long been held in the military.  The concept of officership that has long been held in the military held distinct the privilege of separation of church and state.  And said, yes there are things that you bring to the table as an officer, particularly as a senior officer.  And no, you do not share with your staff and with those people who work with you every detail of your personal life."

Christian Embassy has pulled the video from its website.  The group says it will return to the site in the future with a disclaimer stating that nothing in the video is endorsed¹⁶ by the U.S. military.  The Pentagon says it needs more time to determine whether Military Religious Freedoms Foundation complaint warrants an investigation.  The foundation says it is ready to take the issue to the U.S. Supreme¹⁷ Court.  .

All this follows a religious controversy¹⁸ at the U.S. Air Force Academy, in which Evangelical Christians were accused of bullying¹⁹ cadets of other faiths. 

1 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

2 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

3 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

4 discipleship   

n.做弟子的身份（期间）

参考例句：

• Teaching the Bible through seminars, workshops, discipleship, home cell groups, and books. 透过举办研讨会、工作坊、门徒训练、家庭小组和出办书籍教导圣经。 来自互联网
• Our popular PP959 radio show and podcast is another example of our integrated discipleship ministry. 我们广受欢迎的[霹啪959]电台广播节目和网上播客也是我们整全门训事工的表表者。 来自互联网

5 mustering   

v.集合，召集，集结（尤指部队）( muster的现在分词 )；（自他人处）搜集某事物；聚集；激发

参考例句：

• He paused again, mustering his strength and thoughts. 他又停下来，集中力量，聚精会神。 来自辞典例句
• The LORD Almighty is mustering an army for war. 这是万军之耶和华点齐军队，预备打仗。 来自互联网

6 intentional   

adj.故意的，有意（识）的

参考例句：

• Let me assure you that it was not intentional.我向你保证那不是故意的。
• His insult was intentional.他的侮辱是有意的。

7 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

8 tormented   

饱受折磨的

参考例句：

• The knowledge of his guilt tormented him. 知道了自己的罪责使他非常痛苦。
• He had lain awake all night, tormented by jealousy. 他彻夜未眠，深受嫉妒的折磨。

9 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

10 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

11 infiltrated   

adj.[医]浸润的v.（使）渗透，（指思想）渗入人的心中( infiltrate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The headquarters had been infiltrated by enemy spies. 总部混入了敌方特务。
• Many Chinese idioms have infiltrated into the Japanese language. 许多中国成语浸透到日语中。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

12 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

13 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

14 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

15 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

16 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

18 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

19 bullying   

v.恐吓，威逼( bully的现在分词 )；豪；跋扈

参考例句：

• Many cases of bullying go unreported . 很多恐吓案件都没有人告发。
• All cases of bullying will be severely dealt with. 所有以大欺小的情况都将受到严肃处理。 来自《简明英汉词典》