Democracy for Vancouver

Operation Stand Up, an official arm of the Defense Department's America Supports You program, is an evangelical Christian group committed to providing entertainment to the troops in Iraq.  They are planning to send, with the blessing of the Department of Defense, a new video game called, "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" to Soldiers serving in Iraq.  The game is a real-time strategy game set in NYC, during the Apocalypse, where a Christian para-military group is charged by God to convert or kill Catholics, Jews, and Muslims in order to win the game.  In addition the group is planning their "military crusade" throughout the middle eastern theater of operations in which they claim:

"We feel the forces of heaven have encouraged us to perform multiple crusades that will sweep through this war torn region," OSU declares on its website about its planned trip to Iraq. "We'll hold the only religious crusade of its size in the dangerous land of Iraq."

This follows a recent report by DoD Inspector General, about senior military leadership appearing in uniform on video, endorsing the views of another evangelical group called Christian Embassy.

If this were a matter of 1st Amendment rights and choice then I wouldn't be so concerned, but the Pentagon decides what form of media the troops can and can't have in Iraq.  In Iraq, you get Armed Forces Network for T.V. and limited access to the internet.  You are not allowed to possess, view or read pornography.  Nor can you drink alcohol.  I'm not arguing the validity of these measure, after all it is a marshal society, however, the reason for prohibition of alcohol and pornography in Iraq is due to the religious considerations of the host nation.

We can conclude that by condoning this, the Department of Defense has firmed up the claims of religious clerics that there is a need to wage "jihad" on the "crusaders" in their country and abroad.

I suppose they had better modify the Oath of Enlistment to be more accurate:  I, Joe Snuffy, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Religion of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the preachings of evangelical Christian leaders.

So help me God