Coded references to New Testament Bible passages about Jesus Christ are inscribed on high-powered rifle sights provided to the United States military by a Michigan company, an ABC News investigation has found.
The sights are used by U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and in the training of Iraqi and Afghan soldiers. The maker of the sights, Trijicon, has a $660 million multi-year contract to provide up to 800,000 sights to the Marine Corps, and additional contracts to provide sights to the U.S. Army.
U.S. military rules specifically prohibit the proselytizing of any religion in Iraq or Afghanistan and were drawn up in order to prevent criticism that the U.S. was embarked on a religious “Crusade” in its war against al Qaeda and Iraqi insurgents.
Personally, I have ‘Ia! Ia! Shub-Niggurath!’ inscribed on my underpants.
-so they’ve known about this since 2003 and they pick now to release this?
This is just another Illuminati/ Council of 12/MJ12 message toying with the public. They do this all the time with budget numbers. it’s part of their “hide it in plain sight” numerology message nonsense..
yooohooo, wake up people…. This is another scripted distraction, people. this what we get for letting freaks run our government and military.
this has all happened before and will happen again.
-s
BTW==just what is “the symbolism” of the cross, more specifically, Jesus having to carry it? Carrying the means of his own destruction?
Be nice to line that up with the excellent image leading this thread.
One modern allusion would be Christ carrying the burden/evil of mankind but I don’t think that was the original meaning which is the only fair starting point.
#29 – Ah_Yea – Someone was asleep at the switch.
You’d be surprised about the efficiency in the Government. They probably spend ten meetings on discussing the color of the sights. Another seven meetings, determining which direction to put the sight. Und so weiter…
Some of the comments on the ABC site are scary. There are people who don’t know that the OFFICIAL use of “In God We Trust” or “So Help Me God” only goes back as far as the 1950s, when you were in a Cold War against the “Godless Commies”. Now that the Cold War is over, and you’re facing enemies who use religion as a pretext for atrocities, you’d think US Govt. would know to drop the religious symbolism from their official activities.
Yes, I know that the majority of Americans are Christians, but when you are representing your country in a foreign country – even on the other side of the gun – you should embody the principles on which your country was founded. In the case of the USA, according to your Constitution and Bill of Rights, those are Enlightenment / Secular principles.
Yes, I know your Muslim enemies won’t know about the the references, not unless someone tells them about it – for example, if a major news outlet picks up on it. (Whoops.) Congratulations: US forces are now Crusaders in the eyes of Muslims everywhere, regardless of what they believe individually.
And then there are people who don’t know that “Muslim enemies” would be doubly freaked and empowered by the thought of a Godless USA.
RBG
Nothing new here.
The US military has been using religion as a crutch since the days of Washington.
I mean hell they even had the song Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition in WWII.
Even though Jesus and the letters of Paul are strongly against war of the flesh, humans don’t care. Religion is just a scapegoat.
Cursor_
Just where Jesus, the prince of peace, would want his messages coded, right? On >HUGELY< overpriced rifle sights.
The inmates have taken over the asylum. Perhaps the surviving nut cases in the former Trijicon owner's family of fellow religious fanatics should take his plane crash death in 2003 as a sign that they just might be worshiping the _wrong_ god? Nah, they're too selective with their nuttiness.
Pardon me while I talk with the Flying Spaghetti Monster hovering outside my window……. We both agree that Trijicon should replace every one of these sights at no cost and not be allowed to double the price of future sights to compensate.
Jesus Fucking Christ.
I’m sick of these religious freaks and their invisible magical sky gods….all of them. Left right and center. There are NOT magical invisible beings floating in the sky telling us whether or not we can work on Sunday or eat bacon. Grow up.
Jesus loves the little children
All the little children world
Whether yellow, black or white
They are precious in his sight …
Bang!
Is this a way of this manufacturer to stay in business, by getting this point out in the media? Once the enemy finds out, won’t it breed countless new enemies, if they think it’s a Christian vs. Muslim thing?
#40, Rabble Rouser… good point.
I am therefore assuring all Muslims out there, that the Bible references on the gun sights are meant as a DETERRENT to pull the trigger.
They are a reminder of the LOVE and FORGIVENESS of the Christian faith, and their sole purpose is for GOOD WILL between Muslims and Christians. All soldiers of Christian faith believe “thou shall not murder” and will not shoot unless they are shot at first. That way, only Allah will determine who deserves death.
Religion has been the root cause of war for thousands of years so whats the big deal. Religion loves death and destruction so it is appropriate. God loves war and Christians love misery so it goes hand and hand.
#39 sung to the old vietnam era tune napalm sticks to little children. Yes I am that old.
This is America, Get over it!!!
“The right to freedom being the gift of the Almighty…The rights of the colonists as Christians…may be best understood by reading and carefully studying the institution of The Great Law Giver and Head of the Christian Church, which are to be found clearly written and promulgated in the New Testament.” -Samuel Adams
“Almighty God…I yield thee humble and hearty thanks that thou has preserved me from the danger of the night past, and brought me to the light of the day, and the comforts thereof, a day which is consecrated to thine own service and for thine own honor. Let my heart, therefore, Gracious God, be so affected with the glory and majesty of it, that I may not do mine own works, but wait on thee, and discharge those weighty duties thou requirest of me. Give me grace to hear thee calling on me in thy word, that it may be wisdom, righteousness, reconciliation and peace to the saving of the soul in the day of the Lord Jesus. Grant that I may hear it with reverence, receive it with meekness, mingle it with faith, and that it may accomplish in me, Gracious God, the good work for which thou has sent it. Bless my family, kindred, friends and country, be our God and guide this day and for ever for His sake, who lay down in the Grave and arose again for us, Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.” -From the Prayer Journal of George Washington
This story must be from another sight manufacturer that wants the Marines to use their sights. Thanks CBS, and ABC for falling for the BS and putting a bigger target on our service personnel.
#42 hyperkinetic
Bullshit – greed, lust, power, even love, those are just a few of the reasons behind all war and misery.
Looks like ‘In God We Trust’ has been used as a motto for a long time:
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/97/Tradedollar.jpg
#10 Bobo if I were just like them you would be dead or at least on a needs to die list. Since you aren’t and I wish you well you know you are full of BS. The proof is you are alive and my good wishes. I even enjoy your posts though I doubt if you would enjoy how I regard some of them.
Bobo, As long as you haven’t read a translation of the Bible or Koran or paid any attention to what any of the adherents of either faith profess your views are going to continue to show exactly what you do know.
Keep on posting. Freedom of speech is a wonderful thing. You have said some insightful things.
#35 has a point. While Jews and Christians are regarded as misguided followers of Allah along with a dead or nearly dead religion I am less well informed about and can be tolerated at least as long as they stay out of the way and pay the required tax nobody else is covered at least in the early texts I’ve read.
This does not mean that all Muslims are out to get anybody. Allah is about love and some more moderate types do attempt to live up to that.
However all good Muslims have to give at least lip service to Jihad. Mohammad speaking for Allah declared it. Nobody can undo that and a devote person isn’t going to want to.
May Allah/God bless and keep you.
46 deowll. Agreed. And why I have “Muslim enemies” in quotes to differentiate from the moderate Muslims. My understanding is that many or most moderate Muslims consider the extremists not to even be real Muslims.
My understanding is that Jihad is supposed to have more to do with the internal struggle to understand God’s wishes.
RBG
It’s a COMPANY slogan thing, but not proselytizing. Stupid of them to leave it on combat gear. Biblical references are somewhat unavoidable, given the history of a culture.
For instance, it’s a federal offense to speak the joke, “Trust in Moses’ blood,” on C-Span.
So if they put an * in place of a letter similar to the acceptable “f*ck”, would that make everyone happy? Then what if the “code” had all the letters and numbers advanced by one?
How about if the logo was a woman with her legs spread wide apart but not so you could actually see anything? Wink-wink. Oh, that’s already taken by Starbucks.
Then maybe just put on the company name since everyone now knows that it equates to a God-fearing company attempting to get a message out. Plus a “f*ck y*u.”
RBG
Those guns belong to the government, not the soldiers. Unfortunately our military and our government is full of religious nuts. Remember the “revelation” (ahem) that Bush always had a cover page over his war progress reports with bible quotes on them?
Remember the good old days when we killed a helpless 3rd world enemy for simply money or resources?
Still, you might not want to do without those religious nuts protecting your ass. A 2001 study showed that 68% of US military personnel were Christian, 21% atheist/no religion, 11% other.
Now consider the sum total of benefit and advantage on a battlefield where 68% of the combatants derive significant motivation and comfort while the 21% comprising “no religion,” in theory, might be merely irritated mainly on political grounds. Where 68% of the combatants must think of their immediate Christian afterlife.
As an atheist in a fox hole, I’d be thinking “more power to you bro” instead of contemplating the constitutional ramifications.
Besides, every soldier knows they should have “faith in their weapons systems.”
RBG
Company to Remove Bible References From Combat Rifles
http://tinyurl.com/ye5q8ua