President, Military Religious Freedom Foundation
President of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation and co-author of With God on Our Side: One Man's War Against an Evangelical Coup in America's Military; former White House counsel in the Reagan administration and former general counsel to Ross Perot
Religion and Warfare: Does God Choose Sides? A Senate committee is conducting a high profile investigation into the Fort Hood shootings, and the Pentagon is investigating the extent of Islamic radicalism in the military. Meantime, others warn about the growing presence of another kind of widespread religious fundamentalism that's not just condoned, but encouraged by some senior officers: evangelical Christians who proselytize soldiers, Marines and sailors--promoting the idea of "holy war." Critics concede that Evangelicals don't advocate killing, but contend that they undermine military morale and send the wrong message in Muslim countries. We talk about the separation of Church and State, freedom of speech and the impact of religious fundamentalism on national security.
Could the Fort Hood Shootings Have Been Prevented? President Obama attended services at Fort Hood today for the 13 victims of last week's shootings. The alleged killer, Major Nidal Hasan, is recovering from his own wounds and has yet to be charged. In the meantime, it's reported that the FBI and Army intelligence investigated contacts between Hasan and a militant Islamist cleric who is calling Hasan "a hero."
Could the Fort Hood Shootings Have Been Prevented? President Obama attended services at Fort Hood today for the 13 victims of last week's shootings. Major Nidal Hasan is recovering from his own wounds and has yet to be charged. In the meantime, it's reported that the FBI and Army intelligence investigated contacts between the alleged shooter and a militant Islamist cleric who is calling him "a hero." Why did the FBI and the Army decide not to pursue his contacts the cleric? Did they know that Hasan warned fellow officers that Muslim soldiers could be dangerous because of conflicts about fighting in Muslim countries? Is al Qaeda telling Muslim soldiers to commit violence? Do they face discrimination, especially where Christian fundamentalism is widespread?
Christianity in the Military The Hammer Museum in Westwood tonight is hosting Mikey Weinstein , who claims that fundamentalist Christians are indoctrinating cadets at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. He’s threatened to sue the Army over the chaplain’s Website at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Weinstein was a Judge Advocate General in the Air and an attorney in the Reagan Administration and is coauthor of “With God on Our Side: One Man’s War Against an Evangelical Coup in America’s Military”.
Janesville and the American Dream Janesville, Wisconsin is the hometown of Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. But he couldn’t prevent the closing of the General Motors factory after 100 years. On this Memorial Day rebroadcast of To the Point, we hear what’s happened to what once was a model of American middle-class unity.
Trump's 'America First' goes missing abroad In the Middle East, President Trump is changing some policies of the Obama Administration—and reversing his own campaign attacks on Islam as a religion that "hates us." We hear about his visit to Saudi Arabia and what's at stake for the rest of his foreign excursion.
What happens when America retreats from the world? Is President Trump taking his "America First" agenda to extremes, withdrawing the country from the international stage on trade and climate change, distancing America from its traditional allies across the Atlantic and even threatening to physically isolate the country through the building of a wall along its southern border? León Krauze guest hosts.
The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?