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News & ArtsMonday, January 18, 2010
War Holy War
Posted by Dominic Holden on Mon, Jan 18, 2010 at 9:00 PM
Weapons of mass religion:
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. ...
One of the citations on the gun sights, 2COR4:6, is an apparent reference to Second Corinthians 4:6 of the New Testament, which reads: "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."
The biblical references appear in the same type font and size as the model numbers on the company's Advanced Combat Optical Guides, called the ACOG.
Apparently "the light to shine out of darkness" into "our hearts" is lethal. Thanks, Jesus.
1
The inscription should be MT26:52.
Matthew 26:52
"Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword."
Matthew 26:52
2
The passage makes sense if you did a little research and realized this company makes sights with tritium compound that glow in the dark. You could go all christ conspiracy, or just realize its how they mark their products.
Ever read the side of a Dr Bronners bottle?
The bible is a pretty well read work, its going to come up from time to time when someone feels clever.
Ever read the side of a Dr Bronners bottle?
The bible is a pretty well read work, its going to come up from time to time when someone feels clever.
3
God has a hard-on for Marines because we kill everything we see! He plays His games, we play ours! To show our appreciation for so much power, we keep heaven packed with fresh souls! God was here before the Marine Corps! So you can give your heart to Jesus, but your ass belongs to the Corps! Do you ladies understand?
5
Sir, yes Sir!
(There's also the barracks scene with where Hartman goes off on Joker for not believing in the Virgin Mary, but winds up promoting him for having the guts to admit it. And who can forget "Happy Birthday Dear Jesus"?)
They've been doing that prosthelytizing thing in the military for awhile, but it got a lot more in-your-face under Bush.
(There's also the barracks scene with where Hartman goes off on Joker for not believing in the Virgin Mary, but winds up promoting him for having the guts to admit it. And who can forget "Happy Birthday Dear Jesus"?)
They've been doing that prosthelytizing thing in the military for awhile, but it got a lot more in-your-face under Bush.
7
This is just so... so farcical. It's like life imitating a Dan Brown book.
I mean, really? The conspiratorial profiteers are so smug about their sinecures in the military-industrial complex that they're putting coded clues on their products? Is the Riddler the CEO of Trijicon? For fuck's sake. I mean, honestly, I'm half inclined to call bullshit. This is too much.
I mean, really? The conspiratorial profiteers are so smug about their sinecures in the military-industrial complex that they're putting coded clues on their products? Is the Riddler the CEO of Trijicon? For fuck's sake. I mean, honestly, I'm half inclined to call bullshit. This is too much.
8
Trijicon makes nice stuff. I have their night sights on my Colt 1911 and on my Walther P99, helps with taking out the garbage after dark. I wish I had the cash to put an ACOG on my AR15.
10
@9 Uh... no? Duh. You're kidding, right? Not actually a serious question you thought about, right?
Clearly the biblical reference is inscribed for free.
Just like those Bibles in hotel rooms? Also free.
References to God on all your dollar bills? Free.
You'll pay your taxes and you'll like it.
Clearly the biblical reference is inscribed for free.
Just like those Bibles in hotel rooms? Also free.
References to God on all your dollar bills? Free.
You'll pay your taxes and you'll like it.
11
Excuse me, all you great "Christians" who don't see the big deal with these sights, YOUR NOT THE ONLY ONES IN THIS COUNTRY! The USA was not founded as a "Christian" country. Its just not true. You can say it over and over again but the majority of our founders were not Christian they were Deists. Even if they were, just because the founders of a country are of a certain religon that doesn't make the country that religion. Israel is a Jewish nation because its WRITTEN in its CONSTITUTION and its laws. I and my fellow Jews, Buddhists, Muslims, Hindu's, and Sikh's are not pleased with this, especially considering the way we are treated in the military already. The main group of founders knew that if they founded the US as a "Christian" nation we would spend the next 200 years fighting about what a Christian was. This is an insult to myself and the rest of my co-religionists whether they serve like me or not.
12
This little fucked-up tidbit will keep the terrorist wannabes in fine fighting form for some more decades. Thanks, fuckwits! Jeebus ruulez!
19
I'd put Jesus in my crosshairs any ol' time, I mean shit, he knows his around a cross and he was probably pretty hairy.
24
This is a better inscription. ISA. 2:10b
They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation nor will they train for war anymore.
Isaiah 2:10b
They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation nor will they train for war anymore.
Isaiah 2:10b
25
or the classy and classic Malachi 2:3...
"Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it."
"Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it."
26
@25, THAT'S my favorite Bible verse. It just shows how much love Jesus is all about.
But seriously, we really haven't changed much since the religious wars of the 16th and 17th centuries. We just have much better weapons.
But seriously, we really haven't changed much since the religious wars of the 16th and 17th centuries. We just have much better weapons.
27
@16
Perhaps you mean that people who build and use the tools of war are No True Scotsmen.
Google it. Educate yourself.
Perhaps you mean that people who build and use the tools of war are No True Scotsmen.
Google it. Educate yourself.
28
@1 and @24: You know those're just passages added by liberals to corrupt and emasculate God's message, right? That the real Jesus is wholly behind this push?
30
And they WOULD have gotten away with it...
If it weren't for you dripping atheists with your panties all in a bunch.
Seriously. Since when did you people give a fuck about rifle scopes?
If there had been a skull-and-crossbones emblazoned on the side of these things, would you all be screeching how this advocates being a pirate?
Or what if it had been Superman's chest emblem? Proof that our military unfairly supports Krypton?
Or how about Calvin pissing on a Arabic prisoner? Well, okay... that would be offensive. Forget that one.
If it weren't for you dripping atheists with your panties all in a bunch.
Seriously. Since when did you people give a fuck about rifle scopes?
If there had been a skull-and-crossbones emblazoned on the side of these things, would you all be screeching how this advocates being a pirate?
Or what if it had been Superman's chest emblem? Proof that our military unfairly supports Krypton?
Or how about Calvin pissing on a Arabic prisoner? Well, okay... that would be offensive. Forget that one.
31
@ 28,
I put that "liberal" verse in, and it had nothing on it. Nothing, not a complaint, nor a correction, simply nothing. It would seem they have yet to identify that particular corruption, perhaps, they are behind on their ancient Hebrew?
I put that "liberal" verse in, and it had nothing on it. Nothing, not a complaint, nor a correction, simply nothing. It would seem they have yet to identify that particular corruption, perhaps, they are behind on their ancient Hebrew?
33
@11 has pointed out one really problematic aspect of this. Of course, it's also good propaganda fuel for our enemies, who need to paint us as crusaders so they can be heroic resistors. And furthermore military contractors shouldn't be proselytizing to our troops, it's tacky and un-American.
36
I think I had two massive eye-rolls at this story: one that it happened, two that Maddow called it "unconstitutional".
My once favorite political personality has dumbed herself down for the TV crowd.
My once favorite political personality has dumbed herself down for the TV crowd.
37
Y'know, I'm not feeling the dastardliness of this deed.
If Trijicon got the contract (over competing optics manufacturers) because of its Christian associations, there might be a problem.
If Trijicon put the bible codes on only the DoD purchased ACOG scopes (and not civilian-purchased ACOGs), there might be a problem.
If Trijicon only put the bible codes on the scopes once the model was tapped as a DoD purchase, there might be a problem.
So far, none of these have necessarily proven to be the case, and it's no more offensive than dropping miniaturized bibles in MREs or GI field kits (where they have appeared). The only legitimate complaint I can see (so far) is that the bible codes may go against the DoD policy of religious neutrality to avoid arming the recruiters with new ammo, but I bet terrorist recruitment tactics don't care whether their promises and accusations are true. As far as they're concerned, we have teams of slaves etching PRAISE JESUS onto every bullet.
It also doesn't stop the enemy from picking up the scope and using it themselves.
Reading the enthusiast dialogs, only some the verses for what they were. Almost everyone just thinks it's a decent scope. One astute observer noticed the passages all reference light, which puts this more in the realm of war magic than proselytization.
If Trijicon got the contract (over competing optics manufacturers) because of its Christian associations, there might be a problem.
If Trijicon put the bible codes on only the DoD purchased ACOG scopes (and not civilian-purchased ACOGs), there might be a problem.
If Trijicon only put the bible codes on the scopes once the model was tapped as a DoD purchase, there might be a problem.
So far, none of these have necessarily proven to be the case, and it's no more offensive than dropping miniaturized bibles in MREs or GI field kits (where they have appeared). The only legitimate complaint I can see (so far) is that the bible codes may go against the DoD policy of religious neutrality to avoid arming the recruiters with new ammo, but I bet terrorist recruitment tactics don't care whether their promises and accusations are true. As far as they're concerned, we have teams of slaves etching PRAISE JESUS onto every bullet.
It also doesn't stop the enemy from picking up the scope and using it themselves.
Reading the enthusiast dialogs, only some the verses for what they were. Almost everyone just thinks it's a decent scope. One astute observer noticed the passages all reference light, which puts this more in the realm of war magic than proselytization.
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