(CNN) - A manufacturer that has been inscribing Bible references on rifle sights used by U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan announced Thursday that it will stop putting scripture references on products the U.S. military uses.
Gen. David Petraeus, commander of United States Central Command, said Wednesday - apparently before learning of the company's announcement - that the references were a "big concern" to the U.S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps, which have contracts for the scopes.
"I hope you can sense ... this is of serious concern to me and the other commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan because it can indeed create a perception that is absolutely contrary to what it is that we have sought to do," he said.
He said U.S. troops are much more sensitive "about this kind of thing," apparently, than is the contractor involved.
From CNN Politics
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I am not against religion or God, but this was an awful thing to do because both President Bush and President Obama have tried to tell our friends in the mideast that we are at war with terrorists and Al Queda, but not at war with Islam....how does this look now for this company to undermine that message by inscribing weapons with Christian Bible Verses?
SHAME!
A friend in the US Military fighting for us (U.S. of A.) as I write this, is an atheist. He would not be their if this was considered a Holy War. It is a war on Terrorism for believers of all faiths that have been threatened around the world. I am glad these inscriptions will be removed from our freedom fighter's weapons. How embarrassing for our country once again in the eyes of the world.
Why does this company have a military contract?!?! Oh, and Jesus was anti-war!
Oh, this is ridiculous... the reference numbers were at the end of the serial numbers in a very inconspicuous place. The company has been putting them there for years and it is just now an issue. How are the terrorists going to know what that means unless they are reading the Bible and make the connnection. Come on.... we ARE a Christian nation......
This is NOT a holy war and we don't want it to go there... that's why they should be taken off. We aren't fighting for Christianity or as Christians... we are fighting terrorism of any religion.
How about the Christians get their own Army together and fight this Holy War if that is what this war is all about. Those that don't believe in Christianity will not have to die for something they do not believe in.
Oh, dear, I've read the comments and have to wonder where all of the red.necks came from. Hullo?
Soldiers fighting in the name of Religion inscribe scripture on their sights. Soldiers fighting in the name of the United States (Home of Freedom of Religion) DO NOT inscribe scripture on their sights.
Who really cares anyway.
It's all the same murder, no matter what scope you're using.
I bet if it were a reference to the Koran, there wouldn't be an issue, huh? Once again....caving in to the whims of the radical muslims...CAIR must have been whining.
Wow. How stupid can you get. "No no, it's not a holy war against muslims, I just happen to have 'John 3:16' or some similary idiotic fundy nonsense emblazoned on the exact part of my weapon that I use to aim it at muslims and take accurate shots....it's just a coincidence, I swear."
Let's see what the right says about this. Can't believe a company wuld do this.
So what the right wingers are sayin' is "Kill an Islamic guy for Jesus," Wow, that's really Christian. Jesus does not belong on a gun, it's sacrilegious.
This has nothing to do with not offending Muslims and everything to do with upholding the First Amendment of our Constitution, which prohibits the government establishing a religion:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; ..."
As an American, I chose to uphold our Constitution.
Would you like a rifle with a quotation from the Book of Wicca? The Koran? Perhaps a picture of a Tarot Card? A quotation from the Book of Mormon? Personally, I don't care. If my rifle shoots, I'm ok with it.
You evangelical folks have come up with a variation on Christian theology that is completely new. Christians in other centuries did not worship or believe like you do. The two largest religious groups in the US are (1) Roman Catholics and (2) secular non-believers. While you may be filled with the Holy Spirit, your strange religion is newer than Mormonism. Just because you call your gods by the names of God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, and Satan does not give you any special ownership of Christianity.
I'm a Christian, and I don't like a bunch of evangelical nonsense to be forced into the public square. You folks know as much about Christianity as a dog knows about fuel injection.
I would like to purchase one of these scopes that have the biblical inscription of them
Nazi soldiers had "God with Us" on their beltbuckles. Seems a popular thing to do.
Company to stop putting biblical references on military scopes
Who would Jesus bomb?
Like the shaman performing rituals over arrowheads, the superstition continues. This makes me recall a photo from a previous war in which you can see clergy blessing bombs before they are loaded into the aircraft. If a war can't be justified as self defense, there's always the old "God is on our side" motto that has worked for thousands of years, usually by both sides of any conflict. The Prince of Peace must be truly puzzled.
According to the shrub, they were "christian soldiers marching off to war..."
As new convert to christianity I find it hard to believe that a christian in his right sense will do what is commonly attributed to an unbeliever. I embraced christianity because of it respect for mankind, please Trijicom should not turn our divine faith to that of the others.
As new convert to christianity I find it hard to believe that a christian in his right sense will do what is commonly attributed to an unbeliever. I embraced christianity because of it respect for mankind, please Trijicom should not turn our divine faith to that of the others.
We should remove the inscriptions when the bombers stop shouting GOD Is Great.
We certainly would not want God on our side or offend any of our enemies.
What is this, the Crusades?
Why don't they just chant "Bless me oh God to kill in righteousness because I believe in Jesus and therefore am a better person than the enemy".
Give me a break.
Whatever happened to religious tolerance in this country. It's like we don't actually believe our Constitution. How sad.
If the army doesn't want scripture on new scopes, fine. But don't scrap the ones already in use. Stop the hype and get rational.
Uhhh...you idiots do realize that many of this country's soldiers are not christians, right?