Politics

Secret Jesus Codes on U.S. Military Weapons

By Anne Landman

ABC News revealed that Trijicon, the company that provides high-powered rifle sights to the U.S. military, inscribes the sights with coded references to biblical texts about Jesus Christ. The company inscribes the codes immediately after the model number, in the same font and type size. For example, "2COR4:6" points to Second Corinthians chapter 4, verse 6 of the New Testament, which reads, "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of the darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." Another code, "JN8:12," refers to John chapter 8, verse 12, which reads, "Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." Trijicon confirms that it intentionally adds biblical codes to gun sights it sells to the U.S. military, which in turn uses the guns in Iraq and Afghanistan, even though members of the U.S military are strictly prohibited from proselytizing. Michael "Mikey" Weinstein, a former Air Force officer who represents the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, a group that advocates for separation of church and state in the U.S. military, says the practice violates the Constitution. "This is probably the best example of violation of the separation of church and state in this country," Weinstein said. "It's literally pushing fundamentalist Christianity at the point of a gun against the people that we're fighting ... it allows the Mujahadeen, the Taliban, al Qaeda and the insurrectionists and jihadists to claim they're being shot by Jesus rifles ..." In 2005, Trijicon won a $660 million, long-term contract to supply the scopes to the Marine Corps. Spokespeople for the Army and the Marine Corps denied knowing about the biblical markings, even though numerous discussions have appeared about them in Internet talk forums and on YouTube since 2006.

Full post as published by PR Watch on January 19, 2010 (boomark / email).