US Military & Christian Reality TV Show + Joel's Army

Has anyone here heard anything about this?
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http://www.pubrecord.org/religion/565-military-entangled-in-extreme-missionary-christian-reality-tv-show.html

US Military Entangled in 'Extreme' Missionary Christian Reality TV Show

(excerpted from article)
"But it’s the military chaplains who have been criticized for allegedly force-feeding soldiers a form of fundamentalist Christianity originating from highly controversial, apocalyptic "End Times" evangelists and their mega-churches. Evangelical Christians have become such a dominating presence in the military’s chaplain corps that the Air Force held a four-day Spiritual Fitness Conference at Hilton Hotel in Colorado Springs in 2005 for chaplains and their families.

The U.S. Constitution says the federal government is prohibited from using the machinery of the state to promote any single religion. But, disturbingly, “God’s Soldier,” produced with the full co-operation of the 2-27 Infantry Battalion "Wolfhounds,” and “Travel the Road” comes off more like an advertisement for fundamentalist Christianity and a promotional tool for the faith."

(and)
"“Follow a group of U.S. Army Chaplains from different faiths on a tour of duty in Iraq as they comfort wounded and dying soldiers, reassure panicked and depressed soldiers, as well debriefing those soldiers that return from their tours of duty," the marketing literature for “God’s Soldier” said.

Instead, “God’s Soldier,” zeroed in on one chaplain, Capt.. Charles Popov, who appears in the first scene of the program in a godlike pose looking down upon the military base and urging soldier to attend Christian Bible study.

"Hey this is God,” Chaplain Popov says. “Come to Bible study tonight at 1900. Purpose Driven Life. You only have 25,000 days in your life, and probably half of it's gone.”

The author of the book, “Purpose Driven Life,” that Popov referenced is Rick Warren, the leader of a fundamentalist mega-church in Southern California. In a recent interview with Fox News pundit Sean Hannity, Warren said, "the Bible says that evil cannot be negotiated with. It has to just be stopped.... In fact, that is the legitimate role of government. The Bible says that God puts government on earth to punish evildoers. Not good-doers. Evildoers."
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I believe this ties in with this:
http://www.alternet.org/story/96945/theocratic_sect_prays_for_real_armageddon/?page=entire
Members of Joel's Army are fighting to bring about the millennial reign of Christ.

Its a very distressing thing when a soldier who could die tomorrow from an IED is being given a copy of 'The Purpose Driven Life' and not the Holy Scriptures!

That was one of the things that bothered me, along with the whole concept of 'Christian' Reality shows.

And that Joel's Army, too.

Regards,
white stone

Not everything here is the healthiest expression of Christianity, but in light of the growing state sponsored militant secularism that would gladly erase all history and suppress all expressions of Christianity in our nation, I think these events could be viewed through the lens of...

Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us. Mark 9

And Paul,

What then? only that in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and therein I rejoice, yea, and will rejoice . Philippians 1

Perhaps, in the world ahead, our Christian children, and their Christian children, will look back on events like these with a kind of nostalgia.

MC

i'm curious as to what these watchdog orgs. consider the job of chaplins. my father is serving as a chaplin in the navy, but is more a counselor rather than a teacher or preacher. i'm ok with this because i would not be ok with my father teaching the word of God when his life is in complete contradiction to what scripture teaches, but it seems ridiculous to have chaplins, or other religious leaders, in the military but they can not teach the doctrine of their faith.

I'm sorry, dear brother, but Rick Warren is not even loosely associated with the Joel's Army movement. In fact, those in the "Joel's Army" movment (which is a term rarely used anymore due to the misunderstanings concerning it's meaning...), often decry the Warrens, Osteens and the rest of their ilk as hypocritical and unwilling to preach the truth. I know this personally.

Honestly, I'm not to sure what is distressing about this? The fact that there are military chaplains who are preaching the gospel? Maybe I am missing your point. But I can tell you as one who was HEAVILY, and when I say heavily I mean HEAVILY invovled in the "Joel's Army" movement that this has nothing whatsover to due with it and is not even close to what it's proponents teach.

There is a real misunderstanding amongst some of us who take issue with excesses and flakiness amongst some of our bretheren concerning the Joel's Army concept. Joel's Army is not about a military strike force comprised of young adults who will act as "God's Terrorists" in the tribulation period. Rather, Joel's Army was preached to be a group of people who would live the lifestyle of prayer and fasting described in Joel 2. There was also a prophecy from the infamous Paul Cain which is the basis for the name Joel's Army. In the vision Paul Cain states that he saw stadiums filled with hundreds of thousands of people being saved, healed, raised from the dead, etc... in the last days. Nowhere was a military strike or any other such thing ever taught. Later, after the initial buzz, some people taught things that when taken out of the main context of the concept can look as though it is some form of terrorist/military movement. The word "army" however, is just figurative. That was why Lakeland was celebrated by many of it's proponents as being the beginning of the fulfillment of the Joel's Army vision. Not because they are expecting a military movement, but because they are expecting stadiums filled with miracles and salvations.

Even though I personally take issue with teachings in the prophetic movements, it always bothers me when people attempt to take it too far by teaching that Joel's Army is some form of physically militant branch. That is utter nonsense. This comes from someone who has been heavily involved in that movement in the past, not from letusreason.com :)

Just some things to think about. Maybe you disagree...

God bless!

-Jeff

I also read the article to which you provided a link at the bottom of your post...again I have to tell you that the information presented as well as the quote mining has produced a monster of an organization that looks nothing like the real "Joel's Army" movement. I've met John Crowder, had dinner with him thrice and had lengthy conversations with him. There may be some things I greatly disagree with him on, but he is certainly not capable of or planning on enrolling in or recruiting anyone into an actualy military organization. The talks of violence and imposing God's Kingdom are buzzwords in this camp that are ALWAYS given in the context of prayer and intercession. Likewise, Bentley's usage of phrases such as imposing God's kingdom on earth has nothing to do with violently usurping governmental structures and planting the Christian flag atop the white house. Rather, if you take a look at Bentley's theology on the kingdom of God you will find that he is almost ALWAYS speaking of a supernatural intervention of God's Kingdom in the earth. All of the quotes given are out of context and outside of the character of those quoted.

I may not agree with all of their teachings and may take sharp issue with some of them on things. But to accuse "Joel's Army" proponents of preparing for actualy physical combat is silly. Although I'm sure the salvation army was lied about in similary fashion. The presence of militaryesque speech is simply a means of presenting the Gospel to young people in an aggressive manner. I know MANY, MANY, MANY individuals involved in such movements and can tell you that some of them are the most Godly and christlike people that I know. Would we agree on everything? Probably not. But they are certainly not bent on military take over.

Please, please, please think on these things before requoting fourth parties who really have no personal knowledge of such things.

-Jeff

Dear Jeff,

Thank you for your explanations. It does sound as if the article I read and the real thing are night/day in difference. I am also, glad to be informed it is not connected with that Lakeland revivalist.

One of the reasons I posted was to get more information and input.

Kind regards,
white stone