Pentagon generals in hot water for helping promote Christian ministry

According to CNN, the Pentagon's inspector general has found that the seven officers engaged in misconduct three years ago when they appeared in a promotional video for an evangelical group called Christian Embassy, which was founded by Dr. Bill Bright of Campus Crusade for Christ. Lt. Col. Bob Maginnis (U.S. Army - Ret.) says he knows Christian Embassy very well, having attended the group's Wednesday morning prayer sessions.

Maginnis believes this investigation is a witch hunt pushed by a group that calls itself the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. "This is an ACLU-type hit on the Pentagon insisting that the inspector general conduct an investigation to get to the bottom of whether or not generals improperly used their influence with regard to a particular ministry," he says.

The retired Army officer senses a hypocritical nature in the Pentagon's reaction to the situation.

"There have been others in very senior positions, both in and out of uniform, who have gone to some of these Islamic centers and have bent over backwards to accommodate Islamists," he states, noting one such appearance by Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England, who in early June joined in the dedication of a new Islamic prayer center at the Quantico Marine Corps Base.

"[A]s far as I'm concerned, [he was] giving tacit endorsement of Islam just by his presence and making a formal visit," says Maginnis. "And if he can't tolerate a few generals and admirals stating, because they're Christians, they think it's a good idea that you promote Bible studies and Christian speakers into the Pentagon, I find that hypocritical and certainly an unfortunate circumstance."

Maginnis says those same Pentagon officials would run away from any appearance at a church or Christian function.