FOLLOWING a week of bad publicity, a Michigan defence contractor has announced that it will stop stamping references to Bible verses on combat rifle sights made for the US military, a major buyer of the company’s gear.
An M-4 carbine assault rifle fitted with Trijicon sights
Trijicon says it is also providing, free of charge, modification kits to remove the scripture citations from sights already in use. Through multimillion dollar contracts, the Marine Corps and Army have bought more than 300,000 Trijicon sights.
The references to Bible passages raised concerns that the citations break a government rule that bars proselytising by American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, which are predominantly Muslim countries.
A spokesman for US Central Command initially said the Trijicon sights didn’t violate the ban and compared the citations on the sights to the “In God We Trust” inscription printed on US currency.
On Thursday, however, Army Gen David Petraeus, Central Command’s top officer, called the practice “disturbing.” Petraeus told an audience at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington:
This is a serious concern to me and the other commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan … cultural and religious sensitivities are important considerations in the conduct of military operations.
New Zealand has also announced that the citations would be removed from the sights they have, and Australia, which also uses the sights, is assessing what to do.
Rev C Welton Gaddy, president of the Interfaith Alliance, said in a letter sent to President Barack Obama that the gun sights “clearly violate” the rule against proselytising. Gaddy added that:
Images of American soldiers as Christian crusaders come to mind when they are carrying weaponry bearing such verses.
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
January 24th, 2010 at 3:34 am
Maybe the usa should take it off the money as well given that it is in worldwide use.
January 24th, 2010 at 5:24 am
Well, this is how it goes: the fellow riding in an armored vehicle 100 yards from me takes his gun, and fires a volley of bullets that will kill me instantly, along with a few of my friends; or, I am ordered by my sergeant to fire this gun and mow down a dozen of my fellow humans huddled in the street corner. And, I am supposed to be terribly upset by some codified Jesus ramblings etched on the gun, right?
January 24th, 2010 at 4:38 pm
As an atheist, I consider it unlikely to affect the aim.
As someone who has a number of catholic & other religon friends and aquaintances, I am aware of how few of them would have recognised it as a bible quote.
Most, if not all, would have assumed that it was a serial number.
Therefore, the only people I guess would be offended are the Islamists.
So, it’s ok if you shoot at us – just don’t do it with a serial number which could be a bible quote? Hmmm, seems unlikely.
January 24th, 2010 at 10:37 pm
Money talks , Yahweh walks .