I hope Polis will expand his mandate to look at the many Evangelical influences in the military, and how harmful they can be. Whether it is the serious problem caused by permitting ministers to be ‘imbedded’ with combat details in Iraq — and permitting them or overlooking them handing out Bibles in local languages to the inhabitants. (This at a time when many Muslims sincerely believe and are told repeatedly that the ‘real reason’ for the Iraqi war was that it was to be the beginning of a new “Christian Crusade against Islam.” Muslims have their own ‘end time scenarios’ that are equally insane and equally popular as are the Christian ones, only instead of a ‘final battle’ between ‘Christ and antiChrist’ their final battle is between Muslim and Christians — and Jews, of course.)

But there are other outrages, such as Orthodox Jewish veterans in VA hospitalks being refused Kosher food and being harassed by Evangelical chaplains seeking to convert them. In fact, if Polis does nothing more than ending the authority of Jim Ammerman and the Chaplaincy of Full Gospel Churches to endorse chaplains, he will have done the country a service.

As an ex-Catholic atheist, I am glad he mentioned the problems both groups have, as well as Jews, but I hope he realizes that “Protestant Christian” isn’t a monolithic category, and that many mainstream or liberal Protestant groups have similar problems with the type of Christianity prevalent at the AFA.