ABC News: Secret 'Jesus' Bible Codes on ACOGs

[Kuciwalker]

Yeah, I would like to see the original rule that they were complaining it violated to see if it actually violated it or if was just a real wide interpretation to have something to complain about publicly. If there is a condition prohibiting religious messages, I would have to agree that even as discrete as these are, they would still be a violation since that was the (self confessed) intent of these.

What would discreteness have to do with anything?

[rah]

If they were more discrete, i.e using some type of encryption, I probably wouldn't care if it said "TAKE THAT, YOU ISLAMIC WHORE"

[Felch]

What would discreteness have to do with anything?

Because discrete proselytizing is an oxymoron. Either you're trying to convert people or you aren't. There's no evidence that they were trying to convert people, it's just a corporate tradition to engrave references to Biblical verses that mention light. They don't even publicize it, by the looks of their website. It's not even clear to a casual observer. Looking at the graphic on ABC's website, I didn't recognize what it was until the article explained it.

As far as the Pentagon not spending money on anything religious, that's complete nonsense. They spend money on chaplains and religious services for servicemen, and that is far more overt than this is. All the Pentagon has done here is buy an item from a vendor that met their specifications. The vendor has a tradition of appending their item codes with biblical references, but that's not proselytizing. It's downright cryptic.

I could understand the Saudis throwing a fit, but they are violently opposed to the very idea of religious freedom. America has a tradition of tolerance, so long as religion doesn't get in the way of getting work done. There's nothing about this that interferes with the operation of the scope, there's nothing that would even distract the casual observer. It's about as innocent as you could possibly imagine.

[BlackCat]

If they were more discrete, i.e using some type of encryption, I probably wouldn't care if it said "TAKE THAT, YOU ISLAMIC WHORE"

You mean like the cow/pig fat story that allegedly led to the sepoy mutiny ?

[Patroklos]

The article forbids proselytizing, and having Biblical verses on your weapons can most definitely (and believe does) fall into that rubric.

The company is proselytizing in Michigan if you want to believe that, but the army buying and using a top of the line product because it is top of the line and available is not. The rule in question is about the military proselytizing in theater, and this in no way constitutes that.

[Berzerker]

did they get the idea for this from the sniper quoting Bible verses in Saving Private Ryan?

[Kuciwalker]

Because discrete proselytizing is an oxymoron. Either you're trying to convert people or you aren't. There's no evidence that they were trying to convert people, it's just a corporate tradition to engrave references to Biblical verses that mention light. They don't even publicize it, by the looks of their website. It's not even clear to a casual observer. Looking at the graphic on ABC's website, I didn't recognize what it was until the article explained it.

whoosh

[Kuciwalker]

If they were more discrete, i.e using some type of encryption, I probably wouldn't care if it said "TAKE THAT, YOU ISLAMIC WHORE"

[KrazyHorse]

What would discreteness have to do with anything?

Indeed

[KrazyHorse]

Because discrete proselytizing is an oxymoron.

I'm pretty sure that discrete proselytizing is the only type that works.

[Berzerker]

the spanish inquisitors had a high conversion rate

[Felch]

Discrete to this degree? Who is being persuaded over to Christianity by a seemingly random alphanumeric code.

Unless your inclination on seeing an alphanumeric sequence is to look it up in the Bible, you're probably not ever going to read the relevant passages. Far from proselytizing, this is like a secret handshake that only certain people will recognize.

They've had these sequences on the scopes for years now, and no one figured it out until now. That's pretty inefficient for missionary work.

[Kuciwalker]

Discrete to this degree?

[BlackCat]

That's pretty inefficient for missionary work.

True, but who has said anything about missionary work ? What if it was shown that US soldiers weapons all have an hidden engravings saying "I am a war criminal" or ""satan is my lord" ? I'm not sure that most US soldiers would consider such neglicible, neither will a muslim solider probably be happy to find out he carried a weapon with biblical mesages.

Edit: Actually, I would have been very pissed if I had found out that the Garand I carried around when I was in the military had a religious mark.

[KrazyHorse]

Discrete to this degree?

If you've figured out a way to convert half a person, then I'd like to hear it.