“Jesus” Rifles
I’m sure some of you already saw this, but apparently Trijicon has been inscribing references to Bible passages on its optics. After several media outlets issued reports about this, Trijicon agreed to remove the inscriptions.
Here is a report on the inscriptions from ABC News.
I used the ACOG a lot during my time in the Marines and I never noticed this. The serial number is on the topic of the optic and I honestly never really paid attention to those numbers and letters towards the base of the scope. I never heard anybody in the Marines or any of my buddies in the Army mention the fact these inscriptions existed on the ACOG, so if Trijicon’s intention was to spread the word of the Lord to the users of their optics, I don’t think they have succeeded. Regardless, it was a stupid thing to in the first place. Now they have to remove the inscriptions from thousands of optics, which cost the company millions, money that could have gone into developing better products. Anybody with half a brain, knows that the Iraqis, Afghans, and the US military are extremely sensitive to any accusation of promoting Christianity (in other words, “crusading”).
Category: Media, Military issues
Easy fix: Shoot the ABC reporter, and promise to shoot any other reporter that publishes crap like this.
Just stupid. My ACOG assisted in ending a few jihadi careers and now I know why it worked so well. I liked it so much I dropped the dollars and got one for my bushmaster when I got home.
This isn’t going to make any AQ fruitloop hate us anmore than he does now. I can not believe the Marines are (or were) thinking of dropping he system for this shit.
This sort of PC warrior skills are why so many of our brothers are dead now.
dumbasses.
I heard that quite a few AK-47 models have religious images stamped on the receivers.
Where’s the outrage?
I say leave ’em on there, because, in the bitter end, God WILL sort them out.
West said: God WILL sort them out.
Cracked me up dude. Thanks. Although I don’t we’re allowed to say that out loud here in CONUS.
The death of common sense and the rise of PC thinking,etc.
As dutch508 noted: This sort of PC warrior skills are why so many of our brothers are dead now.
Should note that I’m not particularly religious. They claim to be though.
I never noticed such a thing either, nor do I ever recall anyone else noticing such a thing.
Oh well. If the news media was so concerned about such a thing serving as propaganda for al Qaida, then why did they choose to run the story as they did?
Anybody who is offended by this should do us all a favor and stop stealing our precious supply of oxygen.
Regardless, it was a stupid thing to in the first place.
Trijicon has been putting the Biblical references in their serials since they were founded, and it wasn’t some big secret, Weinstein and ABC shouldn’t have engaged in their little attention whoring stunt. Trijicon was just selling a product, whatever board or brass made the decision should’ve paid more attention to what they were buying and specified there be no Biblical references in their serials if there was a contract signed. I don’t understand why Trijicon is being made the bad guy here.
Hmmm…did my comment get eaten?
I don’t think anybody is thinking of dropping the ACOG because of this. Regardless of what is inscribed on it, it is a great optic.
Again, like I said in my post, if Trijicon’s purpose behind this was spread the good word, then they have failed up until now because hardly anybody noticed. Note that in the ABC report that it appears that Trijicon has been doing this for over a decade and that the media is just picking up on this now. Like I stated before, NOBODY that I served with or that I know has ever mentioned these inscriptions or noticed them until now. If Trijicon wanted to preach the merits of Christianity, it would have been wiser to donate some of their profits to different churches or missionary organizations, money that now instead has to go towards removing this inscriptions off their products.
I’m not Mr. PC and I’m definitely not down with the so-called “religion of peace”. However, I don’t think its the job of an optics manufacture to try and promote Christianity in the military and overseas in Muslim countries. I don’t sympathize with Trijicon, just like I don’t sympathize with guys who get in trouble for trying to hand out Bibles on patrol or with Christian missionaries who go to shithole Muslim countries unarmed and get their heads chopped off.
Im not a Christan, and it doesn’t offend me in the slightest.
The only way I would have a problem with it is, if the samples they provided the USMC for testing all the way through the purchase process were clean and they were added at a later date. If they had them from square one, its the USMC who is at fault for not asking for it to be removed.
I own 3 trijicon rifle optics, and have 3 or 4 pistols with their night sights. Ill continue to purchase them.
Side note, far from the only dod supplier to have religious markings or writings on their products. Halal MREs have the crescent moon, blade tech holsters have the jesus fish, are two that pop right to my mind. I know I have noticed several others.
AW1 Tim beat me to the suggestion. Hell is going to be a reunion of media idiots.
The back story is that the original owner of the company started putting them there thirty years ago. His son has continued the practice. While it would not seem that anyone in the military really cared too much, if you look at reviews of the sights on YouTube you’ll find people quite thrilled at the bible references.
After I commented on this issue on my Facebook page, a friend of mine who is still active duty checked the Trijicon sights in his unit’s TE. They all have the bible references.
The problem is not only that this is offensive to Muslims and plays into their hands, but that violates our Constitution. Cooper v U.S. Post Office would probably be a good Second Circuit decision to read. McCreary County v. ACLU of Kentucky would be another, that one from the Supreme Court. This isn’t “PC,” this is the Constitution.
Anyway, as you mention Trijicon have decided not to put the bible references on any new optics produced for our military, or the military of any other country. They also will be handing out free kits to our military that can remove the bible verses. The issue is moot. I’m slightly amused by the fact that Trjicon folded so quickly. They obviously care more about their multi-million dollar government contracts than their evangelizing.
Somebody really had to be digging to figure this out. The example I saw was that the verses were a part of the serial number. Maybe I am wrong but someone needs to unbunch their panties…I’ve gotta stop now my blood pressure is getting up.
Like a yappy little doggy, ABC News “breaks” a story that’s been common knowledge for years. Everyone gets in an uproar over how offended Muslims will be. Typically, the PC mindset wins out and the company caves.
Trijicon can put anything they want on their slides. The Constitution was not violated. The sky is not falling. Yawn. Next slide.
Sights, not slides. Sorry. CSM was yelling.
Sorry, not impressed. As noted earlier, they’ve done it for more than two decades. Old news, old news that ABC apparently ripped off without credit or attribution, to create sensational news that harms our cause. Only thing that surprises me is that so far Mark Potok hasn’t been screaming for more money because this proves that Christians (the religious right don’t ya know) are the real problem and enemy just look at how sneaky they are. I’m sorry the company folded, but can’t blame them given what was headed their way.
If Trijicon wanted to preach the merits of Christianity, it would have been wiser to donate some of their profits to different churches or missionary organizations,
….just like I don’t sympathize with guys who get in trouble for trying to hand out Bibles on patrol or with Christian missionaries who go to shithole Muslim countries unarmed and get their heads chopped off.
I don’t follow….wiser to give money to missions…for what? To send missionaries get their heads chopped off?
Well, it was nobody’s business, IMO. If they wanted to promote religion, they would have touted it.
Nobody seemed to have a clue unless they knew the Bible backwards and forwards. And, if they did notice, never said a word. Does anyone care to say why?
Remember, the troops using the weapons do indeed say, “So Help me, God.”
I say it’s another blatant attempt of the media to protect the Pied Piper and somehow discredit the military and those who provide for them. What other rationale is there? This was completely pointless, otherwise.
We’ve already had people try to change the Pledge… and we have already had people complain about ‘In God We Trust” on money. What next?
defendUSA
Speaking of money….does anyone know a muslim who’s not willing to take a handful of American greenbacks? When I was in Saudi the merchants wanted American money versus Riyal
They’re really digging at the bottom to have to dredge up this crap as news. Been there for 30 years? Then it was never intended for anything against muslims, right? Will the Russians start screaming now? Creating a news story that is complete BS that might cause further American lives to be lost should be considered treason in my book and whomever started this story needs to be shot or locked up.
PS…I don’t miss the point that a terrorist or an Islamist will try and use the meme that it’s a holy war…nor do I miss the point that all Uncle has to do is choose not to buy said scopes…But I am sick and tired of the media and how it portrays things. The ‘untruths’. They suck.
So, ACOGS convert Muslims?
I guess that goes with the popular logic that guns shoot people.
It’s simple.
guns/Bible/hammer/soap all tools.
People: shoot/”crusade”/ build / wash their nasty A*.
Not only that, but I love how well the Bible verses fit with what products Trijicon makes.
You know the references to bringing light to darkness.
If that’s not the best one sentence description of their products I don’t know what is.
Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition.
and while you are at it…
Whiskey for my men and beer for the horses.
OD; From what I have garnered from my massively extensive research; ok, I only read the original article a few days ago, about some whinetit and his group of religion free types in a military group, that was threatening a lawsuit, that Trijicon’s founder started the practice from day one of the company. It’s not just the military hardware, but all Trijicon products, even before they had a military contract. So, as others have stated, the military should have put it in the contract, because all Trijicon hardware comes with it at the end of the serial number. Trijicon made no secret of the fact that they do this, however, they didn’t brag about it, either, so I don’t think it’s a matter of promoting Christianity in the military, or anywhere else, just their own personal touch on everything they sell.
A company that I used to order equipment from, for a job I had, would always send a small pamphlet in with the supplies ordered. The pamphlet was pro-Christianity and no one at work complained, whined, through a fit, etc. Our society has become stuck on stupid in that they worry about the minutae instead of the specifics. Too many people think that it is up to them to be bothered by even the most inane of things. I would be concerned if there was a problem with the functionality of the hardware more than whether it had some bible verse number stamped after the serial number, however, some people just have to let someone know that they are offended, so all of us should be offended. That’s the type of shit which is used as an excuse for the jihadi’s right now, they are constantly offended and they want to force everyone to not offend them. If they aren’t offended, they aren’t awake, yet.
I’m not a Christian, and I’m not offended. What DOES offend me is, as was posted above, folks getting upset about this when there are plenty of other similar things going on. Crescent symbols on halal food products we issue. How about putting a crucifix on regular MRE’s? How about putting a Star of David on kosher MRE’s? How about all our troopers with Christian-themed tats? Should they be required to las them off?
The military was buying (and still is) a COTS product. The company has the absolute right to put whatever they want to on their product, unless the contract states otherwise.
As DefendUSA points out, all the damned millions we are handing out have “In God We Trust” printed on them. I guess we ought to just stop handing out dollars. I’m certain the 7th century morons over there will be pleased with that one…..
One last point. The Muslims might find things a lot easier in the world if they started displaying the same amount of respect for other religions that they demand for Islam.
Just sayin’…….
Let me elaborate on my comments a little more.
I think it is a waste of time to attempt to preach Christianity in predominantly Muslim countries. Like I stated before, you are probably just going to get your head chopped off.
Like I said before, since hardly anybody noticed these inscriptions BEFORE the news report and now since they have to pay to remove, it was a waste of time/money on Trijicon’s part to do this. I doubt that when they field tested the optics that anybody picked up on the inscriptions and I doubt Trijicon mentioned it to the DoD. Trijicon would have been better served giving money to a group to ministers to the troops or on a missionary group that doesn’t go to Muslim countries.
I still think it was a stupid thing for Trijicon to do. Right or wrong, they know the political and cultural environment that our military operates in and they knew damn well if the media, the Iraqi or Afghan Army ever picked up on what they were doing that it would be a controversy. Yet, they still went ahead and did it and now they have to spend a lot of money to modify their optics (which are still awesome by the way).
I’m disappointed that Trijicon folded so quickly.
If the Islamotards object to being shot-at with rounds aimed by “Crusader” scopes, and our pussy PC leadership (civilian and leadership) gets all upset about it, then let’s buy cheap-ass Barska red-dot sights and see how happy everyone is with the situation.
Trijicon shoulda held-firm.
You wanna buy our product? — fine.
It comes in any color you want — so long as it’s black.
Well, if they are objecting to the “Jesus” stuff, how will they react to this stuff?
http://www.silverbulletgunoil.net/
I’m buying a case to send to my son’s platoon over in Afghanistan. 🙂
Silver bullet oil. Now that is a cool idea.
OD, the point is, they WERE NOT TRYING TO PREACH TO MUSLIMS! This is something they’ve done for more than 20 years. It is something not hidden, but known. That negates most of your point. As for the rest, see above.
Well, OD, I could understand your point “if” they were reaching, which they aren’t. In order for anyone in the muslim world to get upset, they would have to read the bible in order to know what the mmessage is; right? I doubt that’s gonna happen, since they won’t touch that book and most can’t read, anyway. You said yourself that no one hardly notices and the only reason it’s becoming a big deal is the media. That’s pretty thin if you are arguing they are “preaching”, or Trijicon isn’t doing a good job in their efforts to “preach”.
It all came about because some a-hole decided that he, and his group, wasn’t content to just leave something this minor alone. I have a feeling he was just looking for a way to make some donation money for his group and decided to run to the worthless media to whip up a story that is a non-issue. I see it has worked, at least here.
If it’s such a big deal, they had bette shut down the Chaplain Corps, also, since we can’t have people preaching Christianity in muslim countries; right?
if you think that a reference to a bible quote that nobody even knew about for twenty years is preaching to the Islamic world, then you, sir, are ******** stupid. I would have thought the Taliban would have liked us more if they thought we wereGod Fearing types, ather than evil heathen naked dancing around the bonfire Devils…
(not directed at anyone retard, but any that the shoe fits, then I do have a suggestion as where to put it).
As an Atheist who’s been many a times a ‘rabid, Separation Of Church And State!!!’ Angry Atheist, I agree. This is stupid.
Stupid to complain about.
It’s Conspiracy Theory obscure. Ya think some Jihadi is gonna know what COR:XX-YY means? I’m sure you could Google some serial numbers of things from Walmart and find obscure references to the Koran, if ya really wanted to.
Ok, fine, the company did it on purpose. I get that. So what? This is the US of A. Free Country, Free Market.
The references are so obscure and so barely noticeable they only count as ‘evangelizing’ in the most paranoid mind.
On top of that, the Bible verses referenced are nowhere near the type of ‘kill them all to the last women and child’ nonsense. From all the reports I’ve read, none of the verses referenced are violent even in the slightest.
AND! After all that. Seriously, people are complainin that a US of A gun manufacturer engraves some Bible verses(in code) on a gun sight? In Praise God and Pass the Ammunition Country? I live in Da South, I may not be into the local religion, but I like the culture…and I know lefties will now compare Baptists to the Taliban for the ‘Pass the ammo’ statement *sigh*
This is not guns with crucifixes on em or bullets wrapped in Pat Robertson script. It’s just a company being clever. Which is now loosing millions, not cause they’re ‘evangelizing’, but because of Political Correctness.