Posted on 11/28/2012 11:56:27 AM PST by Alex Murphy
An Oklahoma senator has released a report outlining what he believes is some of the Pentagon’s most wasteful spending. Among a number of odd items includes a workshop on how Christianity would be affected if aliens were proven to exist.
Senator Tom Coburn is known to be the “waste-watcher” on Capitol Hill, as he investigates unnecessary spending in various branches of the government. On Thursday, he issued what some consider to be a laughable list of Defense Department expenditures that have nothing to do with defense.
In addition to $1.5 billion being spent on a plan to invent roll-up beef jerky, an iPhone app that helps people schedule their coffee breaks and scientific research on the swimming patterns of goldfish, was a workshop blending Christianity with the existence of aliens.
The event, entitled “Did Jesus Die for Klingons Too?,” focused on “the implications for Christianity if intelligent life were to be found on other planets.” According to the Global Post, actors such as LeVar Burton and Nichelle Nichols were present, and an “intergalactic gala celebration” was included, at which attendees were urged to don “starship cocktail attire.”
Klingons are are a group of aliens from the fictional sci-fi television and movie series Star Trek, which originated in 1966 and continues (at least in movie format) to present day. The series deals with a band of aliens and humans that seek to solve the problems of the universe, tackling topics such as imperialism, class warfare and racism. Some episodes are also said to have addressed sexism, feminism and religion.
Coburn issued a statement along with the list, asserting that the Pentagon needs to cut non-defense expenditures such as these.
“The American people expect the Pentagon’s $600 billion annual budget to go toward our nation’s defense,” he said. “That isn’t happening. Billions of defense dollars are being spent on programs and missions that have little or nothing to do with national security, or are already being performed by other government agencies.”
He stated that if these expenditures are not cut, the Pentagon will continue spending billions of American taxpayer dollars on frivolous items. He said that the approximately $37 billion that will be spent over the next ten years on support and supply services could be better handled in the private sector. Coburn also commented that the Department of Defense has become the “Department of Everything,” as it even helps to run grocery stores across the country.
“The DoD budget is aligned to strategic priorities we have identified to keep America safe and maintain the strongest military in the world,” Pentagon spokesperson Lt. Col. Elizabeth Robbins told reporters with NBC today in a written statement. “Over the past several years we have redoubled our efforts to make better use of the taxpayer’s defense dollar and meet our fiscal responsibilities.”
Coburn doesn’t think so. He says that the country could save at least $69 billion over the next decade if the Defense Department would simply stick to defense.
While Coburn’s report outlines that the government is proceeding with its plans for the roll-up jerky, as “a variety of flavors are being developed, including salami, chipotle, turkey, pork and smoked ham,” it is not known whether it came to a conclusion by the end of its workshop as to how Jesus’ death would apply to aliens if they indeed exist.
Well yes, even if there are hundreds of billions of inhabited worlds - who is to say how common the development of intelligent life is?
It took a few billion years and a few mass wipe outs of life before conditions were favorable for the rise of (semi)intelligent life here on Earth.
I think, if and when ETs are definitely proved to be real, most of Cristianity will adjust to it.
I think, if and when ETs are definitely proved to be real, most of Christianity will adjust to it.
Doubtless ...
Do you agree that it seems a bit fatuous to constantly harp on fraud, waste and abuse in DOD when there are whole departments that are 100% fraud, waste and abuse?
I think the Christians’ rabbi died only for the Klingons around Uranus!
In space, no one can hear you facepalm.
C. S. Lewis’ Space Trilogy was about something like this. Not so much Jesus dying for non-terrestrial life (that was, at least for this solar system’s purpose, only an earth thing), but about how Jesus might relate to life on the other planets.
*shrug* So was Jesus...
True. But the muslims will have an easier time adjusting.
They'll just expand jihad to a new frontier.
To boldly blow where no man has blown before...
This is about that gay mosque in Paris, isn't it?
He was burned at the stake for the heretical beliefs of "Multiple Christs" and "infinite universe". All Christians have always held to the belief that there was one Christ that died for ALL.
I used to regularly attend Klingon Bible Study.
Until that last fight, when I got thrown through a plate glass window.
the GAK served was always nice and fresh, tho
ST ping
I love you ‘zilla.
Uh..errr...ummmm. Oui, zumzing laik zat...
*gallic shrug*
Thank you, Godzilla!
I'm trying wrap my head around the idea...it takes 1.5 billion to do someone any beef jerky company can do for 1 % of the cost...
...and why do you need roll up beef jerky in the first place...?
It’s actually 1.5 Million, not Billion, but who’s counting?
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