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Monday, August 23, 2010

News Even the American Military Can't Be Cajoled into Listening to Barlow Girl

Posted by Grant Brissey on Mon, Aug 23, 2010 at 11:03 AM

The military is investigating claims by soldiers that they were punished for declining to attend a concert by Christian "rock" group Barlow Girl.

Pvt. Anthony Smith said he and other soldiers felt pressured to attend the May concert while stationed at the Newport News base, home of the Army's Transportation Corps.

"My whole issue was I don't need to be preached at," Smith said in a phone interview from Phoenix, where he is stationed with the National Guard. "That's not what I signed up for."

Smith, 21, was stationed in Virginia for nearly seven months for helicopter electrician training when the Christian rock group Barlow Girl played as part of the "Commanding General's Spiritual Fitness Concerts."

Smith said a staff sergeant told 200 men in their barracks they could either attend or remain in their barracks. Eighty to 100 decided not to attend, he said.

"Instead of being released to our personal time, we were locked down," Smith said. "It seemed very much like a punishment."

Here is Barlow Girl (shudder):

What would you choose?

Via Huffington Post

Comments (4) RSS

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Wow. Even most shitty karaoke videos beat that.

Posted by Megan Seling on August 23, 2010 at 11:31 AM

"Commanding General's Spiritual Fitness Concerts." WTF? AND...either way it would have been punishment.

Posted by nipper on August 23, 2010 at 11:36 AM

I used to live in Nashville and work in the Christian music industry. On behalf of the sane and reasonable people who live and work in that industry (we were a small but proud lot), I'd like to apologize to the US Military and, well, all of the world for groups like Barlow Girl. The CCM industry specializes in disposable garbage like this because it doesn't offend the senses of their market in any way. I am so, so sorry :(

Posted by metardtard on August 23, 2010 at 12:23 PM

Musical terrorists. They hijacked a genre to make themselves feel relevant.

Christians are getting downright scary.

Posted by sky dog on August 23, 2010 at 12:54 PM