Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier, a commander of 11th Space Warning Squadron at Buckley Air Force Base in Colorado was fired by Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting, supposedly “over a loss of confidence in his ability to lead.” A Space Force spokesperson explained that the decision was based on comments Lt. Col. Lohmeier made in a podcast about the infiltration of Marxist ideology in the military. An investigation has been started on whether or not Lohmeier’s comments constituted “prohibited partisan political activity.”

Since when has opposition to Marxism become “prohibited partisan political activity” in the United States? Which party is Lohmeier’s comments supposedly supporting in raising concerns about Marxist ideology in our military? Lohmeier recently published a book entitled “Irresistible Revolution: Marxism’s Goal of Conquest & Unmaking of the American Military.” His military superiors were aware of the book, a rebuke of Marxist ideology, yet they took no action against Lohmeier at that time. Why now? Lohmeier said, “My intent never has been to engage in partisan politics. I have written a book about a particular political ideology in hope that our Defense Department might return to being politically non-partisan in the future as it has honorably done throughout history.”

Personally, I am discouraged, if not surprised, that Lohmeier was fired for his opposition to Marxism and that his statements are being investigated as possibly partisan. Both major parties in the U. S. used to be opposed to Marxism. Is that no longer the case? There has for many decades been a Communist Party in this country, but it has had little impact on the political agenda of the U. S. since the first couple of decades of the 20th century, one hundred years ago. Being a Communist disqualifies a person from becoming a naturalized U. S. citizen. So, how is it that expressing opposition to Marxism and warning about the infiltration of Marxist ideology in the U. S. military is now considered partisan? It seems to me that the true partisans are those who fired Lohmeier.

There are those who think the military is becoming too partisan, but not in its opposition to Marxist ideology, but in its embrace of the woke ideology, which has its roots in Marxism. Recent ads created by the military and the CIA make no bones about reaching out to the woke crowd in an effort to increase diversity in these institutions, at least in terms of race, sex and sexual orientation. Will this encourage young people to join the military? I doubt it. Like churches who liberalize their doctrines because they have bought the line that they will become “irrelevant” if they do not, only to find their pews increasingly empty, they too often fail to see that those who oppose their values oppose them for their own sake, and not because they want to be a part of these churches. These activists want the churches to change because they are convinced the churches are wrong, not because they want to join them, but are only willing to do so if they change. Rather, they will demand that the churches change and, when the churches do change in response to their demands, they will continue to have nothing to do with the churches. Unfortunately, many churches have failed to learn that lesson, even as it has played out over the decades. The military is about to experience the same phenomenon. We will see if, unlike the churches, they will learn the lesson.

Be Christ for all. Bring Christ to all. See Christ in all.