** UPDATE ** January 21st, 2010

CNN reports the following -

Trijicon announced Thursday that it will stop putting scripture references on products the U.S. military uses.  After the initial news report, the Muslim Public Affairs Council called on Defense Secretary Robert Gates to withdraw from combat use weapons that have sights with the biblical references.

“Allowing religious references to be placed on U.S. weaponry, which are bought and paid for by U.S. taxpayers, is unacceptable,” MPAC Executive Director Salam Al-Marayati wrote in a letter to Gates, according to the council’s Web site.  “Such inscriptions not only run afoul of the Constitution and U.S. military rules, but they also feed into the violent extremists’ narrative that the ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are a ‘crusade against Islam.’ ”

[Hayden's Note: I fully agree with the decision.  Biblical inscriptions of ANY religion should NOT be on taxpayer purchased weapons.]

________________________________________________________________________

Source: ABC News (Hayden’s Note attached at end of story)

Coded references to New Testament Bible passages about Jesus Christ are inscribed on high-powered rifle sights provided to the United States military by a Michigan company, an ABC News investigation has found.

The sights are used by U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and in the training of Iraqi and Afghan soldiers. The maker of the sights, Trijicon, has a $660 million multi-year contract to provide up to 800,000 sights to the Marine Corps, and additional contracts to provide sights to the U.S. Army.

U.S. military rules specifically prohibit the proselytizing of any religion in Iraq or Afghanistan and were drawn up in order to prevent criticism that the U.S. was embarked on a religious “Crusade” in its war against al Qaeda and Iraqi insurgents.

...And I will strike down upon thee with great vengence and furious anger...oh, and a 5.56 bolt of lead.

One of the citations on the gun sights, 2COR4:6, is an apparent reference to Second Corinthians 4:6 of the New Testament, which reads: “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Other references include citations from the books of Revelation, Matthew and John dealing with Jesus as “the light of the world.” John 8:12, referred to on the gun sights as JN8:12, reads, “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Trijicon confirmed to ABCNews.com that it adds the biblical codes to the sights sold to the U.S. military. Tom Munson, director of sales and marketing for Trijicon, which is based in Wixom, Michigan, said the inscriptions “have always been there” and said there was nothing wrong or illegal with adding them. Munson said the issue was being raised by a group that is “not Christian.” The company has said the practice began under its founder, Glyn Bindon, a devout Christian from South Africa who was killed in a 2003 plane crash.

‘It violates the Constitution’

The company’s vision is described on its Web site: “Guided by our values, we endeavor to have our products used wherever precision aiming solutions are required to protect individual freedom.”

“We believe that America is great when its people are good,” says the Web site. “This goodness has been based on Biblical standards throughout our history, and we will strive to follow those morals.”

Spokespeople for the U.S. Army and the Marine Corps both said their services were unaware of the biblical markings. They said officials were discussing what steps, if any, to take in the wake of the ABCNews.com report. It is not known how many Trijicon sights are currently in use by the U.S. military.

The biblical references appear in the same type font and size as the model numbers on the company’s Advanced Combat Optical Guides, called the ACOG.

A photo on a Department of Defense Web site shows Iraqi soldiers being trained by U.S. troops with a rifle equipped with the bible-coded sights.

“It’s wrong, it violates the Constitution, it violates a number of federal laws,” said Michael “Mikey” Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, an advocacy group that seeks to preserve the separation of church and state in the military.

‘Firearms of Jesus Christ’

“It allows the Mujahedeen, the Taliban, al Qaeda and the insurrectionists and jihadists to claim they’re being shot by Jesus rifles,” he said.

Weinstein, an attorney and former Air Force officer, said many members of his group who currently serve in the military have complained about the markings on the sights. He also claims they’ve told him that commanders have referred to weapons with the sights as “spiritually transformed firearm[s] of Jesus Christ.”

He said coded biblical inscriptions play into the hands of “those who are calling this a Crusade.”

According to a government contracting watchdog group, fedspending.org, Trijicon had more than $100 million in government contracts in fiscal year 2008. The Michigan company won a $33 million Pentagon contract in July, 2009 for a new machine gun optic, according to Defense Industry Daily. The company’s earnings from the U.S. military jumped significantly after 2005, when it won a $660 million long-term contract to supply the Marine Corps with sights.

“This is probably the best example of violation of the separation of church and state in this country,” said Weinstein. “It’s literally pushing fundamentalist Christianity at the point of a gun against the people that we’re fighting. We’re emboldening an enemy.”

All copyrights and images, including Trijicon, are registered trademarks of their respective companies.

[Hayden's Note: Now, I know that the headline I chose is a bit sensationalist, but I couldn't resist.  And it IS true.  These defenitely qualify as 'Jesus Rifles' in my book.  BUT, I can't just sit here and bash Trijicon.  Trijicon has been including these markings for years and the US Government - specifically the US Military - should have and most likely DID know that these bible passages were engraved onto the weapon sights.  I have nothing against Trijicon and to be honest, I love their weapon sights.  As a former Police Officer, I've used both their ACOG platform and the more well-known 'night sights' for pistols.  As I type this, I faintly recall several letters and numbers imprinted on the night sights, as well - but would have to double check that.  Trijicon was one of the first and most widely known manufacturer of quality night sights for pistols and continue to make a great product... but I DO question the ethical practice of engraving Christian biblical inscriptions on a weapon.  If these were sold to the mass public, that's one thing - it's incumbant upon the consumer to do their homework.  But for a military order?  While fighting a (BS) war with the Middle East?  Doing this type of thing, albeit small, just serves as another fine example of how to cause even more 'blowback.'  Is the US Military just *trying* to entice Middle Easterners to pick up a gun and join the extremists?  Well, even the passive farmers and shepards might join the foray once they learn their fellow countrymen are being slaughtered by Jesus weapons.  It also serves as a scary reminder of how truly psychotic some of these military types ARE.  Do they actually believe that their M4 carbine is a holy weapon?  Do they consider themselves a member of "god's army"?  Do they view these spiritual weapons as thy rod and thy staff?  The sights are designed to illuminate - both the pistols sights, through the use of irradiated material that will glow in the dark, and the ACOG, which uses similar material to illuminate a red dot in the scope. The chosen biblical passages all talk about 'the light' and that 'the light' will guide you.  Obviously, it's a product tie-in, but does Trijicon truly believe they provide some spiritual, protective light to the holy warriors?  I know a few markings on some weapon sights doesn't mean much to some people - but I consider it a sign of much bigger and much more sinister things.  The United States of America and her Military are definitely on a Crusade.]

1. Iron Curtain – Military’s Newest Defense Against RPGs
2. US Military Suicides Reach New High
3. WikiLeaks – Video Of US Military Shooting Journalists And Civilians