15 events that highlight the growing hostility towards Christians in the military The aggressive anti-Christian actions of the Obama administration are real, documented and escalating. We must STOP anti-Christian actions like these: 1. January 2010 — Department of Defense orders removal of tiny Bible references on military scopes and gunsights. 2. June 2011 — The Department of Veterans Affairs forbids references to God and Jesus during burials at National Cemetery. 3. August 2011 — The Air Force stops teaching the Just War theory because it is based on a philosophy of St. Augustine. 4. September 2011 — Air Force Chief of Staff prohibits commanders from notifying airmen of religious programs. 5. September 2011 — The Army issues Walter Reed Medical Center guidelines stipulating that no religious items (i.e. Bibles, reading materials and/or tracts) are to be given to the wounded. 6. November 2011 — The Air Force Academy rescinds support for Operation Christmas Child because it is run by Christians. 7. November 2011 — The Air Force Academy pays $80,000 for a Stonehenge-type worship center for pagans, druids, and witches. 8. February 2012 — The U.S. Military Academy at West Point disinvites three-star Army general, decorated war hero, and FRC Executive Vice President, Lt. Gen. (Ret.) William “Jerry” Boykin, because he is an outspoken Christian. 9. February 2012 — The Army orders Catholic chaplains not to read archbishop’s letter to soldiers. 10. May 2012 — The Obama administration opposes legislation to protect the rights of conscience for military chaplains who do not wish to perform same-sex “marriages.” 11. June 2012 — Obama administration revokes the long-standing U.S. policy of allowing military service emblems to be placed on military Bibles. 12. August 2012 — Lt. Col. Jack Rich of the U.S. Army emails subordinates saying they should be on the lookout for people who share FRC’s values because they are not “Army values.” 13. January 2013 — Obama announces the opposition to a provision in the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act protecting the rights of conscience for military chaplains. 14. April 2013 — Officials briefing U.S. Army soldiers include “Evangelical Christianity” and “Catholicism” along with the terrorist organizations Al-Qaeda, Muslim Brotherhood, and Hamas as examples of “religious extremism.” 15. May 2013 — The Pentagon meets with Mikey Weinstein and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) to establish new rules which would restrict the religious freedom of Christian and Jewish military personnel. Sadly, this list is just the highlights–and it gets longer every day. Please, help us fight back against these repressive acts by supporting the American Hero Defense Fund. Every dollar you give to the American Hero Defense Fund will be doubled–matched dollar for dollar–by a $70,000 challenge grant. But we must raise the full $70,000 to receive the grant. With your help, FRC will vigorously challenge and counter these attacks on the First Amendment rights of our military heroes. Thank you for standing with America’s heroic men and women! Standing (Ephesians 6:13), Remember: Every dollar you give to the American Hero Defense Fund will be doubled–but only if we reach the $70,000 goal. |
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8 Comments
Please note: The United States of America is not a religious country. The 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution clearly “Prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble or prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances.”
Moreover, as a Christian who believes in loving neighbor and enemies alike and advocating peace and non-violence, I find it very offensive to put scripture verses on weapons and weapon scopes. OCL should find it shameful to add an appeal like this on its site.
While you may have a point about scriptures on weapons and weapon scopes, that is open for debate and a matter of personal opinion. Most of the Christians throughout history have advocated peace and nonviolence but recognized the reality and, sometimes, necessity of war and have felt no shame about praying for protection and victory.
William,
Some Christian may feel no shame in praying for protection and victory, however, U.S. military enlistments include more than just Christians. There are Jews, Moslems, Buddhists, Hindus—and Atheists.
Moreover, I’m not sure as to your brand of Christianity, but I am an Orthodox Christian and I do not support nor advocate inscribing and defiling passages from the Holy Scriptures on weapons designed and used to kill human beings that are created in the image and likeness of God.
Peter, I agree with you 100%
Orthodox Christian Laity is mistaken in criticizing these proper decisions by the Obama Administration removing Christian influence in the military. Obama is correct because he protects the vital concept of separation of church from state. It is ironic that those who claim to be Christian would tolerate linking their religion with militarism. – George Beres
Separation of church and state is not in the Constitution. Most on the Individual States mandated that an elected official be Christian to be eligible for office, and some mandated a certain denomination.
A private company manufactures those sights, freedom of speech would seem to apply to them as well. I will not purchase anything they sell, now, since they compromised.
“Obama is correct because he protects the vital concept of separation of church from state”
#7 would seem to contradict your position:
7. November 2011 – The Air Force Academy pays $80,000 for a Stonehenge-type worship center for pagans, druids, and witches.
The rest are clearly anti-Christian and brazenly discriminatory.
Has anyone from OCL checked on the veracity of these claims? It all sounds pretty weak and probably bogus. #3 (the Just War theory) should not be taught from an Orthodox viewpoint whether it was based on Augustine or not (& probably was).
Why don’t you actually quote the Constitution? How about …make or establish… and …prohibit the free exercise thereof…
Government has turned to “making” religion — like Kwanzaa, and prohibiting the free exercise of legitimate religions.
My experiences in the Navy from 1984-1988 were that I was heavily harassed for practicing Orthodox Christianity.