Atheist sues military over "fundamentalist Christianity"
Jason Leopold reports on Op-Ed news:
An Army specialist who served two tours of duty in Iraq sued Defense Secretary Robert Gates and his supervising officer Wednesday for allegedly trying to force him to embrace fundamentalist Christianity and then retaliating against him when he refused.
Plaintiffs Jeremy Hall, who was stationed at Combat Operations Base Speicher, Iraq, and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org, filed the lawsuit in US District Court in Kansas City, Kansas Wednesday afternoon. The complaint was originally filed last year but withdrawn a month ago in order to include new allegations that says Hall’s promotion in the Army was withdrawn because of his pending lawsuit against the military.
The complaint alleges that Hall’s First Amendment rights were violated as early as Thanksgiving 2006 when, because of his atheist beliefs, Hall declined to participate in a Christian prayer ceremony commemorating the holiday . . .
The complaint in the lawsuit is here.
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation is a left wing group headed by Michael L. Weinstein, “named one of the 50 most influential Jews in America.” The Foundation is allied with Americans U. for Separation of Church and State. An emphasis on protecting Islam seems to be a heightened purpose shared by these groups and the ACLU since the Iraq invasion. The Military Religious Freedom Foundation, “About the Foundation page,” reports:
Religious freedom takes on an additional importance in the current international environment, where religious motivations are an increasing rationale for waging conflict. At a time when the United States is encouraging greater religious freedom in Muslim nations, it is imperative upon America to show by example that religious pluralism is a viable and preferred option. Any sign of hypocrisy in Unites States policy, official or otherwise, toward the free exercise of religion within the military makes it more difficult to convince others to follow our nation’s chosen path.
2 Comments
My son, who is in the military, has had the opposite experience. He was told that if he wished to be promoted that he would spend time with his fellow crew members “socializing” i.e. drinking and having a good time instead of spending time with his family and counseling young sailors with family and financial problems. He ignored this advice and did receive the promotion.
Christians — followers of Jesus Christ — have no business in anybody’s military. National soldiering and Christianity are diametrically opposed.
Anyone who actually paid attention to their Bible would realize that. All successful wars of ancient Israel were directly commanded by God to ancient Israel. Since the Diaspora, there has been no such country. We certainly aren’t ancient Israel!
God communicated directly with His chosen leaders in ancient Israel. Since Christ’s appearance to St. Paul on the Damascan Road, and St. John’s Patmos revelations, God hasn’t chosen to communicate directly with anyone else, even modern Israel, and the Bible itself tells us it’s closed and not to add to it or subtract from it.
Any wars initiated on their own by ancient Israel were lost humiliatingly.
Christians didn’t participate as soldiers for the first three centuries after Christ’s Ascension. They were closer to Him than we are. It’s just possible they knew better than we’re willing to what being a Christian means. It means to love — not hate, certainly not kill in their own land! — your enemies, pray for them, do good to them.
Christians sin by joining the military of any nation. Christians should get out of the military by any means possible. We should obey God rather than men.
Jesus said by their love we would know who His followers are, and by their obedience or disobedience to Him they reveal whether they belong to Him or not.
God says “I would have mercy rather than sacrifice.” James tells us that mercy triumphs over judgment.
Jesus said that love for Him is demonstrated by obedience to His commands. We have a choice, and it should be obvious we cannot deny that choice and still claim Him.
Christians in the military is anathema to Christ. Stop taking His name in vain and either come out of sin or cease to claim to be His follower.
No, I don’t owe my freedom to say these things to the U.S. military. I owe it to God, who has seen fit to use an unholy military to protect me and my God-given rights.
My favorite chapter in the Old Testament is 2 Chronicles 20. I’ve never heard it preached on or taught from. From the New Testament it’s Revelation 19. Only one person has any kind of a weapon, and it doesn’t say “Semper Fi.”
Leave earthly battles to non-Christians. Our weapons are spiritual, not of this world, and our citizenship is heavenly, not of this world.
“Come out of her, My people, and be clean.” “Be holy, as God is holy.”