An article by Agence France-Presse, published at Military.com, notes the recent exceptions provided to three Sikh applicants to the US military. An anecdote tells of Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi’s experience in initial training:
On his first day of training at Fort Sam Houston in Texas, a first sergeant pulled [Kalsi] out of the crowd and Read more
After the recent ADF publication of a letter from 66 former military Chaplains opposing the repeal of DADT on religous freedom grounds, Christianity Today printed a similarly themed article from civilian Chaplains and endorsing agencies.
The Southern Baptist Convention, which has the most chaplains of any denomination at nearly 450, passed a resolution in June against the repeal of DADT, claiming that a large percentage of currently serving military personnel said they would not reenlist or would end their careers early should the policy be repealed. Read more
Michael Weinstein’s Military Religious Freedom Foundation publicly prides itself on its self-proclaimed “defense of the Constitution,” but its recent response to a critic defies its own description.
A detractor emailed the MRFF defending the “christian concert coming to FT Bragg [sic],” previously discussed here. The MRFF published the message, as it frequently does, and its response was telling.
Rick Baker, an MRFF “regional coordinator,” said Read more
According to various reports, Fort Bragg plans to continue with its Rock the Fort event despite complaints the participation of US military personnel constitutes a violation of the Constitution.
In a letter this week responding to concerns expressed by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Lt. Gen. Frank Helmick wrote that he’s confident the planned “Rock the Post” event doesn’t infringe on anyone’s freedoms. Read more
Americans United for the Separation of Church and State has called for the US Army to cancel a Chaplaincy event at Fort Bragg, NC. The event is Rock the Fort, which is associated with Billy Graham’s Evangelistic Association. According to the BGEA website:
When evangelist Josh Holland gets up to speak at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, N.C., this Saturday, he plans to honor the soldiers who are present, thanking them for their sacrifice and what they do to ensure our nation’s freedom.
“I also want to talk about the truest kind of freedom, which is found in a relationship with Christ and in freedom from sin,” Holland said during a phone interview this week.
The AU takes issue: Read more
An Air Force Academy press release notes the service of Chaplain (Capt) Zebulon Beck, one of only nine active duty Air Force Mormon Chaplains, who will minister to “more than 100 Mormon cadets.”
An interesting part of the article is the reference to the “mandatory two-year mission” of Mormons:
As is the case with other Mormons of similar age, many cadets interrupt their studies for the mandatory two-year mission. Those who do so often come back changed people. Read more
According to a State Department press release, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will host an Iftar on September 7th. The meal breaks the Islamic day-long fast that is continuous for the month of Ramadan. The US Army has also supported Iftars in Iraq.
Meanwhile, separate official Army press releases, complete with graphic banners, announce the upcoming Jewish celebrations of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The articles explain the meaning behind the holy days.
Religious freedom in America, and its military, at work.
The government’s use of tax monies from its citizens is frequently an issue for debate, even on non-religious topics. The discussion can become more significant when people question whether the government’s use of their money is “moral,” and if they should therefore not pay taxes.
In an interesting federal district court case, Moore-Backman v. United States, the complaint of Quaker Christopher Moore-Backman that his tax support of the military “burdens his religious exercise in violation of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act” was dismissed.
As noted by Howard Friedman, the court’s conclusion was somewhat broadly stated:
The court concluded that there was no free exercise or RFRA violation because under relevant case law the Government is not required to conduct its own internal affairs in a way that comports with an individual’s religious beliefs.