Tag Archives: Church and State

Government Cannot “Pray in Jesus’ Name”

In a ruling that could also impact religious activities in the military, the 4th Circuit has ruled that the government can control the content of prayers offered during its legislative sessions.  Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor sat on the panel as a visiting judge and contributed to the ruling.

Justice O’Connor said that the prayer was “government speech,” not individual speech.  Reverend Hashmel Turner, also a local councilman, had sued when he was prevented from offering a sectarian prayer that would include the name of Jesus Christ.  The Reverend had been represented by the Rutherford Institute, which plans to appeal to the Supreme Court.

AU Protests Church Event for Military

As noted at the Religion Clause, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State has asked the Inspector General (an increasingly popular office, these days) to investigate

…an Army base’s practice of coercing soldiers to attend church services…

Tabernacle Baptist Church’s “Free Day Away” allows trainees from nearby Fort Leonard Wood to get a break from the base as well as attend an evangelical church service.

Quoted in a local paper, the base emphasized that Read more

“No Proselytizing by Military Leaders”

In what appears to be an ongoing interview, the 25th Infantry Division Chaplain, Lt Col Tom Wheatley (who was previously quoted here), has stated that he has seen no evidence that military leaders have participated in the actions alleged by the Military Religious Freedom Foundation’s Michael Weinstein.

The Chaplain did state he had seen it occur “from fellow soldiers,” when a “Christian…might give a fellow soldier a hard time who professes to be atheist or maybe a different faith group.”  While not sanctioned by the military, such actions are explicitly permitted under Constitutional protections, insomuch as they are within the bounds of regulations regarding good order and discipline.

IG: Religious Discrimination in Security Case

The Religion Clause links to articles that detail the case of David Tenenbaum, a civilian Army employee who was investigated for allegations of spying for Israel.  Tenenbaum, an Orthodox Jew, had claimed that he was mistreated because of his religion in the course of the investigation.  The Inspector General investigated as a result of a Congressional request.

Spanning back to 1992, the Inspector General’s report noted that while various officials stated that religion was a factor in the security investigation, it was “impossible” to know years after the fact whether it was “the personal practice of his faith or the intelligence community assessment that Israel might attempt to exploit any practitioner of that faith…”

Regardless, the IG stated that Tenenbaum received “unusual and unwelcome scrutiny because of his faith…[which] would undoubtedly fit a definition of discrimination.”

Former Chaplain Defends Naval Academy

As noted earlier, the ACLU has complained again about the Naval Academy noon meal process that “[offers] Midshipmen an opportunity for prayer or devotional thought.”  Former Navy Chaplain Klingenschmitt, of court martial fame, addresses the issue by asking

…does the First Amendment protect the freedom of religious expression…or does it protect the easily offended ears of the bystander…?

Coming Soon: AtheistFighterPilot.com

Some who have visited ChristianFighterPilot.com have made accusations of exclusivism, favoritism, and even violation of the Constitution for mixing “church and state.”  At the extreme, conspiracy theorists have accused ChristianFighterPilot.com of being bent on world domination.  After all, only Christians would have the gall to so publicly mix their military service and religious faith, right? 

Actually, Christians aren’t the only ones integrating their faith and their service, and others, too, have “exclusive” websites featuring their faiths. Read more

Report: Anti-Christian Discrimination in VA

Over the past couple of years, there have been a few complaints that the military, government, and the VA have been evangelizing their members.  These complaints have occasionally led to controversial responses, but the reaction rarely generates the headlines of the first complaint.  In a fairly unusual turn of events, a former Chaplain for the Veterans’ Administration is claiming that those actions, far from encouraging “religious freedom,” are in fact discriminating against Christians.

Last year, the Fayetteville VA hospital “neutralized” its chapel by removing Christian symbols, which included covering the stained glass windows with blinds and sawing the crosses off the back of the chairs.  The VA Chaplain, Archie Barringer, was asked to retire after he protested the actions.  He now has the attention of his congressman, and the Rutherford Institute is investigating the possibility of suing the VA in response.

Complaints Over Military Interviews in Religious Video

The Kansas City Star, which has increasingly become an outlet for press releases from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, noted that Weinstein’s MRFF has complained of a broadcast by the Trinity Broadcasting Network that contains military content.  The 2-hour video, the “Red, White and Blue Spectacular” hosted by Christian music singer Carman, was filmed in 2003 and rebroadcast in 2005 as a military-focused independence celebration.  The video is scheduled to be rebroadcast this year.

The primary complaint was an interview with then-Major General Van Antwerp, who was also then-President of the Officers’ Christian Fellowship.  Carman was also given a tour of an Aegis cruiser and an interview with the uniformed Pentagon Chaplain.

Weinstein, who calls this a “repeat” of the “putrescent disgrace” of the Christian Embassy filming Read more

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