Tag Archives: Public Expression

Religious Freedom Day, 16 January 2013

Each year since 1993 the President has declared January 16th to be “Religious Freedom Day,” in order to remember the passage of Thomas Jefferson’s 1786 Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (see 2009). President Obama has not yet issued his proclamation this year but will likely do so today [Update: Now here].  CitizenLink, associated with Focus on the Family, noted an irony in the forthcoming Presidential proclamation while the Administration is being sued — for impinging upon religious freedom.

Jefferson’s statute continues to be a strong expression for the value of Read more

Homosexual Websites Claim Military Censorship

A few homosexual advocacy websites have used their military members’ access to DoD networks to claim the US military is censoring websites identified as “LGBT.”

It’s bad enough the United States Department of Defense censors Towleroad and AMERICAblog – banning the gay civil rights Web sites from being accessed on DOD computers – and it’s even worse that the Pentagon has no problem permitting their computers to access Ann Coulter’s and Rush Limbaugh’s hate-filled Web sites…

While claiming persecution is all the rage, this is actually really old news.  The ACLU has been going after libraries and public schools for years for using the same web filtering software — BlueCoat and its categories — the DoD uses.  So much ire has been aimed at BlueCoat it has revised the wording of its filter and made a point of publishing its ‘neutral stance’ on the topic.  It only provides a service; its customers choose how to employ it.

Also, as noted before (when an Air Force Sergeant tried to get ChristianFighterPilot.com blocked from military servers as “hate speech”), it is difficult to Read more

Sailors Claim Religious Discrimination in Discharge over Sabbath

Three US Navy sailors from the USS Nimitz told reporters they were victims of discrimination after being discharged over their desire to observe the Sabbath:

Cedric Davis and his brother, Tracy, both served just shy of their four year commitment. Graig Mitchell served for a year and a half. They all received a general discharge weeks ago, all because they said, their commanding officer didn’t respect Read more

Atheists Oppose Defense Bill over Religious Liberty Protections

Update: The ACLU has likewise opposed the religious protections in the bill, which a local article called a “needed balance.”

The Congressional conference committee has sent the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) back to both houses of Congress for a vote.  (It is reportedly expected to pass, and to be signed by President Obama.)  The conference committee report includes expanded abortion coverage, a restriction on Guantanamo detainee transfers, and religious liberty protections for US troops.  The religious liberty protection language is not precisely what the House had passed (as opposed to the Senate, which passed none), but it is substantially similar:

SEC. 533. PROTECTION OF RIGHTS OF CONSCIENCE OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES AND CHAPLAINS OF SUCH MEMBERS.
(a) PROTECTION OF RIGHTS OF CONSCIENCE.—
(1) ACCOMMODATION.—The Armed Forces shall accommodate the beliefs of a member of the armed forces reflecting the conscience, moral principles, or religious beliefs of the member and, in so far as practicable, may not use such beliefs as the basis of any adverse personnel action, discrimination, or denial of promotion, schooling, training, or assignment.
(2) DISCIPLINARY OR ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION.—
Nothing in paragraph (1) precludes disciplinary or administrative action for conduct that is proscribed by chapter 47 of title 10, United States Code (the Uniform Code of Military Justice), including actions and speech that threaten good order and discipline.

The committee explained the result of their negotiations this way:  Read more

Military Chaplain Lights White House Menorah

White House photo.

US Army Chaplain (LtCol) Larry Bazer, Joint Forces Chaplain for the Massachusetts National Guard, was on hand December 13th at the White House to light a 90-year-old menorah.  (It turns out he was invited to do so last year, but was unavoidably detained:  He was deployed to Afghanistan.)  President Obama gave a history of Hanukkah and explained the application of its values to all.

Jews in Green notes that the Marine Band played Read more

Congress Debates Military Religious Freedom Post-DADT

As noted at the Baptist Press, a Congressional conference committee is currently attempting to reconcile the House and Senate versions of the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act.  One issue is a change that might allow the military to use funds or facilities for abortions.  Another is whether or not military personnel will be explicitly protected in their moral and religious expressions regarding homosexuality.  The Chaplain Read more

Retired Soldier Investigated for Remarks on Homosexuality

LifeSiteNews reports retired US Army 1SG Lynn Vanzandt, a JROTC instructor in Huntsville, AL, is being investigated by the Department of Education for allegations of harassment and discrimination, based on statements he made regarding the Bible and homosexuality:

The Department of Education sent a letter to Huntsville City Schools Superintendent Casey Wardynski this week, informing him that federal investigators will look into claims of alleged harassment Read more

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