White House Announces Strong Opposition to Religious Freedom in Military

The New American ^ | 15 June 2013 | Dave Bohon

[VitacoreVision]

The Obama administration announced that it "strongly objects" to an amendment in the National Defense bill that would protect the religious freedoms of America's military personnel.

White House Announces Strong Opposition to Religious Freedom in Military

The New American
15 June 2013

The Obama Administration has released a statement saying that it “strongly objects" to an amendment in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would protect the religious freedoms of men and women in the armed forces. The amendment (Section 530), offered by U.S. Representative John Fleming (R-La.), would specifically expand the “protection of rights of conscience of members of the Armed Forces and chaplains,” according to language in the amendment.

In its statement of objection the Obama Administration noted that the amendment "would require the Armed Forces to accommodate, except in cases of military necessity, 'actions and speech' reflecting the 'conscience, moral principles, or religious beliefs of the member.'" The White House complained that by “limiting the discretion of commanders to address potentially problematic speech and actions within their units, this provision would have a significant adverse effect on good order, discipline, morale, and mission accomplishment.”

Fleming insisted that the amendment is necessary to counter the increasing animosity toward religious freedom among military personnel. "The men and women who put their lives on the line to defend our freedoms should not have their own religious freedom jeopardized during their military service," the congressman said in a statement when he introduced the measure June 5. He emphasized that the amendment would help "ensure that men and women of faith will not be discriminated against in the Armed Forces and will be free to exercise their religious beliefs."

He noted that some armed forces personnel, "particularly chaplains, feel like their ability to execute their duties is being greatly limited by some of the policies and actions in the Pentagon." While "steps to protect the religious liberties of our Armed Forces were taken in last year's NDAA," Fleming recalled, "troubling reports indicate that the military may be focused only on protecting beliefs of service members, and not the exercise or expression of those beliefs."

Among the examples of such "troubling reports" over the past year was news that:

- Training material used by the Army Reserve had identified Protestant Christians, Catholics, and Orthodox Jews as "religious extremist" similar to al-Qaeda and Hamas.

- The U.S. Army blocked military personnel from accessing the website of the Southern Baptist Convention, citing unnamed "hostile content" on the site.

- The Defense Department confirmed that military personnel could face disciplinary action -- including court-martial -- for sharing their faith with others.

- Christian prayers were temporarily banned during funeral services for veterans at Houston's National Cemetery.

- Bibles were prohibited for a short time at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

- Crosses and a steeple were removed from a chapel in Afghanistan after military officials determined they were antagonistic to other religions.

Following the administration's statement of opposition to the measure, Fleming said that it appeared the president is attempting to block religious freedom among the troops. "With its statement, the White House is now endorsing military reprimands of members who keep a Bible on their desk or express a religious belief," he told Fox News. "This Administration is aggressively hostile towards religious beliefs that it deems to be politically incorrect."

Several conservative Christian policy groups responded to the White House statement, with Kellie Fiedorek, litigation counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, arguing that the response demonstrates that President Obama clearly "opposes constitutional religious freedom for service men and women." Fiedorek called the response the "latest example of this administration's hostility toward religious service members. Antagonism toward people of faith -- namely Christians -- in the military is real, and it is disappointing that the President is unwilling to support laws that protect and defend the basic liberty of religious freedom."

Similarly, Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council said President Obama's opposition to the amendment "reveals that this Administration has gone beyond accommodating the anti-Christian activists who want to remove any vestige of Christianity from the military, to aiding them by blocking this bipartisan measure."

Perkins observed that the the Fleming amendment "protects the right of service members to not only hold religious beliefs, but to act on them and freely practice those beliefs as long as they pose no threat to U.S. Constitutional liberties. This chilling suppression of religious freedom is driving faith underground in our military and will eventually drive it out. This not only deprives those who serve of the benefits that flow from religious participation, but it undermines the moral foundation of the world's most powerful military and the country they serve."


Related Articles:

Pentagon Confirms That Soldiers Could Be Court-Martialed for Sharing Faith

Christians Are Extremists Like al-Qaeda, U.S. Army Taught Troops

Obama Administration's War on Religion

Following Flak, Walter Reed Military Hospital Overturns Bible Ban

[madison10]

I bet they (he does) do...except for Mus... and atheists.

[Arm_Bears]

So, to serve in the military, one gives-up one’s natural and Constitutionally-protected rights?

[VitacoreVision]

It looks like only Protestant Christians, Catholics, and Orthodox Jews are being targeted — you know —the “religious extremists.”

[Henry Hnyellar]

White House Announces Strong Opposition to Religious Freedom

[darkwing104]

Dear Democrats...

Defend this...Just remember, the Heavenly Father will have the last word.

[DoughtyOne]

No need to object to things like this Mr. Obama. We know where you stand on such matters. Nothing is protected unless is relates to terrorism and your favorite group.

[Gene Eric]

The agenda to eradicate Christianity and the Constitution forges on.

[Mark17]

So, to serve in the military, one gives-up one’s natural and Constitutionally-protected rights?

In Obama world, yes. It hurts me to do do, because i am a veteran, but I told my son not to plan on going into the military.

[Newbomb Turk]

Obama may think he has the last word on this subject, but the battle is already won and Obama and his Ilk will have eternity to think about it....

[muawiyah]

Obama and his crowd are remarkably politically tone deaf. It is truly amazing they ever won an election ~ maybe that tells us how weak the candidates foisted on us by the GOP-e have been.

[Standing Wolf]

I believe it might be simpler to put it this way: President You Didn’t Build That and the rest of the “progressive” oligarchy are vehemently opposed to American freedom—period.

[21st Century Crusader]

This white house is strongly opposed to ANY FREEDOM!

[mosesdapoet]

Why should this surprize anyone ? What was the political party that took over the White House ? At their last convention to show they took over didn’t they deny a place for God ? Even booed the name ? That’s what you should expect when they hyphenated into Demo-Coms.

[AlexW]

While many on here contend that Obozo is a Muslim, I have always considered him an atheist.
When he was first elected, there was, as with every new POTUS, the question as to what church the family would attend.
To my knowledge, he has attended no church at all.
We all know that Ruvrund Wrong’s joint was nothing more then a temple of hate.

[2ndDivisionVet]

[ChocChipCookie]

This is the same type of “logic” used by DHS, telling us that as soon as we enter an airport we no longer have constitutional rights.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Mooslims excepted, of course.

[odawg]

“... “limiting the discretion of commanders to address potentially problematic speech and actions within their units, this provision would have a significant adverse effect on good order, discipline, morale, and mission accomplishment.”

1. The speech and actions referenced have been part and
parcel of American military since our founding as a nation
and our military has been unusually successful in mission
accomplishment.

2. During that same length of time, homosexuality was
regarded as having the stated negative effects.

3. Which could be considered more problematic?

[mardi59]

obam and his followers are going to suffer for their decisions. God our Father is not amused.

Maybe the skinny little muslim tyrant in the WH would like to tell us why Major Hassan gets to pray 5 times a day and why they would not FORCE HIM to shave his beard!! I guess under the obama tyranny only muslims have rights.

It’s okay, our Lord will have the last word. I heard Saint Peter is oiling the trap door hinges.