Posted on 01/03/2014 6:10:48 AM PST by Kaslin
It was a rare and welcome victory for religious freedom for our all-volunteer military. Congress approved—and President Obama the day after Christmas signed—the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This new law contains stronger language than ever before that assures our service members do not have to give up their own freedoms while protecting ours.
This new law contains some of Sen. Mike Lee’s (R-Utah) provisions to assure better implementation of freedom guarantees. In the past, the Obama administration has largely ignored protections for service members. This law provides clear deadlines for the Defense Department to issue new regulations. Military commanders should no longer be in doubt about America’s historic commitment to religious freedom in the ranks.
This underscoring of basic freedoms by our Congress should never have been necessary.
We have seen under this administration an unprecedented looking away as the basic rights of service members have been infringed. Political correctness seems to be the Order of the Day. This administration has been more interested in using the military as a laboratory for radical social experimentation than as the sword and shield of the republic.
The need to protect such freedom goes all the way back to Gen. George Washington in the Continental Army. When he assumed command of the Army in Massachusetts in 1775, he soon learned there would be an anti-Catholic demonstration by some zealots among the largely Protestant force. “Pope’s Day” had been observed for more than a century among New England Puritans. It featured sports and games, but it ended with a spectacle. An effigy of the Pope was stuffed with straw and live cats. Set ablaze, the screaming of the cats was said to be the screaming of the Popes in hell.
His Excellency put a quick end to such overt religious bigotry. He reminded his officers that the cause of America needed help, maybe from Catholic Quebec, surely from Catholic France. And he sternly forbade such a “childish” and “ridiculous” display. Washington put an end to Pope’s Day, not only in the Army, but in the nation at large.
This is a far cry from today, when Bibles have been banned at Walter Reed military hospital near Washington, D.C. Family Research Council (FRC) quickly sought congressional support to have those Bibles restored to our wounded warriors.
We have regrettably seen the U.S. Air Force Academy whipsawed by zealous atheizers. These people claim to be for religious freedom, but they jump at every opportunity to impose atheism in the ranks.
Prodded by Mikey Weinstein and his mirfs from the so-called Military Religious Freedom Foundation, the Superintendant the Air Force Academy suddenly dropped “So Help Me God” from the Cadet oath. Too bad.
But with this new law, every Cadet and every Midshipman at every service academy should know: “So Help Me God” is protected speech. No one can take it away.
For assurance, these young military trainees can consult the National Park Service’s Mount Rushmore. Each of these Commanders-in-Chief took the Oath of Office as president. Each one placed his hand on the Bible and said:
So Help Me God
With the passage and signature of the 2014 NDAA, the right of each member of the military to say “So Help Me God” in enlistment, in promotion, and in taking their initial oaths, has been written, so to speak, in stone.
My FRC colleague, Tony Perkins, is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. Tony commended the brave stand of Coast Guard Admiral William Lee. The admiral boldly said if he knew one of his young men had attempted suicide, he would not hesitate to offer that suffering sailor a Bible.
Tony said of Congress’ passage of the 2014 NDAA: “Defending America’s freedom shouldn’t mean surrendering theirs.” This is especially the case when the Constitution they swear to defend guarantees the first freedom of all Americans.
Sodomite “rights” trumps all other considerations to this administration, and so such an act will be deemed “unconstitutional” by the sodomite-in-chief. He’ll just ignore it.
It would have been nice had the author made any effort in this article to describe just what this "stronger language" said. At the end he says it will protect the right of enlistees to say "so help me God" when being sworn in. Is that all it does?
We agree on the shortcomings of this law. Tepid at best-but perhaps the best we can hope for under an Administration that is more in favor of our enemy and the the religion of Satan (Islam) than it is any of the Founders Religion.
Well that didn’t exactly work at the VA hospitals last Christmas. They refused to deliver religious Christmas cards.
From the bill:
529.
Protection of the religious freedom of military chaplains to close a prayer outside of a religious service according to the traditions, expressions, and religious exercises of the endorsing faith group
(a)
United states army
Section 3547 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
(c)
If called upon to lead a prayer outside of a religious service, a chaplain shall have the prerogative to close the prayer according to the traditions, expressions, and religious exercises of the endorsing faith group.
.
(b)
United states military academy
Section 4337 of such title is amended—
(1)
by inserting “(a)” before “There”; and
(2)
by adding at the end the following new subsection:
(b)
If called upon to lead a prayer outside of a religious service, the Chaplain shall have the prerogative to close the prayer according to the traditions, expressions, and religious exercises of the endorsing faith group.
.
(c)
United states navy and marine corps
Section 6031 of such title is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
(d)
If called upon to lead a prayer outside of a religious service, a chaplain shall have the prerogative to close the prayer according to the traditions, expressions, and religious exercises of the endorsing faith group.
.
(d)
United states air force
Section 8547 of such title is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
(c)
If called upon to lead a prayer outside of a religious service, a chaplain shall have the prerogative to close the prayer according to the traditions, expressions, and religious exercises of the endorsing faith group.
.
(e)
United states air force academy
Section 9337 of such title is amended—
(1)
by inserting “(a)” before “There”; and
(2)
by adding at the end the following new subsection:
(b)
If called upon to lead a prayer outside of a religious service, the Chaplain shall have the prerogative to close the prayer according to the traditions, expressions, and religious exercises of the endorsing faith group.
.
530.
Expansion and implementation of protection of rights of conscience of members of the Armed Forces and chaplains of such members
(a)
Accommodation of members’ beliefs, actions, and speech
Subsection (a)(1) of section 533 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (Public Law 112–239; 126 Stat. 1727; 10 U.S.C. prec. 1030 note) is amended—
(1)
by striking “The Armed Forces shall accommodate the beliefs” and inserting “Except in cases of military necessity, the Armed Forces shall accommodate the beliefs, actions, and speech”; and
(2)
by inserting “, actions, or speech” after “such beliefs”.
(b)
Narrow exception
Subsection (a)(2) of such section is amended by striking “that threaten” and inserting “that actually harm”.
(c)
Deadline for regulations; consultation
The implementation regulations required by subsection (c) of such section shall be issued not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. In preparing such regulations, the Secretary of Defense shall consult with the official military faith-group representatives who endorse military chaplains.
Googled it.
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