High Military Court Will Decide Case of Marine Punished for Bible Verse

Catholic News Agency ^ | 11/28/15 | Loredana Vuoto

[MarkL]

And traitor Bergdahl gets a pass...

Disgusting!

Mark

[MarkL]

aying that significant damage could be caused by forcing military employees to work in the presence of a religious quotation.

Holy Crap! I hope the US military never has to go battle in the middle east, where there are public prayers sent out to the public through PA systems!

If just a written Bible verse could cause "significant damage," imagine the carnage to our service members caused by actually HEARING prayers! They wouldn't have a chance!

Mark

[MD Expat in PA]

She was not engaged in a combat zone and that order countermanded centuries of hallowed tradition.

So men and women in the military only have to obey orders if they are in a combat zone? Who knew? I guess if you are black female, military orders and disciple don't apply?

And what centuries of hallowed tradition was she following by putting up not 1 copy, not 2 copies but 3 copies of the exact same quote - "No weapon formed against me shall prosper" -- in 28-point type on her computer's tower, her monitor and her desk, a computer and desk she shared with others. Did her or could her fellow Maries with whom she shared this workspace also tape 3 copies of a saying (Biblical or other) on the same computer?

And she wasn't even quoting it correctly: "No weapon that is formed against thee (or you) shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord."

Sterling told military officials that the posted passage helped her summon patience when dealing with short-tempered Marines who were frustrated with their CAC problems.

One could see it as her posting the "No weapon formed against me shall prosper" quote as an admonishment not to give her any sort of guff or complain too much which might be why "A military judge determined that the quotations, "could be interpreted as combative ... [and] could easily be seen as contrary to good order and discipline," court records show." Not because they were religious, even if that was the reason that her CO objected, but because it was seen as being antagonistic toward those she was there to help.

Monifa is not the problem. So-called conservatives who don't have sense enough to defend basic Constitutional freedoms is the problem.

"At the time, a military court subsequently noted, Sterling was "locked in an antagonistic relationship with her superiors" that extended beyond the dispute with over the biblical phrases, and she faced several charges of disobeying orders."

Monifa refused to wear as ordered by a different officer, a class C uniform claiming a medical exemption for a hip injury (a medical chit) that had a handwritten note on that said wearing a class C uniform could be "difficult" but was not explicitly excused from wearing one; she then refused to report to gate duty when ordered claiming "stress reaction" and that she believed her medical chit which recommended "light duty" exempted her from standing; another time she refused another order to report for gate duty, this time by a Major, citing that a migraine medication she was on would cause dizziness and drowsiness but then admitted during her court martial that while she usually took the medication as prescribed, at night before going to bed, on the day she refused to obey that order to report to gate duty, she'd taken the medication in the morning so as that a migraine wouldn't interfere with her attending church services earlier that day.

Read the transcript of her 1st appeal here and get back to me on Monifa and how her "Constitutional Right" not to follow orders were trampled on and whether she deserved to get booted out of the Marines.

https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/2784127/united-states-v-sterling/

[unlearner]

Okay, MD. You made your point. I appreciate your sharing of additional, relevant details about this case.

I am still frustrated that this woman probably received a worse punishment than Bowe Bergdahl. Bergdahl was treated like some sort of hero by the White House even though people may have died as a result of his behavior.

On the other hand, it seems like they want to make an example out of this woman. If it had been a verse from the Koran, she never would have been told to take it down for fear of workplace violence.

[MD Expat in PA]

Re: Bergdahl - on this I absolute do not disagree with you at all. Bergdahl should have been court-martialed and either facing a firing squad or life in prison by now. But Bergdahl still faces serious charges and the possibility of prison time. Although I doubt the White Hut will allow that to happen if Obama has any say in it.

Military selects rarely used charge for Bowe Bergdahl case

On the other hand, it seems like they want to make an example out of this woman. If it had been a verse from the Koran, she never would have been told to take it down for fear of workplace violence.

I would agree with you if posting the Bible verses were the only issues at hand. Sterling never faced prison but was bumped down in rank and given a bad-conduct discharge, which after reading the transcript - I have to agree with.

[metmom]

But I suppose that there’s no significant damage done to the Christian they are persecuting, and that THAT is not bad for morale.