Posted on 11/30/2015 6:51:30 AM PST by BlackFemaleArmyColonel
The highest U.S. military court will hear the case of a Marine who was punished for refusing to remove a Bible verse from her workstation.
In May, 2013 then-Lance Cpl. Monifa Sterling kept a Bible verse on her computer in three places. The verses read "No weapon formed against me shall prosper," a modification of the Isaiah 54:17, according to the Catholic News Agency.
Ms. Sterling's staff sergeant demanded she remove the verse, but Ms. Sterling refused, saying she had the right to express her religious freedom.
The next day Ms. Sterling arrived to find the verses had been ripped down from her station. She put them up again. The cycle repeated until Ms. Sterling was court-martialed on Feb. 1, 2014.
She was convicted of disrespecting a superior commissioned officer, failing to go to an appointed place of duty, and disobeying a lawful order on four separate occasions, The Daily Caller reported.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals also sided against Ms. Sterling, saying significant damage could be caused by forcing military employees to be exposed to a religious quotation, CNA reported.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Yes. And does God require you to talk about your beliefs 100% of the time? Or is God also a God of order?
Does a surgeon discuss religion while operating? I hope not.
And if I hire you to do X, then you ought to be doing X - not talking about kids, finances, religion, music, your sex life, etc. When you go to work, you have a Christian duty to WORK.
And in the military, unit cohesion is hurt when people start pushing their views on divisive subjects AT WORK. Everyone understands someone having beliefs and discussing them off duty. I made a lot of scathing remarks about then President Bill Clinton - but NOT while on duty.
At home, or eating lunch with someone - talk about what you want. Sitting at a desk, working on the flightline, flying a jet - work.
Well, it could make the next Major Hassan engage in “workplace violence” for one thing. < / sarcasm >
If I were still in the military, and I walked up to someone at a desk and they had a big OBAMA sticker on their computer, I’d be pissed. If they had a gay pride sticker, I’d be pissed. If they had an NRA sticker, I’d be pissed. Why? Because A) they are not their to promote their personal views, and B) a shared workstation - which is what this woman had - is SHARED. And those who shared it might not share her personal views.
And in the military, when your CO says shut up, you shut up. Don’t want to? Bump it up the chain - and keep your mouth shut while doing so.
“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10)
“In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16)
Whether you’re a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard, if you’re a Wiccan or Pagan, you’re entitled to the same religious rights as people of other faiths. You can have the word “Wiccan” imprinted on your dog tag, you can pray to your own gods or goddesses, and you can even attend services and rituals held on your base, if you’re fortunate enough to be in an area that has other Pagans in it.
Government entities do recognize Wicca as a religion. In 2001, the revised edition of the U.S. Air Force Personnel Data System (MilMod) included Dianic Wicca, Druidism, Gardnerian Wicca, Pagan, Seax Wicca, Shamanism, and Wicca. Not only that, the Military Chaplain’s Handbook acknowledges Wicca within its pages and outlines procedures for interacting with Wiccan and Pagan soldiers.
http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/yourlegalrights/a/Mil_Pagans.htm
WASHINGTON — The Defense Department released regulations Wednesday ensuring the rights of religious-minority service members to display their beliefs outwardly – such as wearing a turban, scarf or beard – as long as the practices do not interfere with military discipline, order or readiness.
According to the Pentagon, requests for such religious accommodation will still be decided on an individual basis but will generally be denied only if the item impairs the safe use of military equipment; poses a health or safety hazard; interferes with wearing a uniform, a helmet or other military gear; or “impairs the accomplishment of the military mission.â€
http://www.pressherald.com/2014/01/25/u_s__military_will_allow_religious_expression_/
She wasn’t talking about anything. She put up an encouraging Bible verse.
Tell her to Check out Sierra Vista, AZ. We have a Christian attitude and a strong sense of support for our service people.
“Leave No Man Behind”
(Locared in Cochise County Arisona.)
The military should be mandated to provide a “safe space” for all who are offended by a Bible verse. And provide a cup of hot chocolate.
No wonder we haven’t won a war since WWII and probably never will again. Wish I had studied Russian in school.
Wonder if her CO was a closet mussie.
When people keep equate the bible verses to koran or satanic bible verses, we’ve lost as a country.
Exactly! CHRIST AND THE HOLY BIBLE ARE ABOVE ALL ELSE!
Apparently, US Marines are pretty friggin’ frail these days. “Get me a couch, I’m about to swoon!”
“The few, the sensitive, the frail...”
This seems pretty simple and clear. The military may not discriminate on the basis of content. If it bans Bible verses, it must be in the context of banning all postings. But if it permits other postings, it cannot single out Bible verses. So, if she pushes this to the right venue, I predict her victory.
She is going to get screwed.
“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God?”
Nice out of context verse. How about: “The spirit of a true preacher is under that preacher’s control, for God is not a God of disorder but of harmony, as is plain in all the churches.”
Or “You should, therefore, obey the authorities, not simply because it is the safest, but because it is the right thing to do. It is right, too, for you to pay taxes for the civil authorities are appointed by God for the good purposes of public order and well-being. Give everyone his legitimate due, whether it be rates, or taxes, or reverence, or respect!”
I’ll give you a hint - if I hire you to do X, and you spend your time pushing Y, then I will fire you and you can tell God how I’m a bad man. But God is honest, and he knows you were hired to do X. So I think He will ignore your complaint.
“She wasn’t talking about anything. She put up an encouraging Bible verse.”
So if someone put an Obama sticker on their computer, that isn’t pushing something? If they put a gay pride poster up, that isn’t pushing something?
To make matters worse, she did it at a SHARED work station - one that other people needed to use. You do NOT put personal stuff on a shared workstation.
Remember - there is no freedom of religion in the military. You give up your “Constitutional rights”. Don’t like it? Apply for a discharge.
There is no freedom of speech in the military. Start talking politics to those around you, and you WILL get hammered. You cannot wear a political pin on your uniform. Period.
What someone does when off-duty is another matter. But on duty, it IS under your commanding officer’s purview.
If “BlackFemaleArmyCaptain” believes she has the right to preach the gospel anytime, anywhere, then she is NOT an Army captain. It simply does not work that way. Period.
Silly Marine.
She should have been displaying Koranic verses ... after all she and the rest of the Marines are going to be required to fight for either Sunni or Shia Islam to prevail.
On the face of it this sure seems like an overreaction on the part of her superiors, especially since I haven’t seen anything that indicates that anyone other than her staff sergeant superior had a problem with the display.
She was convicted of disrespecting a superior commissioned officer, failing to go to an appointed place of duty, and disobeying a lawful order on four separate occasions...
The mechanism was the biblical reference.
“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10)
“Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them.” (Titus 3:10)
Very sanctimonious.
But when you are working, you ARE supposed to win the approval of your boss.
“Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”
“Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.”
No one has told her she cannot speak about Christ to others. But she cannot litter a shared workstation with her “witness”. In fact, her witness would be much stronger if it made others want to be like her.
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