Furloughing Faith?
“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.” ~ Rep. John Fleming (R-LA)
Tony Perkins' FRC Washington Update: President Obama can't veto the First Amendment, so he's doing the next best thing: refusing to let his troops exercise it. In his most combative move yet, the administration warned Congress yesterday that it strongly opposes Rep. John Fleming's religious freedom amendment, which sailed through the House Armed Services Committee with bipartisan
Nothing about Fleming's measure is controversial, unless you object to Americans' rights as outlined by the U.S. Constitution. The President, who isn't exactly a big proponent of conscience rights (in case you missed the health care debate), thinks his troops should have to swallow their religious beliefs to serve. And to the delight of anti-Christian extremists, Obama's Pentagon has spent the last several months muzzling -- or worse, punishing -- men and women of faith. From stripping Bibles off desks to crashing private parties, religion -- and in particular Christianity -- have become dirty words in the ranks.
Now, the administration is taking its spite to new heights by threatening to withhold a year's worth of defense funding over a simple amendment protecting the same rights our troops fight for every day. In a statement, the White House sent a chilling message to all Americans about their basic liberties: "The administration strongly objects to section 530, which 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.' 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."
The administration, which had been content to drive faith underground in the military, is moving to its next phase: driving faith out. Welcome to Obama's military, where open homosexuality is encouraged but open belief is not. Congressman Fleming -- like most members -- was stunned at the commander-in-chief's open hostility toward the proud tradition of faith in our fighting force. "That is an outrageous position," he told Fox News, "but it's what I've come to expect from an administration that is aggressively hostile toward religious beliefs that it deems politically incorrect."
The Pentagon, which insisted there was no conspiracy against Christians (despite a growing crackdown), will have a difficult time convincing people of that now. Imagine how our troops must feel, knowing that their own commander-in-chief would block an entire budget just to deprive them of the benefits and comforts of religion. Unfortunately, the President is not only denying our service members the consolation of faith, but he is undermining the moral foundation of the world's most powerful military. That should concern everyone -- including Congress.
We applaud Rep. Fleming for giving our troops the attention and protection they deserve. More than 167,000 Americans signed FRC's petitions agreeing with Congressman Fleming that service members deserve the right to freely practice and express their faith.
Recent religious liberty violations in the military include:
* When a serviceman expressed his religious position about homosexuality on a personal blog, he received a "severe and possibly career-ending reprimand."
* An enlisted service member was given a negative efficiency report for sending personal invitations to his promotion party, in which he said he would be serving Chick-fil-A sandwiches "in honor of the Defense of Marriage Act."
* A senior military official at Fort Campbell sent out a lengthy email instructing officers to recognize "the religious right in America" as a "domestic hate group," (akin to the KKK and Neo-Nazis) because of its opposition to homosexual behavior.
* An Air Force officer was told to remove a Bible from his desk because "it might offend someone." The officer had kept the Bible on the desk for 18 years.
* A chaplain was relieved of his command over a military chapel because he refused to deviate from federal marriage law and allow same-sex "weddings" on base.
* An enlisted service member was threatened and denied promotion by a senior NCO for expressing – during a personal conversation – his support of natural marriage.
* Last month, Coast Guard Rear Admiral William Lee told a National Day of Prayer audience that religious liberty was being threatened by Pentagon lawyers and service members are being told to hide their faith in Christ.
Unfortunately, service members aren't the only ones in the President's crosshairs. The rights of health care workers, individuals, and businesses are also at stake as ObamaCare moves closer to full implementation. On August 1st, just weeks from today, religious and nonprofit groups will be the next targets for compliance under the President's birth control-abortion pill insurance mandate. Unless organizations like faith-based hospitals, charities, and schools agree to cover these drugs, the government will start fining them -- hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars a day.
[On Wednesday (June 12th], a group of 11 bipartisan congressmen -- including Reps. Jeff Fortenberry, Joe Pitts (R-Pa.), John Fleming (R-La.), Chris Smith (R-N.J.), Tim Walberg (R-Mich.), Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.), Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), Tim Huelskamp (R-Kans.), Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), and Diane Black (R-Tenn.) -- took to the House floor protest the approaching storm for charitable organizations. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, who organized the special order, talked about the new culture of religious oppression in America -- and the importance of passing Rep. Black's Health Care Conscience Rights Act:
"We have lost our collective sense of respect for divergent views. We have lost our sense that the government must protect that sacred right of conscience and not coerce her citizens into doing something that they fundamentally believe is unjust or wrong. [Like the IRS targeting,] the HHS mandate is also a form of discrimination. It primarily targets people in faith communities, the very people who have been the backstop of compassionate care for the poor, the vulnerable, and the marginalized in our society today... Mr. Speaker, no American should be forced to choose between their conscience and their livelihood. No American should be forced to choose between their faith and their job. No American should be forced to choose between their deeply held, reasoned beliefs and the law. That's a false choice. It's un-American, and it's wrong."
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Nothing about Fleming's measure is controversial, unless you object to Americans' rights as outlined by the U.S. Constitution. The President, who isn't exactly a big proponent of conscience rights (in case you missed the health care debate), thinks his troops should have to swallow their religious beliefs to serve. And to the delight of anti-Christian extremists, Obama's Pentagon has spent the last several months muzzling -- or worse, punishing -- men and women of faith. From stripping Bibles off desks to crashing private parties, religion -- and in particular Christianity -- have become dirty words in the ranks.
Now, the administration is taking its spite to new heights by threatening to withhold a year's worth of defense funding over a simple amendment protecting the same rights our troops fight for every day. In a statement, the White House sent a chilling message to all Americans about their basic liberties: "The administration strongly objects to section 530, which 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.' 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."
The administration, which had been content to drive faith underground in the military, is moving to its next phase: driving faith out. Welcome to Obama's military, where open homosexuality is encouraged but open belief is not. Congressman Fleming -- like most members -- was stunned at the commander-in-chief's open hostility toward the proud tradition of faith in our fighting force. "That is an outrageous position," he told Fox News, "but it's what I've come to expect from an administration that is aggressively hostile toward religious beliefs that it deems politically incorrect."
The Pentagon, which insisted there was no conspiracy against Christians (despite a growing crackdown), will have a difficult time convincing people of that now. Imagine how our troops must feel, knowing that their own commander-in-chief would block an entire budget just to deprive them of the benefits and comforts of religion. Unfortunately, the President is not only denying our service members the consolation of faith, but he is undermining the moral foundation of the world's most powerful military. That should concern everyone -- including Congress.
We applaud Rep. Fleming for giving our troops the attention and protection they deserve. More than 167,000 Americans signed FRC's petitions agreeing with Congressman Fleming that service members deserve the right to freely practice and express their faith.
Recent religious liberty violations in the military include:
* When a serviceman expressed his religious position about homosexuality on a personal blog, he received a "severe and possibly career-ending reprimand."
* An enlisted service member was given a negative efficiency report for sending personal invitations to his promotion party, in which he said he would be serving Chick-fil-A sandwiches "in honor of the Defense of Marriage Act."
* A senior military official at Fort Campbell sent out a lengthy email instructing officers to recognize "the religious right in America" as a "domestic hate group," (akin to the KKK and Neo-Nazis) because of its opposition to homosexual behavior.
* An Air Force officer was told to remove a Bible from his desk because "it might offend someone." The officer had kept the Bible on the desk for 18 years.
* A chaplain was relieved of his command over a military chapel because he refused to deviate from federal marriage law and allow same-sex "weddings" on base.
* An enlisted service member was threatened and denied promotion by a senior NCO for expressing – during a personal conversation – his support of natural marriage.
* Last month, Coast Guard Rear Admiral William Lee told a National Day of Prayer audience that religious liberty was being threatened by Pentagon lawyers and service members are being told to hide their faith in Christ.
Unfortunately, service members aren't the only ones in the President's crosshairs. The rights of health care workers, individuals, and businesses are also at stake as ObamaCare moves closer to full implementation. On August 1st, just weeks from today, religious and nonprofit groups will be the next targets for compliance under the President's birth control-abortion pill insurance mandate. Unless organizations like faith-based hospitals, charities, and schools agree to cover these drugs, the government will start fining them -- hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars a day.[On Wednesday (June 12th], a group of 11 bipartisan congressmen -- including Reps. Jeff Fortenberry, Joe Pitts (R-Pa.), John Fleming (R-La.), Chris Smith (R-N.J.), Tim Walberg (R-Mich.), Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.), Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), Tim Huelskamp (R-Kans.), Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), and Diane Black (R-Tenn.) -- took to the House floor protest the approaching storm for charitable organizations. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, who organized the special order, talked about the new culture of religious oppression in America -- and the importance of passing Rep. Black's Health Care Conscience Rights Act:
"We have lost our collective sense of respect for divergent views. We have lost our sense that the government must protect that sacred right of conscience and not coerce her citizens into doing something that they fundamentally believe is unjust or wrong. [Like the IRS targeting,] the HHS mandate is also a form of discrimination. It primarily targets people in faith communities, the very people who have been the backstop of compassionate care for the poor, the vulnerable, and the marginalized in our society today... Mr. Speaker, no American should be forced to choose between their conscience and their livelihood. No American should be forced to choose between their faith and their job. No American should be forced to choose between their deeply held, reasoned beliefs and the law. That's a false choice. It's un-American, and it's wrong."
Tags: To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
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