‘The Bible Stays’: Pence Announces Change to VA Hospital Rules Allowing Religious Decorations, Christmas Trees

by Madison Dibble: Vice President Mike Pence announced that he would be scrapping some of the previous administration’s policies when it comes to religion in Veterans Affairs hospitals.

The vice president spoke before the American Legion National Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Wednesday where he announced that the administration under President Donald Trump would be rolling back some of the policies put into place while President Barack Obama was in the Oval Office.

According to Pence, Obama-era rules prohibited the celebration of religious holidays in VA hospitals, including the display of Christmas trees and Bibles.

Pence promised the veterans in the crowd that those rules were a thing of the past. The Trump administration had overturned those decisions and would be fighting a lawsuit that aims to remove a WWII-era Bible from one VA hospital in New Hampshire.

Watch Pence’s speech:

During the last Administration the VA was removing Bibles & even banning Christmas carols to be politically correct, but under President @realDonaldTrump, VA hospitals will NOT be religion-free zones. Message to the New Hampshire VA: the Bible STAYS! -@AmericanLegion pic.twitter.com/f35NY28Jc5

— Mike Pence (@mike_pence) August 29, 2019

“As we meet the health care needs of our veterans, let me make you another promise: This administration will always make room for the spiritual needs of our heroes at the VA as well. You might have heard, even today, that there’s a lawsuit to remove a Bible that was carried in World War II from a missing man table at a VA hospital in New Hampshire. There’s a lawsuit underway. It’s really no surprise because, under the last administration, VA hospitals were removing Bibles and even banning Christmas carols in an effort to be politically correct. Let me be clear: Under this administration, VA hospitals will not be religion-free zones.”
Pence added that the Trump administration will “always respect the freedom of religion of every veteran of every faith.”

The vice president told the crowd that he wanted to let those suing the New Hampshire VA for their WWII-era Bible that “the Bible stays.”

President Trump campaigned on ending the “assault” against Christmas festivities in government-owned facilities, such as the VA.

People are proud to be saying Merry Christmas again. I am proud to have led the charge against the assault of our cherished and beautiful phrase. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 25, 2017

It remains unclear how the New Hampshire VA lawsuit over the Bible will play out. The lawsuit was filed on May 7, 2019.
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Madison Dibble writes for IJR.

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