On Thursday (Sept. 12), religious liberty leaders met with Pentagon officials to discuss the rapidly escalating incidents of religious liberty violations in the military under the Obama administration.
On April 28, Breitbart News broke the story of Pentagon brass meeting with anti-Christian activist Mikey Weinstein to discuss religious liberty policies. Quoting Weinstein in his own printed words, this activist has a record of calling observant Christians “fundamentalist monsters” who seek impose “theocratic terror” on America and of saying that evangelizing (sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ) in the military is an act of “sedition and treason” against this country, making those who do it “enemies of the Constitution.” He says those who do so should be court-martialed (criminally prosecuted).
As this story developed, the Obama-Hagel Pentagon defended its policy and changed its story several times as it was revealed these meetings with Weinstein had been going on for years. In the following months there were additional incidents, such as removing Christian patriotic artwork at a military base, censoring a Christian chaplain and a Christian service member reportedly being relieved of duty by his lesbian commander because he refused her order to say it is wrong not to support gay marriage.
Now leaders from Restore Military Religious Freedom—a coalition to protect service members of faith—met with Pentagon officials. Retired Lt. Gen. Jerry Boykin of the Family Research Council, retured Col. Ron Crews of the Chaplains Alliance for Religious Liberty, Kellie Fiedorek of Alliance Defending Freedom, and nationally known Christian talk radio host Sandy Rios took with them two petitions calling on Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to protect religious liberty.
Read more at http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/41034-christian-leaders-meet-with-pentagon-on-religious-liberty-violations
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The move here is to do what has been done in the US Coast Guard Auxiliary where regulation does not allow “Chaplain” to be used in the title of a person offering prayer or other words in meetings. The term in the USCG Auxiliary is “Lay Leader.” This is a person appointed by the Flotilla Commander who has no official standing and their work cannot be recorded as credit hours in the Flotilla. They are to offer only opening, closing remarks and moments of silence of a non secular nature so as not to offend anyone who is not of Christian faith or are non believers. It is not a consideration of the person being ordained or not since they are “Lay” persons by definition. Given this however, the appointed “Lay Lader” is required to seek training and approval from the USCG District Chaplain before being formally approved as a “Lay Leader.” In essence the “Lay Leader” position exist but not as a elected or appointed office of the USCG Auxiliary and it has no formal authority. The USCG Auxiliary expressly forbids the use of the title Chaplain in a foltilla or other parts of the organization. Since members of the Auxiliary are members of the Dept. of Homeland Security and carry a valid Identification Card as membes of the Auxiliary and Dept., I can see a time when these efforts will be applied to members of the Dept. of Defense and the military. The person at the center of this anti religious effort is accepted by secular governemental authority as a representative of their not so hidden agenda. We must resist these efforts in our congragations, our communities and through elected officials. The military is under the control of one person, the “Commander in Chief” and as such is a dictatorship. The individuals in uniform live under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and are not allowed the freedom of speech, belief and other freedoms enjoyed in the civilian community. We must be their voice and protector of their rights and I believe God is calling us to that challenge.