Pentagon Sued Over Mandatory Christianity

[segovius]

It seems that the Pentagon (and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and a US Army major) is facing a law suit in which they have been accused of forcing an atheist to embrace Evangelical Christianity and subjecting him to repercussions of an unpleasant nature when he refused to do so.

The complaint, filed in US District Court in Kansas City, by the nonprofit Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), on behalf of Jeremy Hall, an Army specialist currently on active duty in Speicher, Iraq, alleges that Hall's First Amendment rights were violated beginning last Thanksgiving when, because of his atheist beliefs, he declined to participate in a Christian prayer ceremony commemorating the holiday.

"Immediately after plaintiff made it known he would decline to join hands and pray, he was confronted, in the presence of other military personnel, by the senior ranking ... staff sergeant who asked plaintiff why he did not want to pray, whereupon plaintiff explained because he is an atheist," says the lawsuit, a copy of which was provided to Truthout. "The staff sergeant asked plaintiff what an atheist is and plaintiff responded it meant that he (plaintiff) did not believe in God. This response caused the staff sergeant to tell plaintiff that he would have to sit elsewhere for the Thanksgiving dinner. Nonetheless, plaintiff sat at the table in silence and finished his meal."

Moreover, the complaint alleges that on August 7, when Hall received permission by an Army chaplain to organize a meeting of other soldiers who shared his atheist beliefs, his supervisor, Army Major Paul Welborne, broke up the gathering and threatened to retaliate against the soldier by charging him with violating the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The complaint also alleges that Welborne vowed to block Hall's reenlistment in the Army if the atheist group continued to meet - a violation of Hall's First Amendment rights under the Constitution. Welborne is named as a defendant in the lawsuit.

The complaint charges that Hall, who is based at Fort Riley, Kansas, has been forced to "submit to a religious test as a qualification to his post as a soldier in the United States Army," a violation of Article VI, Clause 3 of the Constitution.

Since he launched his watchdog organization nearly two years ago months ago, Weinstein said he has been contacted by more than 5,000 active duty and retired soldiers, many of whom served or serve in Iraq, who told Weinstein that they were pressured by their commanding officers to convert to Christianity.

The lawsuit also includes examples of other alleged constitutional abuses by Pentagon officials.

Thoughts?

Link (http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0709/S00376.htm)

[@_@ Artman]

http://www.disinterestedparty.com/mt-static/images/soldiers.jpg

[Outsider]

Disgusting.

But this isn't:
http://blogtown.portlandmercury.com/files/2006/10/megan-atheist-small.jpg

[segovius]

Disgusting.

But this isn't:
http://blogtown.portlandmercury.com/files/2006/10/megan-atheist-small.jpg

I'm sorry to have to say it but I guess she beats the Burqini babes hands down.

It's a shame Screaming Dick Dawkins doesn't look like that in many ways....

[Outsider]

Something is wrong with America when ads like this are put up on billboards:

Click to see. I can't hotlink it. (http://www.meetanatheist.com/uploaded_images/lunatic_atheists_sign-744891.jpg)

[Jubelum]

Mr. Rees, the outdoors miss you. Nine threads on the front page. Nine. :smokey:

[Jubelum]

It seems that the Pentagon (and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and a US Army major) is facing a law suit in which they have been accused of forcing an atheist to embrace Evangelical Christianity and subjecting him to repercussions of an unpleasant nature when he refused to do so.



Thoughts?

Link (http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0709/S00376.htm)

If this is true, it should stop. And I am SURE that the AUSCS and ACLU will go pro-bono without a second thought to cash in- after correcting the problem. The military is already rather dogmatic in many uncool ways... religion should be left out of it. We already ask a lot of our people in uniform- to ask them to sit still while the very rights they are fighting to protect are being violated seems incredible- but not all that surprising if true.

Excellent, one more thing for our enemies to point at for propaganda purposes.
Sen. Reid, start your microphones!

[@_@ Artman]

Mr. Rees, the outdoors miss you. Nine threads on the front page. Nine. :smokey:

I think it's too late... (http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idINN1930215820070919) :smokey::lol:;)

[Jubelum]

I think it's too late... (http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idINN1930215820070919) :smokey::lol:;)

:lol:

[MarcUK]

I think it's too late... (http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idINN1930215820070919) :smokey::lol:;)

interesting!

its not suprising really, life is pretty boring in general. I dont mean that in a negative way, its just an observation.

I know life can be or is, as exciting as you make it and in some sense there is lots to do and never enough time, especially when you are younger, but as you become older, your priorities change a bit from physical activities to mental ones,

I find the internet great, really because it contains virtually the entire knowledge obtained by man in one useful place. It is too easy in some sense too lose yourself in another world, but i'd deflect the critisism of internet addiction by pointing out that until the last 10 years, the majority of adults would spend most of their time infront of the TV, doing actually nothing except absorbing the screen.

I cannot do that, I have to keep my mind active from dawn to dusk, or I feel like im dead. TV doesn't do that for me at all. The internet is different because although it is quite relaxing in a physical sense, you can fill your head with all sorts of wonderful junk you would never have had the possibility to discover 10 years ago outside an educational institution.

And its greater than TV, because on TV there is no interaction. Forums are the best internet invention ever imo. For the most part you can virtually meet up with people who are like you. So in effect, although its quite hard to find people who share the same interests in real life as you - especially when you have quite exclusive interests, on the interwebs, your social circle is virtually the whole world.

Comparing that to real life, its easy to see why people cannot go without the internet. I dont think it sad or antisocial at all, its just a different mechanism of meeting and discovering different people.

[Jubelum]

interesting!

its not suprising really, life is pretty boring in general. I dont mean that in a negative way, its just an observation.

I know life can be or is, as exciting as you make it and in some sense there is lots to do and never enough time, especially when you are younger, but as you become older, your priorities change a bit from physical activities to mental ones,

I find the internet great, really because it contains virtually the entire knowledge obtained by man in one useful place. It is too easy in some sense too lose yourself in another world, but i'd deflect the critisism of internet addiction by pointing out that until the last 10 years, the majority of adults would spend most of their time infront of the TV, doing actually nothing except absorbing the screen.

I cannot do that, I have to keep my mind active from dawn to dusk, or I feel like im dead. TV doesn't do that for me at all. The internet is different because although it is quite relaxing in a physical sense, you can fill your head with all sorts of wonderful junk you would never have had the possibility to discover 10 years ago outside an educational institution.

And its greater than TV, because on TV there is no interaction. Forums are the best internet invention ever imo. For the most part you can virtually meet up with people who are like you. So in effect, although its quite hard to find people who share the same interests in real life as you - especially when you have quite exclusive interests, on the interwebs, your social circle is virtually the whole world.

Comparing that to real life, its easy to see why people cannot go without the internet. I dont think it sad or antisocial at all, its just a different mechanism of meeting and discovering different people.

Your Astrosophical musings reminded me poignantly of the need for Net Neutrality. We have a great thing here. We're perhaps freer here than in most places on Earth. The Power Elite are not going to let this get too out of hand, at least not for long.

[Fellowship]

interesting!

its not suprising really, life is pretty boring in general. I dont mean that in a negative way, its just an observation.

I know life can be or is, as exciting as you make it and in some sense there is lots to do and never enough time, especially when you are younger, but as you become older, your priorities change a bit from physical activities to mental ones,

I find the internet great, really because it contains virtually the entire knowledge obtained by man in one useful place. It is too easy in some sense too lose yourself in another world, but i'd deflect the critisism of internet addiction by pointing out that until the last 10 years, the majority of adults would spend most of their time infront of the TV, doing actually nothing except absorbing the screen.

I cannot do that, I have to keep my mind active from dawn to dusk, or I feel like im dead. TV doesn't do that for me at all. The internet is different because although it is quite relaxing in a physical sense, you can fill your head with all sorts of wonderful junk you would never have had the possibility to discover 10 years ago outside an educational institution.

And its greater than TV, because on TV there is no interaction. Forums are the best internet invention ever imo. For the most part you can virtually meet up with people who are like you. So in effect, although its quite hard to find people who share the same interests in real life as you - especially when you have quite exclusive interests, on the interwebs, your social circle is virtually the whole world.

Comparing that to real life, its easy to see why people cannot go without the internet. I dont think it sad or antisocial at all, its just a different mechanism of meeting and discovering different people.



Speaking of the internet, this guy makes a great political point regarding the internet and the democratic nature of it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoaFYQ-YO64

[@_@ Artman]

Your Astrosophical musings reminded me poignantly of the need for Net Neutrality. We have a great thing here. We're perhaps freer here than in most places on Earth. The Power Elite are not going to let this get too out of hand, at least not for long.

This is what would happen if Net Neutrality was struck down...

http://i7.tinypic.com/5z6vt4n.jpg

I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes like this, in many ways it already has. The major media companies are still clueless with the Internet. But given time, they will realize it's the same to them as television and movie theaters.

Meanwhile, back on topic...what would Jesus do?

http://image.orientaltrading.com/otcimg/39_1068.jpg

:???:

[jamac]

http://www.disinterestedparty.com/mt-static/images/soldiers.jpg

godless inifdels????

:lol:

[segovius]

godless inifdels????

:lol:

:lol: