Defending Our Freedom

Every day the courageous men and women of our armed services, to include their civilian counterparts, are placed at the front lines of defending our country and our Constitution against those forces in this world which would deny us our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In truth, we desire to be a beacon of light to other nations, wearing our various “freedoms” as badges proudly earned through centuries of protest, revolution, legislation, courtroom battles, and even civil war. We stand up to anything which appears to infringe on the hard won right to live how we choose. And yet, those same men and women who fight to preserve this right are often subjected to such infringement! I am speaking of the inappropriate and endemic evangelical Christian proselytizing rampant in today’s American military. Most will shrug it off because it either does not bother them or they assume it is tolerable because ‘no one is being hurt’. Many do not realize how such actions as a prayer recitation before an official military formation or an e-mail invite to a religious event sent through command channels can seriously damage troop morale. Those who do not adhere to an evangelical Protestant worldview feel alienated, embarrassed, and demoralized in the face of such religious onslaught. Often, younger, lower ranking troops are loath to stand up to superiors and feel they must submit to an intrusion into what should be a strictly personal affair. Worse yet, certain religious creeds are deemed undesirable and service members who profess such beliefs are subjected to harassment, abuse, and even loss of promotion opportunities.

Not only does this harm our own troops, but it is seriously damaging to the image of the United States and its military. Working now for an office charged with bridging cultural gaps between the United States military, our allies, and the rest of the world, I must stress that even seemingly innocuous actions such as promoting a Bible study has repercussions far beyond our own military force. How can we be that beacon of “freedom” we so want to be if we shove narrow-minded religious dogma down the throats of our own troops? This is NOT the example we want to set for the rest of the world–and we should remember that perception is key! Especially with so much of our recent military activity taking place in countries and regions with predominately non-Christian faith groups we need to be especially vigilant of our words and actions. What has happened in Afghanistan these past few weeks should be proof enough of this. Yet we continue to be careless, both as a country and as a military. How can we forge ahead with breaking through cultural barriers if we display to ally and foe alike that we create barriers within our own ranks? We have not a leg to stand on at that point, and our mission suffers as a result. I can only speak for myself, of course, but it sure makes my job a lot more difficult!

This is why organizations such as MRFF and individuals like Mikey Weinstein are so important. They stand up for our Constitutional rights and keep commanders honest. They work hard to ensure troops are not subjected to religious harassment and they serve as a constant reminder that we must practice what we preach. They are there for those brave service men and women who cannot combat evangelic proselytizing on their own or who have nowhere else to turn. For all of us who do not stand a fighting chance by ourselves, I thank MRFF and Mikey Weinstein from the bottom of my heart. You are all true American heroes standing up for freedom.

v/r

(name, rank, assigned military installation and unit withheld)