Religious rights and speech are as acceptable as is atheist speech.

Published On: May 5, 2020|Categories: MRFF's Inbox|2 Comments on Religious rights and speech are as acceptable as is atheist speech.|

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I just read where the military yielded to an atheist on a complaint about a post by military chaplains. I can only say I am grateful that our forefathers who fought in the past wars were not as cowardly as our military leaders of today are.
Religious rights and speech are as acceptable as is atheist speech.
If indeed there is to be a “separation of church and state ” then why did our founding fathers allow and encourage prayer

(name withheld)

Response from MRFF Board Member John Compere

It is clear from your confused comments you have been misinformed.
 
For your information, the US Constitution, American law & US Armed Forces regulations prohibit our secular military, as part of our secular government, from endorsing or promoting a religion except in military chapels & military chaplain channels (e.g. chaplains’ Facebook pages). Military chaplains may not proselytize their religion version on official military channels (e.g. military commanders’ Facebook pages) which are strictly secular by law & regulation. Military chaplains & commanders are fully advised & well aware of this legal restriction. That is why the military itself stopped the unlawful practice after complaints by military members, including Christians. It should surprise no one that military chaplains & commanders have to obey the laws & regulations just like all military personnel.
 
1st President & Commander-in-Chief George Washington even recognized this problem when he wrote Congress that the military chaplaincy “…has a tendency to introduce religious disputes into the Army, which above all things should be avoided, and in many instances would compel men to a mode of worship which they do not profess.”
 
Brigadier General John Compere, US Army (Retired)
Disabled American Veteran (Vietnam Era)
Board Member, Military Religious Freedom Foundation (composed of over 80% Christians)
Texas rancher

 

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2 Comments

  1. A.L. Hern May 5, 2020 at 6:52 pm

    “If indeed there is to be a “separation of church and state ” then why did our founding fathers allow and encourage prayer?”

    The Framers of the Constitution allow(ed) prayer up to the point that it infringes upon the rights of others not to be exposed to it. They NEVER encouraged it, seeing it as a purely private matter.

    Since it is a private matter and activity, its conflation with organized religious services to create confusion and draw support from those who have never made the distinction between the two things is, frankly, part of a cynical scheme to co-opt the institutions of government — funded by taxpayers of ALL, or no, religion — as a means of proselytizing and disseminating one certain favored religion, which is exactly what the Framers sought to avoid when they inserted the phrase “government shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion.”

  2. Ironmoped May 7, 2020 at 10:44 pm

    You just heard where the military yielded to an Atheist? Really? And that’s a bad thing?
    I think what would be orders of magnitude worse is if we heard that the military yielded to a Christian! Or a Muslim! Or a Jew. Or a Hindu, or any other religion. If the military yielded to an Atheist, which they didn’t, they would simply be saying that we, as part of the United States military, cannot promote one religion over another! If they could, who gets to choose which one it would be? I’ve got a feeling it would be OK as long as it’s your religion! Yeah, I think the military yielding to common sense and the separation of church and State is a great idea!

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