(May 10, 2007) The United States Constitution outlines the basic concept of religious freedom as understood by Americans in the Bill of Rights. More specifically, the First Amendment to the Constitution specifies that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”

        All branches of the United States military are afforded the same rights to religious freedom as are American civilians. However, members of the Armed Forces willingly surrender on a temporary basis certain free exercise rights when it impinges on military discipline and the successful completion of a military objective.

        Codes and directives notwithstanding, the free exercise of religious freedom in the military has, by and large, followed the mores of American society in general. That is, as the understanding of free exercise expanded outside the military, so did it expand within the U.S. Armed Forces. This history of the growing embrace of religious pluralism can perhaps best be seen in the expansion of the Chaplaincy, whose role it is to provide for the free expression of religious belief by members of the Armed Forces

        Given this American mandate, it would seem that Iowa City, Iowa, Veterans Hospital would be the last place to find outrageously unconstitutional religious bias in favor of fundamentalist Christian evangelism and a hospital administration that now practices virulent anti-Semitism.

        Case in Point: since moving back to Iowa about two years ago, Armed Forces veteran David Miller has been unwillingly thrust into a struggle with the Iowa City Veterans Hospital & Clinics over religious discrimination and strident Christian proselytizing.

        Over time it has become clear that each experience of discrimination is systemic to the Iowa City VA & Clinic. The first rudimentary requirement is their official orientation process which is held in their Fundamentalist Christian Chapel, decorated with the Stations of the Cross and altar Crucifix – the Iowa City VA Hospital & Clinic seems to be manifestly saying, "You must understand, this is a Christian institution." The examination room where primary care is given is rife with Christian symbols and scripture.

        Over the last two years David was asked over and over and over again by seemingly incredulous staff within its offices, clinics and wards, "You mean you don't believe that Jesus is the Messiah?" "Is it just Orthodox Jews who deny Jesus?" and "I don't understand; how can you not believe in Jesus; he's the Messiah of the Jews too you know."

        David’s medical records clearly indicate that he is Jewish; however, with each admission he had to repeatedly inform the nursing staff both verbally and in writing that:

1. he requires kosher food;
2. he does not wish to be visited by anyone from the Chaplain's office; and
3. He repeatedly requested they contact his Rabbi – and provided them with both his name and telephone number.

        Despite these instructions, during all three of his hospitalizations, he was denied kosher food and has had to endure his entire hospitalization ordeal without eating. Further, not only did the hospital refuse to notify his Rabbi, they sent to his hospital bedside a proselytizing Protestant chaplain. During these visits by a fundamentalist Christian Chaplain, notwithstanding his adamant objections, he was forced to receive a pamphlet from the Chaplains Office–blatantly Christian in nature and in itself an obvious proselytizing tool.

        The first two Chaplain visits were all about trying to convince him that he needed Jesus, that Jesus was the Messiah of the Jews too – this while he was suffering acute chest pains and wired to a heart monitor! Astoundingly, he was told by the official hospital management hierarchy, after registering his most fervent complaints, that he needed to object more strenuously in order to terminate the ever-present proselytizing. The point is: how vigorous can they expect David’s objections to be when he is hospitalized with chest pains and wired to a heart monitor?

        On April 25, 2007, David went to Urgent Care at the Iowa City VA complaining of (kidney) pain. The Urgent Care doctor informed him that he had three kidney stones in his left kidney and gave him an ea prescription for 20 Hydrocodone for pain.

        By May 3rd. 2007 his Primary Care Physician, Dr. Moonjely, told David he had five kidney stones. Defying every Hippocratic oath, Dr. Moonjely told him. in his opinion, he was suffering post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from his prior bouts with kidney stones and he refused to prescribe pain relief medicine for David. , Finally, the doctor leaned forward in his chair, and patronizingly put his hand on David’s knee and said, "You're a religious Jew; why don't you try prayer or meditation."

        The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) believes that it was David’s long struggle with the Iowa City VA against religious discrimination and fundamentalist Christian proselytizing that caused this blowback blizzard of intolerant payback.

        MRFF wishes to know of persons interested in breaking news items in this subject area. VA leaders need to focus their attention on providing healthcare and benefits to our nation’s veterans. VA is not a recruiting field for any religion, especially when VA is mired so deep in crisis during two wars. The VA faces massive multi-billion dollar budget problems and hundreds of thousands of veterans are waiting for disability benefits. MRFF President Mikey Weinstein relates:

        “VA is not supposed to be torturing our military veterans and VA does not stand for Veteran Antagonization. David’s story sadly reminds me of a modern-day David Merrick (the Elephant Man) as he was similarly reviled, tortured, ridiculed and humiliated as he cries to the world: I am not an animal, I am a human being”.

        For more information, visit the MRFF website: militaryreligiousfreedom.org or write to e-mail address: [email protected]

        MICHAEL L. WEINSTEIN, founder and president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, is an attorney, businessman, and US Air Force honor graduate who served on active duty in the USAF as a Judge Advocate General (JAG) for ten years. He also spent three years as a White House Counsel in the Executive Office of the President of the United States under President Ronald Reagan . Mr. Weinstein was also formerly General Counsel for H. Ross Perot and Perot Systems Corporation.