Wait one minute here…if a majority of these guys are Christian, what’s the problem? We’d love to know your thoughts on this topic. Do you think this religious sign should be moved or left where it’s been since 9/11?
While all Americans are being nudged to wipe out any sign of Christianity, we have this great sign of encouragement for our troops that is offensive to whom? The organizations like Freedom From Religion and MRFF are just liberal sh*t disturbers who really aren’t focused on the good that encouragement can do for our military NO MATTER where it comes from!
CHAPLAIN RON CREWS’ MESSAGE FOR KEEPING THE SIGN: “Only someone with a great misunderstanding of the First Amendment or an axe to grind against religion would claim that such a slogan poses a threat or is in any way unconstitutional. The real threat is posed by those who want to whitewash any reference to God from public discourse—even ones as innocuous and uplifting as this one,” said Chaplain (COL) Ron Crews, USA Retired, executive director of Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty. “‘God bless our military’ is a slogan little different than the official national motto, ‘In God we trust,’ that appears so publicly on our money, and the courts have repeatedly upheld it. From the founding of our country, every president, including President Obama, has called on God to bless America. We hope that Col. Sean Killeen, the base commander, will stand firm and allow the sign to remain.”
A religiously themed sign on Marine Corps Base Hawaii has come under fire from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation and its founder and president, Mikey Weinstein.
The sign, which according to base officials was erected after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001, says, “God bless the military, their families and the civilians who work with them.” MRFF seeks to have the sign, which is near the base marina, taken down and moved to the grounds of the base chapel.
In a message to Col. Sean C. Killeen, commanding officer of MCB Hawaii, Blake A. Page, special assistant to Weinstein, asserts the sign is inappropriate and illegal.
“This sign is a brazen violation of the No Establishment clause of the Constitution, as it sends the clear message that your installation gives preference to those who hold religious beliefs over those who do not, and those who prefer a monotheistic, intervening god over other deities or theologies,” Blake wrote. “We recognize the value that religious activity brings to the lives of many, however this sign is not in keeping with the time, place, and manner restrictions required by law [or] for any military commander to bolster religious principles through the official authority given to their rank and position.”
In an interview, Weinstein said the sign was brought to the attention of MRFF by 23 active-duty Marines, 21 of them Protestant. Weinstein claimed they were unwilling to lodge complaints through their chain of command for fear of reprisal. He said the sign not only is illegal, but damages unit cohesion.
“We have no issue with the message that is being posited with that sign if they move that to the chapel grounds, but it is certainly certainly something that is in violation the No Establishment Clause of the Constitution,” Weinstein said. “When it is not on chapel grounds it is divisive. It is elevating the concept of one faith over no faith, which the Supreme Court has made very clear is wrong, and so we have asked the commander — you know this sign is clearly not within the time, place and manner restrictions required by the law — and so we’ve asked him to move it to the chapel grounds or take off the installation altogether.”
A base spokesman said officials there are looking into the matter.
“The commanding officer of Marine Corps Base Hawaii has received a complaint about a sign on base which was erected shortly after September 11, 2001,” said Capt. Timothy Irish, a base spokesman, in a statement. “He has tasked his staff with researching the origin of the sign and its compliance with existing regulations. The Base Inspector’s Office is reviewing its files to see if there have been any complaints in the past. MCBH will exercise due diligence to ensure compliance with existing regulations and law, including the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution.”
Weinstein said that if base officials continue to allow the sign to exist in its current location, they would also have to allow signs that said “There is no God to bless our military, their families, and the civilians who work with them” or signs pointing to “Allah, Satan or the flying spaghetti monster,”
VIA: MARINE CORPS TIMES
