Mandatory Christianity · 19 September 2007, 13:17 by trickykid
Amendment I: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
So if you were serving your country in it’s military and were approached by your superiors to convert to Christianity, would you? Even though your own beliefs are covered by the very constitution and amendments created by the government?
That’s what happened to Jeremy Hall, who is currently serving our country in the military and actually is stationed in Iraq. He was approached by his staff sergeant asking why he did not join hands and a prayer conducted by other military staff at a Thanksgiving dinner last year. He mentioned he was an atheist and would not participate in something he does not believe in, which is covered by our own laws.
Army Major Paul Welborne had other plans though after Hall recieved permission to create his own group to discuss their own topics and beliefs. Major Paul Welborne broke up the meeting and threatened Hall, by claiming he was going to charge him with violating the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
There is now a suit brought up by the Military Religious Freedom Foundation that alleges Halls constitutional rights were violated and that he was even pressured or was submitted to take a religious test for qualification to his post in the U.S. Army.
This is outrageous. I don’t have a problem with people and their choice of religion, that’s their choice but when our government established these rights in the early stages of our country, people need to realize that we are not a country under God. Sure the founding fathers had their own religion but this country was not found under God, it was intended to uphold moral values but also protecting ones freedom, the persuit of happiness.
Take down the “In God We Trust” and take down the Ten Commandments in government buildings, it really has no place in a government that grants its citizens the choice of religion.
This is the United States, land of the free, freedom to believe in whatever we want. If you don’t like my religion or someone elses cause it contradicts your own beliefs, perhaps you should move to a country that doesn’t allow such freedom. Perhaps you should live where everyone agrees with your own belief as I’m sure it’s rather boring there with no lively topics to discuss as well.
So much hypocrisy in a country that claims to be the world’ biggest democracy.
The more Bush stays in power, the more your rights are getting eroded. Good luck with your next Praasident, you’ll need it. ;-)
• hari 20 September 2007, 01:51 #I fully agree with what you say. Everyone should have the right to believe (or not) in what they want to.
• ray 20 September 2007, 07:33 #Came here from Hari’s blog —- this is really strange! I would be watching this news article from now on.
P.S. – That picture on the top of your blog seems like the Frost bank building in Austin. Are you “here”? :)
• Sudipta Chatterjee 25 September 2007, 04:33 #Yeah, it’s the Frost building in downtown Austin. I worked downtown and took that picture from the 7th floor in the Omni Hotel business side near my desk.
• drew 25 September 2007, 15:25 #I think that these Christians are damaging Christianity by doing things such as this- and this is bad, in my opinion. Thanks for pointing this out. Personally I believe that organizations like the military are bad on two counts- they’re an organized power fuelled group and also as a pacifist, they’re all wrong anyway. :)
Thanks for pointing this out.
• titanium_geek 27 September 2007, 06:44 #Well, don’t get me wrong. I respect anyone who chooses a religion to follow, it should be their freedom to do so. But I do believe in several things when it comes to religion and government. a) religion and government should not mix together on all counts and means b) military should have different goals instead of trying to force a religion upon it’s soldiers, as our very own constitution says so.
I truly hope this suit comes through and protects the freedoms of the soldier, exposing this unnecessary actions of the Army that they’ve taken against him.
• drew 27 September 2007, 10:37 #Commenting is closed for this article.