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December 21, 2005

Support Chaplains' Religious Freedom

This latest alert from RightMarch addresses a very disturbing situation regarding the legal right of Chaplains in the United States Armed Forces to administer their religious duties, commanders who are illegally forbidding them to do so and how we all can help do something about it.

ALERT: Time and again, our President has correctly stated that "Freedom is not America's gift to the world, it is the almighty God's gift to every man and woman in this world." The recent elections in Iraq visibly demonstrated the wonders of liberty.

Unfortunately, there is a threat to freedom within the United States that is surprising to the average observer and gravely disappointing to those closer to the situation. It has come to our attention that many chaplains in the military, specifically the Air Force and Navy, are being prohibited from faithfully practicing the faith of their civilian sponsor in accordance with the doctrinal and practical standards of the same. While US Code Title 10 Section 6031 directly permits chaplains to preach and practice their particular faith, various rulings by military superiors have stripped this law of its effectiveness.

One example in particular is that of an Evangelical Episcopal chaplain with status as a Catholic lay-reader. This chaplain has been cited negatively by his superiors for, among other things, praying in the name of Jesus, seeking to procure kosher foods for a Jewish sailor, and opposition to quota-induced attendance at a homosexual-led service during fleet week.

According to the First Amendment and US Code Title 10 Section 6031, this chaplain has perfect freedom to minister according to the dictates of his faith, but currently his job is on the line for these activities due to reckless disregard of his freedoms. This is OUTRAGEOUS, and must be fixed.

President Bush has the power to fix it -- and we need to ask him to do so.

TAKE ACTION: This week, a letter signed by many conservative leaders, representing millions of members nationwide, is being sent to the President, asking him to sign an Executive Order to enforce the law that's been written since 1860. RightMarch.com is one of the signers of that letter -- but to be really effective, President Bush needs to hear from YOU.

Join with millions of Americans committed to the freedoms that have made this country great. At this time of year, Christians, Jews, and Muslims all enjoy the freedom of religion that was seminal at the settling and founding of this beacon of freedom called the United States. Click below NOW to urge President Bush to sign an Executive Order to enforce US Code Title 10 Section 6031, which says "An officer in the Chaplain Corps may conduct public worship according to the manner and forms of the church of which he is a member":

http://capwiz.com/sicminc/issues/alert/?alertid=8332616&type=PR

NOTE: President Bush's commitment to freedom, his commitment to the military, and his commitment to faith all are obvious and admired. Let's all ask him to act on each of these commitments simultaneously by signing this Executive Order. Be sure to forward this Alert to EVERYONE you know who wants to help enforce true religious freedom for our military chaplains. Thank you!

Sincerely,

William Greene, President
RightMarch.com

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Posted by Seth at December 21, 2005 01:52 PM