By PETER RUGG
For the second time this year, a soldier stationed at Fort Riley has filed a federal suit over the military’s religious practices.
Today, Spc. Dustin Chalker filed the suit today, in conjunction with the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. According to the suit, he was forced to attend three events in the past two years that featured prayers by the battalion chaplain. Chalker claims he was denied exemption from these events, stating that he was not religious. The suit names Secretary of Defense Robert Gates as defendant.
Before being stationed at Fort Riley, Chalker was deployed in Iraq. He has served in the military for six years, according to the MRFF.
This past spring, The Pitch published a story about Army Spc. Jeremy Hall, who filed a suit in September 2007 alleging that his superiors violated his First Amendment right to be free from government endorsement of religion. Like Chalker's complaint, Hall’s suit also named Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. The MRFF is a co-plaintiff in both suits. The MRFF is a nonprofit that says it’s dedicated to protecting military personnel from unconstitutional religious practices. Hall’s suit is pending. Both suits are being handled by Lawrence lawyer Bob Eye.
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Ugh, I think this is just sad and pathetic. Whatever happened to coexistence? I see those bumper stickers all over the place - and I live in the "Bible belt."
If you're an atheist...stay out of the military. You just don't belong there, defending a country that was founded on Christian principles!
And...the "God-squadders" out there HAVE to be more aggressive because our beliefs are being trampled.
Has everyone forgotten what we did during the Holocaust (or do you deny that ever happened?) We - a Christian nation - set out and rescued thousands upon thousands of Jews from genocide!
We're not the enemy because of what we believe. We are viewed as the enemy because as a whole, we are powerful. And human instinct is to crave power over other people. THAT is why people are attacking us.
Our moral guidance comes from a book that we believe was written by God, through man. We are taught to love others, have compassion and help where we can. If that is a bad thing, then I'm a very bad person. However, do not persecute Christians for maintaining our ceremonies. Get over the whole, "In God We Trust" money issue and quit complaining about prayer. If you're an atheist, then in the end, none of it matters anyway.
This guy is someone I truly don't want to depend on in supporting anyone but himself. After years in the military I can tell you I have never met an military atheist who cared about the mission more than himself. Dude, get out.
My name is Pastor Richard Tamayo of God's Army a Christian Church of Ex Military and Ex Law Enforcement Christians in Arizona. The Logo that Peter Rugg has chosen to use is a Logo that has been in the WEB since 4/4/05 on a website SupportGodsArmy.org. This possible copyright violation will be looked into further. Please pull this image of soldiers placing a cross up from this story. There are true soldiers of Christ out here in the United States that are not afraid of being associated if the Cross and faith of Jesus Christ.
See, this is why a deity should not be in the Pledge of Allegiance or the currency because theocrats like Trevor will use it to lay a foundation of pro-government/church mingling. He believes, as many do, that atheists will be tolerated along as they don't object to their 2nd class status in society. If they do, then they deserve any and all harassment and anger expressed against them.
See, this is why a deity should not be in the Pledge of Allegiance or the currency because theocrats like Trevor will use it to lay a foundation of pro-government/church mingling. He believes, as many do, that atheists will be tolerated along as they don't object to their 2nd class status in society. If they do, then they deserve any and all harassment and anger expressed against them.
I don't have any choice about the fact the currency I have in my wallet endorses a mythology to which I don't subscribe. That does not keep the same people who forced it onto the currency and forced similar sentiments into the pledge of allegiance (and howl like banshees at any attempt to remove it) from thinking that I am somehow a hypocrite because I use the money. Besides, I don't really care what it says on the money. I would like it to be multi-denominational if it has to be there, maybe throwing in an occasional "Satan Rules."
That said, I can last through the prayers at official functions with no real injury. It does seem like the god-squadders have gotten a lot more aggresive since I was in the military, though. I guess they are the Generals and Admirals now and can really make life unpleasant for the infidels.
Having been in the Army and seen these multi-denominational chaplains at work, it is hard to believe one would get so whiny about such matters. In fact, it is completely absurd. Did these a-holes ask for permission to skip the benedictions at their high school graduations? Do they refuse to use money because of the �In God We Trust�?
They signed up for the Armed Services in a country that has a pledge of allegiance that includes �under God�; the same country that (mostly) recognizes the separation of church and state. This suit defines the very premise of frivolous.
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