Military Freedom of Religion lawsuit expanded

An ongoing lawsuit that claims the US military isn't willing to take appropriate action in cases of religious discrimination and is overly lax in allowing certain groups of Christians to proselytize imprisoned Muslims, has been expanded to include charges of a pervasive bias toward evangelical Christianity in the Armed Forces.

Dustin Chalker, a Kansas based soldier is one of the parties that brought the suit:

Chalker, a combat medic, is an atheist whose original complaints included being forced to attend military formations where Christian prayers were given. The foundation, based in Albuquerque, N.M., says it represents about 11,000 military personnel, almost all of them Christians upset about what they view as discrimination by more conservative and evangelical personnel.

"Our amended complaint is specifically designed to further stab at the throbbing unconstitutional heart of darkness that comprises the systemic fundamentalist Christianity so pervasive and pernicious in today's American armed forces," said Mikey Weinstein, the foundation's president.

Defense Department spokeswoman Eileen Lainez said the agency doesn't comment on pending lawsuits. But she said it has identified fewer than 50 complaints about alleged violations of religious freedoms during the past three years, with 1.4 million personnel in uniform.

Read the full article here.

Posted by Nicholas Knisely on January 1, 2009 6:00 PM | |
Comments (1)

"But she said it has identified fewer than 50 complaints about alleged violations of religious freedoms during the past three years, with 1.4 million personnel in uniform." So what, anyone who has served in the military knows that complaining about such things will get the kind of attention one probably doesn't want from the leadership. Keeping your mouth shut, following the rules, and never admitting to error is a good way to get along in the military. To do otherwise invites a miserable existence and an early end to one's career.


--Richard Warren

Posted by Richard III [TypeKey Profile Page] | January 2, 2009 10:54 AM

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