Comments on: Texas VA Secedes From God

By: mike_brewer

mike_brewer — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 07:45:12 +0000

Thank you Christine for the background and resource. This is a perfect example of the value of interactive blogging.

By: Loretta B. Coleman

Loretta B. Coleman — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 03:07:35 +0000

I was pretty shocked by this whole mess when I read the report on Facebook too. Policy or no policy, pissing contest between different religious groups or not, this type of discrimination is outrageous. I do believe that this issue has now been taken to court. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

By: christine

christine — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 02:06:07 +0000

A friend emailed me this report and at first I thought it was one of those fake items that needs to be checked out on SNOPES.COM Which I did and this is the article they posted from Reporter in Houston:

A Press Secretary Josh Taylor issued the following statement:

“Invoking the name of God or Jesus is not only allowed, it is common at VA National Cemeteries across the country. However, VA’s policy is that VA-sponsored honor guards should not make recitations at commital services unless requested to do so by the deceased’s survivor(s.)’

Taylor also directed FOX 26 to a little known policy dated 2007. It says Honor Guards “shall not provide texts of any such recitations to the deceased’s survivors for consideration.”

“This is the first time we’ve found out about this national policy. It’s absolutely shocking that the government is stepping in and telling private citizens what they can and can not say,” said Hiram Sasser with the Liberty Institute.

Attorneys with the Liberty Institute began investigating last month after a local pastor won the fight to say his Jesus prayer at the cemetery’s Memorial Day ceremony.

“When we investigated we determined the government and director are discriminating based upon religious viewpoint,” said Jeff Mateer, General Counsel for Liberty Institute.

Lawmakers are beginning to call for the firing of the cemetery’s director.

“Oh yes she’s got to go and anyone else on her staff who’s carried out such similar conduct,” said Rep. Ted Poe (R)-TX.

Congressman Michael McCaul (R)-TX agrees.

“This is shocking and really abhorrent to our veterans that they can’t have a proper military burial and can’t refer to God or Jesus Christ,” he said.

Our calls to Ocasio have still not been returned. The U.S. Attorney’s Office told a judge earlier this week it’s investigating the claims and will report its findings next month.

By: mike_brewer

mike_brewer — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 23:45:20 +0000

My brother lives in Texas. I hear there is a brewing back story. The possibility that an Evangelical Chaplain was engaged in a Theological tug of war with a Muslim Chaplain, may have resulted in the proverbial “throwing the baby out with the bathwater.”
The irony of all these sentiments is that the massive amount of our tax dollars are going to train Muslims to protect themselves from Muslims! We have trained Iranian pilots at Davis Monthan. And Pakistani. And Hindu Indians. And Saudi Arabians. And Egyptians.
As soon as I track down the genesis of this event I will report back.

By: Chaz

Chaz — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 17:07:51 +0000

True tolerance here “someone doesn’t believe in God and they enact laws so that those that do believe can not enjoy thier freedom to pray”. Very sad that in a country that started with people running from religious persecution has come to this. How could anyone justify that? I guess that thier convictions against God are so THIN that they can not even tolerate his name being mentioned in a funeral for a military person, even if they choose the prayer. We will have to hide our faith much like the Jews in Germany years ago.

By: brothersun

brothersun — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 15:44:40 +0000

How sad. I weep.