Posted on May 21, 2016
Soldier says Bible used during Army ball; religious-freedom group wants answers
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A religious-freedom advocacy group has again engaged with the military over the use of a Bible with a prisoner-of-war “missing man table” display, this time during a May 13 Adjutant General’s Corps Regimental Association ball in South Korea.
About 350 guests attended the ball, put on by the group’s Morning Calm chapter, and another 40 or so soldiers were on duty at the event, an 8th Army soldier who was in attendance told Army Times.
That soldier, who spoke anonymously out of fear of reprisal, said that during the toast portion of the event, soldiers stationed throughout the crowd brought forward items used to construct the missing man table, a display crafted to honor the memories of POWs and service members missing in action.
As the soldiers came forward, they briefly spoke about their item’s significance, the anonymous soldier said. The last of the items brought forward was a Bible.
The soldier who brought it forward talked about “strength through faith, and reminding us that we were founded as one nation under God,” the attendee said. “And I’m sitting there going like, ‘No, we weren’t. We’re a secular nation.’ If more people knew that, they’d probably object just like I do.”
The attendee said he was "completely flabbergasted" by the ceremony and notified the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, a group that has successfully lobbied for the removal of Bibles from missing-man displays at Army, Air Force and Veterans Affairs Department facilities in recent months.
“As a Secular Humanist Atheist, there is no way that I felt part of the team after this transgression,” the soldier wrote in an email to Mikey Weinstein, a former Air Force officer and the MRFF’s founder. “Placing the Christian label on all uniformed personnel is a gross violation of religious freedom, and a warning shot to “fit in, or be ostracized.”
The soldier later provided a photo of the table, which was sent by MRFF to Army Times.
“MRFF is demanding that those responsible for these deliberate and despicable violations of bedrock Constitutional law and DoD regulatory provisions be aggressively investigated and appropriately and visibly punished so as to prevent future actions of similar serious law-breaking,” Weinstein wrote in an email to Lt. Gen. Thomas Vandal, head of 8th Army.
Eighth Army public affairs personnel did not immediately answer questions regarding the ball.
The anonymous soldier, one of more than 45,000 military-related clients claimed by the MRFF, said he reached out to Weinstein instead of taking the complaint through Army channels because he felt outside influence would be necessary for the matter to be resolved to his satisfaction.
Asked about possibly filing an anonymous complaint, he said, “The funny thing about anonymity in the military is that there is none."
About 350 guests attended the ball, put on by the group’s Morning Calm chapter, and another 40 or so soldiers were on duty at the event, an 8th Army soldier who was in attendance told Army Times.
That soldier, who spoke anonymously out of fear of reprisal, said that during the toast portion of the event, soldiers stationed throughout the crowd brought forward items used to construct the missing man table, a display crafted to honor the memories of POWs and service members missing in action.
As the soldiers came forward, they briefly spoke about their item’s significance, the anonymous soldier said. The last of the items brought forward was a Bible.
The soldier who brought it forward talked about “strength through faith, and reminding us that we were founded as one nation under God,” the attendee said. “And I’m sitting there going like, ‘No, we weren’t. We’re a secular nation.’ If more people knew that, they’d probably object just like I do.”
The attendee said he was "completely flabbergasted" by the ceremony and notified the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, a group that has successfully lobbied for the removal of Bibles from missing-man displays at Army, Air Force and Veterans Affairs Department facilities in recent months.
“As a Secular Humanist Atheist, there is no way that I felt part of the team after this transgression,” the soldier wrote in an email to Mikey Weinstein, a former Air Force officer and the MRFF’s founder. “Placing the Christian label on all uniformed personnel is a gross violation of religious freedom, and a warning shot to “fit in, or be ostracized.”
The soldier later provided a photo of the table, which was sent by MRFF to Army Times.
“MRFF is demanding that those responsible for these deliberate and despicable violations of bedrock Constitutional law and DoD regulatory provisions be aggressively investigated and appropriately and visibly punished so as to prevent future actions of similar serious law-breaking,” Weinstein wrote in an email to Lt. Gen. Thomas Vandal, head of 8th Army.
Eighth Army public affairs personnel did not immediately answer questions regarding the ball.
The anonymous soldier, one of more than 45,000 military-related clients claimed by the MRFF, said he reached out to Weinstein instead of taking the complaint through Army channels because he felt outside influence would be necessary for the matter to be resolved to his satisfaction.
Asked about possibly filing an anonymous complaint, he said, “The funny thing about anonymity in the military is that there is none."
Soldier says Bible used during Army ball; religious-freedom group wants answers
Posted from armytimes.comPosted in these groups: 
Religion
Religion
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 19
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"Oh my, I was offended for 20 seconds. Boo hoo, my life is so hard..." Bunch of whiners need a damn life. If you felt excluded, it's probably because you're an a-hole, not an atheist.
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SPC David S.
Somebody bitching about special treatment for not being treated specially. The head guy of MRFF Micky Weinstien complained about how anti-Semitic the USAFA was when he was a Cadet yet in his infinite wisdom happily sent his two sons there. As a Cadet I can attest that one gets worked over at the Hill for one reason - your a dick. These people need to shut up and have some respect for the fallen and not make it their personal pity party.
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So if there wasn't any mention of any religion could I file a complaint that atheisit are receiving special treatment?
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SMSgt Lawrence McCarter
Now that sounds like a valid question and it seems lately they are getting special treatment !
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"MRFF is demanding that those responsible for these deliberate and despicable violations of bedrock Constitutional law and DoD regulatory provisions be aggressively investigated and appropriately and visibly punished so as to prevent future actions of similar serious law-breaking,” Weinstein wrote in an email to Lt. Gen. Thomas Vandal, head of 8th Army".....does she SEE HOW FREAKIN STUPID THIS SOUNDS???? Punish them visibly? FOH with that.
The FASTEST way to find new followers of Jesus...put them under fire, in a stressful situation where nothing is going right, the possible loss of a loved one, or in 1SG's office after you've been recommended for an Art15. In each of those, "God help me or them" will come out of your mouth. I'm actually pissed that someone would take offense to this. If you don't believe....FINE. If you don't want to participate FINE. If you feel that being around the bible is offensive to you FINE. Grab your balls and man up to your leadership and talk it out.I'd bet they'd try to accommodate you, rather than you sit there take a freakin pic and send it off trying to get crap started.
The FASTEST way to find new followers of Jesus...put them under fire, in a stressful situation where nothing is going right, the possible loss of a loved one, or in 1SG's office after you've been recommended for an Art15. In each of those, "God help me or them" will come out of your mouth. I'm actually pissed that someone would take offense to this. If you don't believe....FINE. If you don't want to participate FINE. If you feel that being around the bible is offensive to you FINE. Grab your balls and man up to your leadership and talk it out.I'd bet they'd try to accommodate you, rather than you sit there take a freakin pic and send it off trying to get crap started.
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Maj John Bell
SGT Laura Delgadillo - In The God Delusion, Dawkins contends that a supernatural creator almost certainly does not exist and that belief in a personal god qualifies as a delusion, which he defines as a persistent false belief held in the face of strong contradictory evidence.
So as you can see, I looked up the "God Delusion". If someone wants to put that particular volume on the table, when creating the "Missing Man" memorial, it tells me that their hatred of religion is stronger than their love of the missing soldier. The act is not about remembering the missing, it is about sticking their finger in peoples' eyes and showing their contempt for the beliefs of people of faith who are trying to remember the missing.
So as you can see, I looked up the "God Delusion". If someone wants to put that particular volume on the table, when creating the "Missing Man" memorial, it tells me that their hatred of religion is stronger than their love of the missing soldier. The act is not about remembering the missing, it is about sticking their finger in peoples' eyes and showing their contempt for the beliefs of people of faith who are trying to remember the missing.
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Maj John Bell
SGT Laura Delgadillo - So you want my freedom of religion to be confined to places of worship. In the public square, I must take a spiritual census and the presence of one non-Christian trumps my freedom of religion. Sounds like "LESS than freedom of religion".
How many time do I have to say that I do not object to anyone expressing their own spirituality at this kind of event? Even if it is just a covert act to tell me I'm not smart enough to be an Atheist like them. Can we ban your expressions of Atheism from the public square in the presence of one person of faith?
How many time do I have to say that I do not object to anyone expressing their own spirituality at this kind of event? Even if it is just a covert act to tell me I'm not smart enough to be an Atheist like them. Can we ban your expressions of Atheism from the public square in the presence of one person of faith?
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Capt Daniel Goodman
I've read Dawkins, and do think he does rather also tend to overdo his point, though, once again, that's obviously my own personal opinion, of course....
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SSgt Boyd Herrst
“Visibly punished”. What happened to scold in private part of ‘scold in private, praise in public’. Ohh that’s right they aren’t part of the
Group that follows that ..
Group that follows that ..
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