http://www.mrconservative.com/2013/04/13449-pentagon-bans-soldiers-access-to-hostile-christian-website/Joining the American military inevitably means giving up certain rights. Because it has to be a functioning military, volunteers agree that they will follow orders and live in a disciplined way unheard of amongst civilians in a democratic society. Additionally, because our military is a constitutional military that serves the people, not the government, members of our armed forces are expected to give up partisan speech. Their allegiance when in uniform is to the United States of America, rather than to any particular party or viewpoint.
It seems, though, that the Pentagon believes that our troops have agreed for the duration of their enlistment not only to give up speech, but also to give up thought. How else can one explain the Pentagon’s decision to deny its troops internet access to the website for the Southern Baptist Convention (“SBC”) on the ground that this evangelical Christian site contains “hostile content”? The timing seems awfully convenient considering that the censorship comes just weeks after an Army briefing labels various Christian groups – including Evangelicals and Catholics – as examples of religious extremism and potential “hate groups.”
The Southern Baptist Convention isn’t some fringe sect that practices survivalist drills in the backwoods of nowhere. Instead, it is America’s largest Protestant denomination, and is known for supporting traditional marriage and being pro-Life. Now, Southern Baptist chaplains at various military bases are complaining that when they try to access SBC.net, they receive a notice warning them that they are being tracked for trying to access a blocked site: “The site you have requested has been blocked by Team CONUS (C-TNOSC/RCERT-CONUS) due to hostile content.”
(Learn why Bill Maher calls troops “psychopaths”.)
The officer who first revealed what was going on could not understand what constituted “hostile content” on a pro-Life, pro-traditional marriage, major religious denomination website. In an email to the American Family Association, he could only conclude that, as a general matter, “the Southern Baptist Convention is now considered hostile to the U.S. Army.”
(Read here about the way the administration is denying soldiers’ access to education.)
In an interview with Fox News, Sing Oldham, SBC’s spokesman, talked about SBC’s concern that, maliciously or not, the Pentagon seems to be attacking troops’ First Amendment rights to freedom of worship:
”This is deeply disturbing,” he told Fox News. “While the Deputy Chief of Operation of the US Army has assured us this is a random event with no malicious intent, the Army must run this to the ground to assure that this is the case.”
However, Fox News has received reports from across the country of Southern Baptist chaplains unable to access the website.
“If the government blocked any portion of the SBC.net Web site for any purpose, that would be an unconscionable breach of trust with the American public,” Oldham said. “The First Amendment exists to protect the church from governmental censorship of or infringement upon religious speech and the free exercise of religion.”
For the time being, the Department of Defense is claiming that, while the site is admittedly blocked, the Pentagon did not do so intentionally. A Pentagon spokesman, Lt. Col. Damien Pickart, told Fox News that “We are working diligently to investigate what might be causing access issues for some of our service members and to correct the situation as quickly as possible.”
(Is the government paying psychiatrists when they help confiscate a veteran’s guns?)
A hint as to what’s going on may come through one reservist’s abortive attempt to access the website. His “access denied” message spilled a little more information: “You request was categorized by Blue Coat Web Filter as ‘Religion.’”
Overall, practicing Christians, who make up the greatest percentage of the active and reserve duty troops in America, are feeling increasingly beleaguered in the United States Army. In addition to characterizing mainstream Christian organizations as potential “hate groups,” the Army just made troops file off non-obtrusive, non-proselytizing Biblical references off of scopes from a third party provider.
Aside from these recent offensives to Christian troops, the Obama administration has generally shown itself hostile to Christianity in the military. Fox News assembled just a short list of administration attacks against mainstream Christianity:
A War Games scenario at Fort Leavenworth that identified Christian groups and Evangelical groups as being potential threats;
A 2009 Dept. of Homeland Security memorandum that identified future threats to national security coming from Evangelicals and pro-life groups;
A West Point study released by the U.S. Military Academy’s Combating Terrorism Center that linked pro-lifers to terrorism;
Evangelical leader Franklin Graham was uninvited from the Pentagon’s National Day of Prayer service because of his comments about Islam;
Christian prayers were banned at the funeral services for veterans at Houston’s National Cemetery;
Bibles were banned at Walter Reed Army Medical Center – a decision that was later rescinded;
Christian crosses and a steeple were removed from a chapel in Afghanistan because the military said the icons disrespected other religions;
Catholic chaplains were told not to read a letter to parishioners from their archbishop related to Obamacare mandates. The Secretary of the Army feared the letter could be viewed as a call for civil disobedience.
(The TSA humiliates Marines who lost limbs in the service of their country.)
Prisoners in Gitmo get the Koran (handled with white gloves); Christians serving their nation are denied access to their religion. Something is very wrong with this picture.
Topic: Pentagon Bans Soldiers Access To “Hostile” Christian Website (Read 972 times)