An army soldier who lost his faith while deployed in Iraq is now suing the U.S. Army because of the prevalence of Christian practices therein.
CNN:
Hall filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, among others. In the suit, Hall claims his rights to religious freedom under the First Amendment were violated and suggests that the United States military has become a Christian organization.
"I think it’s utterly and totally wrong. Unconstitutional," Hall said.
Hall said there is a pattern of discrimination against non-Christians in the military.
Whether the military is more Christian than the rest of the country is an interesting question. I would guess that it is, for the simple reason that going to places where one will be shot at, on purpose, mind, would be more palatable to people with faith in God.
Hall’s specific complaints:
Two years ago on Thanksgiving Day, after refusing to pray at his table, Hall said he was told to go sit somewhere else. In another incident, when he was nearly killed during an attack on his Humvee, he said another soldier asked him, "Do you believe in Jesus now?"
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He also said he missed out on promotions because he is an atheist.
"I was told because I can’t put my personal beliefs aside and pray with troops I wouldn’t make a good leader," Hall said.
If he was told that leadership potential is diminished by lack of faith – if – then his case may have some legal merit. It would be a shame for the military to lose a good soldier over a subjective issue.
However, leaders are defined by their actions. Hall’s rejection of Christianity makes his judgment suspect in the eyes of many of those who would be asked to follow him.
This is potentially a very interesting case as it pits the expansionary natural of the progressive atheist agenda against the traditional Christian values of the country.
On one hand, the fact that Private Hall would file a lawsuit of this kind is, frankly, irritating as hell, pun intended. He lives in and serves one of the few countries on Earth where he’s free to do exactly as he pleases with virtually no restrictions. Yet he is unsatisfied with the ability of others to do the same. Standard "me first" American leftist thinking. Ugh.
On the other, Hall’s lawsuit is an excellent opportunity to correct the misguided thinking of political correctness by rejecting his attempt to force Christianity out of a national institution that needs it as much as or more than any other.
At some point Americans have to be willing and able to say, "This is how we do things here, mister, and if you don’t like it, tough." This case is such a time.