After suffering harsh criticism from Congress for repeated kowtowing to atheists' demands to strip religious liberty from military personnel, the Pentagon has dismissed demands from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) to scrub any involvement with the National Day of Prayer event on Capitol Hill in May. Upon the request of Congress, the Army will send to the event a chaplain, a color guard, a vocalist and a military band.
For background, read Atheists Lose: 'National Day of Prayer' Ruled Constitutional and also read National Day of Prayer: Hidden Faith, or Public? as well as Congressman Says Prayer Needed to Solve America's Problems
UPDATE 5/1/14: Liberal Media Ignore 40,000 National Prayer Events
From "Group calls for DoD to withdraw from Prayer Day event" by Leo Shane III, Staff writer, Military Times 4/17/14
“The planned participation by uniformed U.S. military personnel in this private fundamentalist Christian religious event, run by a non-federal entity, is an unequivocally clear violation of [a] plethora of DoD regulations and instructions,” the [MRFF] letter states. “The U.S. military absolutely cannot endorse these searingly sectarian events by its public participation in them.”
MRFF director Mikey Weinstein said the complaint was prompted by more than two dozen senior Pentagon civilians and officers who reached out to his group, upset that military personnel would be used in the event. Weinstein would not identify those individuals, saying they fear retribution for their opposition.
The letter does not attack the National Day of Prayer observance, but rather the National Day of Prayer Task Force, a group organizing and broadcasting the Capitol Hill event. The task force has repeatedly maintained its status as a nonpartisan, nondenominational group focused on “the need to pray for the well-being of America and for those in leadership.”
Weinstein dismissed those assertions. “The National Day of Prayer Task Force is to the National Day of Prayer as what a National Football League al-Qaida chapter would be to the National Football League.”
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From "Army says it will support National Day of Prayer event despite protest" by Chris Carroll, Stars and Stripes 4/18/14
The Army plans to support a National Day of Prayer event closely associated with an evangelical Christian organization despite a protest from a group that wants to crack down on what it calls fundamentalist Christian domination of the U.S. military.
Weinstein told [Secretary of Defense, Chuck] Hagel he had no issue with the non-sectarian National Day of Prayer itself as established by President Harry Truman, but said the NDP Task Force had taken over the event “to promote their rapaciously exclusivist religion as the quasi-official religion of the nation.”
Military participation in the event violates a number of DOD regulations, including prohibitions on appearing to endorse non-federal entities such as the National Day of Prayer Task Force, Weinstein said.
Not true, said National Day of Prayer Task Force vice chairman, John Bornschein. The military is sending its assets at the request of the congressman sponsoring the National Day of Prayer event, Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., rather than the non-profit organization, he said.
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From "U.S. Military Not Backing Down After Group Urges Withdrawal from National Day of Prayer Event" by Heather Clark, Christian News Network 4/19/14
. . . Other national prayer observances have been held since the nation’s founding and often centered on Christianity. In 1798, President John Adams proclaimed a national day of humiliation, prayer and fasting.
“As the safety and prosperity of nations ultimately and essentially depend on the protection and blessing of Almighty God, and the national acknowledgment of this truth is not only an indispensable duty which the people owe to Him,” he wrote, “…this duty, at all times incumbent, is so especially in seasons of difficulty and of danger, when existing or threatening calamities—the just judgments of God against prevalent iniquity—are a loud call to repentance and reformation.”
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From "Americans Unite with One Voice in Prayer on the 63rd Annual Observance of The National Day Of Prayer, Thursday, May 1st, 2014" press release from Dion Elmore, Director Public Relations, The National Day of Prayer Task Force 4/8/14
As our nation struggles with continued economic insecurity, vast healthcare change, and continual challenges to basic constitutional rights, citizens of the United States are preparing to exercise one of their most precious freedoms -- the right to gather, worship, and pray to God. Following in the footsteps of our nation's founders, who fought for religious freedom, millions will assemble at thousands of local National Day of Prayer events across America, where they will take time out of their daily schedules to intercede on behalf of their communities, their nation, and their leaders.
The 2014 National Observance of the National Day of Prayer will be broadcast LIVE from the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, D.C. on GodTV and the National Day of Prayer Task Force website. (Thursday, May 1, 2014 from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm ET.)
Speakers include Anne Graham Lotz (daughter of Rev. Billy Graham), Dr. James and Shirley Dobson, Congressman Robert Aderholt, Mrs. Vonette Bright, The Honorable Bob McEwen, Congressman Mike McIntyre, Don Moen, Chaplain Father Patrick Conroy, Dr. Dick Eastman, Mr. David Butts, Mr. John Bornschein, and more.
To read the entire press release above, CLICK HERE for .PDF
Click headlines below to read previous articles:
Evangelist Franklin Graham Booted by Pentagon from National Day of Prayer
Gays & Atheists Demand Air Force Fire Evangelicals
Air Force & Navy Take Orders from Atheists vs. Christians
Bible: Court-martial Offense at Air Force Academy?
Pentagon Says Following Jesus' Command is a Court Martial Offense
President Obama's Army Says Christians are Worst Terrorists
Air Force Drops God; Army Admits its Training Labeled Christians as Terrorists
Congress Responds to Obama's Military Attack on Christians
President Obama's Veterans Administration Strips Jesus & Bible from Chaplains
In addition, read how President Obama is Hell-bent on transforming the military.
