Major Mistake: Army Officials Accused Of Violating Soldier’s Right Not To Believe
Military personnel should be able to organize and attend religious or non-religious meetings without harassment from higher-ups.
It looks like some officials in the military just can’t grasp that fact that freedom of belief means all beliefs – even those they personally dislike.
Earlier this week, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) filed a federal lawsuit charging that Army officials violated the rights of a soldier serving in Iraq who attempted to convene a meeting of atheists and freethinkers.
The legal complaint alleges that Jeremy Hall, an Army specialist at Base Speicher in Tikrit, Iraq, was threatened by a major after Hall met with fellow non-believers.
The irony is, Hall bent over backwards to follow proper procedures. He sought and received permission from the base chaplain before posting fliers around the facility announcing the meeting.
The gathering took place on Aug. 7. It was disrupted by Major Paul Welborne who, according to the complaint, blasted the attendees and threatened to bring an action against Hall under the Uniform Code of Military Justice “and further threatened to prevent plaintiff Hall’s reenlistment in the United States Army.”
The MRFF was founded by Mikey Weinstein, an Americans United member who became concerned after his son, a cadet at the Air Force Academy, reported instances of heavy handed proselytism by evangelical Christian groups that appeared to be working in conjunction with military officials.
Since forming the group, Weinstein says he has been bombarded with stories from active-duty service personnel reporting similar problems. Hall reached out to him after the freethought meeting was disrupted.
In Hall’s case, the facts are especially egregious. A specialist is a rank that falls between private and corporal. In the military’s hierarchical system, enlisted personnel are trained to obey orders from higher officers. Major Welborne’s rank would be intimidating to such individuals.
(You can read the complaint in the lawsuit, Military Religious Freedom Foundation and Hall v. U.S. Department of Defense, here.)
Americans have different views on the Iraq War, but I think most people would agree that the men and women serving there are bravely putting their lives on the line and deserve the full protection of the Constitution. They should be able to organize and attend religious or non-religious meetings without harassment from higher-ups.
The Constitution guarantees all Americans that right. It’s a shame some military leaders don’t understand what ought to be common knowledge – and common decency.