Great news for our troops and their military religious freedoms! The Senate has approved the Defense Authorization Bill for 2014 and it is awaiting Obama's approval. Having been persecuted myself as an Army Chaplain for my religious expression this comes as sweet news and as an answer to prayer. Military service members need to feel assured they can openly and freely be genuine to their faith and share their faith as Christ commanded, while serving their country, defending our constitution, and wearing the uniform. Praise God for His protection and providence.
Here is the article from the Family Research Council:
Long before "Duck Dynasty," other camouflaged Americans were being persecuted for their beliefs: U.S. service members. Now, thanks to Congress, our brave men and women will finally have the legislative armor they need. It took until almost midnight, but when the Senate passed the Defense Authorization bill, it was worth the wait. After a year-long struggle against the forces of political correctness, leaders stood together in defense of our troops' right to speak and act openly on their faith.
With overwhelming bipartisan support (84-15), the Senate approved the legislation with Sen. Mike Lee's (R-Utah) military conscience language -- handing FRC and its supporters one of the biggest victories yet in the battle for religious liberty. Under the bill (which still awaits the President's signature), Congress moves the current law from protecting religious beliefs to also protecting the expressions of those beliefs. For service members who've become increasingly afraid to even share their faith, this language is a game-changer. It frees our troops from the fear of retaliation, which so many have experienced under this administration.
In the last year, Americans have watched in horror as service members were harassed, reprimanded, or relieved of their duties just for practicing their faith in a real and tangible way. Some, like Master Sgt. Phillip Monk (whose story you can watch here), were punished -- not because they were outspoken about their values -- but because they refused to embrace the administration's. On issues like marriage, where there's still a very real divide, Obama's Pentagon came down even harder. Men and women who embraced the majority opinion on marriage were even bigger targets.
Under this bill, those service members can breathe a sigh of relief that their careers will no longer be threatened for exercising the rights that they've dedicated their lives to defend. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), one of the conservative champions behind Lee's amendment, said he "feel[s] strongly that we have a good bill." Like Lee and others, he was committed to bringing the full weight of Congress to bear on the Obama Defense Department, which had refused to issue a guidance on this very topic -- leaving troops vulnerable and victimized.
Although there are still some lingering issues with the overall bill, the Senate will work out the kinks when it returns to D.C. in January. Until then, we commend our coalition partners and Senators Lee, Inhofe, U.S. Reps. John Fleming (R-La.), Randy Forbes (R-Va.), Chairman Buck McKeon (R-Calif.), and other leaders who worked so hard to defend the religious liberties of America's men and women in uniform. To our supporters, who funded our efforts, called their members, signed petitions, and helped raise awareness on the threat, thank you for partnering with us!
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