Photo of Monifa Sterling:
Posted on 05/26/2015 6:18:00 PM PDT by BenLurkin
A United States Marine was convicted at a court-martial for refusing to remove a Bible verse on her computer – a verse of Scripture the military determined “could easily be seen as contrary to good order and discipline.”
The plight of Lance Corporal Monifa Sterling seems unbelievable – a member of the Armed Forces criminally prosecuted for displaying a slightly altered passage of Scripture from the Old Testament: “No weapon formed against me shall prosper.”
Sterling, who represented herself at trial, was convicted February 1, 2014 in a court-martial at Camp Lejune, North Carolina after she refused to obey orders from a staff sergeant to remove the Bible verses from her desk.
She was found guilty of failing to go to her appointed place of duty, disrespect toward a superior commissioned officer, and four specifications of disobeying the lawful order of a noncommissioned officer.
The Christian Marine was given a bad conduct discharge and a reduction in rank from lance corporal to private.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Fruit of a poisoned tree. It seems evident that this particular NCOIC had something gnawing in his/her pants about this gal. Hey I’m an engineer, not a lawyer so take that for what’s its worth. But having been at the wrong end of an Article 15 for a fistfight in the US Army many moons ago this stuff should never have gotten past Article 15 status unless somebody had a stick up their arse.
Lawful order. Direct orders come from field grade officers, not NCO's.
Wow! What branch of service did you serve in? As a sailor, I knew from day one that I took orders from all those with a higher pay grade. Any order given by a superior was to be obeyed or my ass was on the line.
As for lawful order only given by field grade officers ... BS, if this were true nothing would get done in the military.
I was no anchor clanker.
Doesn’t mater ... an order from a higher pay grade is considered a lawful order regardless branch of service.
And you sure as hell were never a member of the armed forces of the US if you believe what you say.
Troll Alert.
“My guess is that the military would have allowed some pro-homo or transgender-freak posts.”
Transgender-freak things like those multicolor flag things would be celebrated as diversity, even though they offend many normal people.
Offending them and religion is government sanctioned.
Yup, and the term "direct order" is just a term. Carry out an unlawful order and see what happens.
One thing at a time.
Have you served in the military?
Are you familiar with article 92?
One thing at a time.
Have you served in the military?
Interesting that left wing Obama’s military is going after a minority female.
Photo of Monifa Sterling:
What do you think, Mr. Microscope? I don’t appreciate being called a troll, I’ve been on here a few years and I was probably aware of Article 92 in boot camp before you were born. Concerning your microscope slide, I have some Hemorrhoid slides available with left Pilonidal tags as well.
I was a military officer. An order must be received and understood, and it must also be lawful. With all of my being, I believe that prohibiting Christians from having Bible verses on their desk or workplace is unlawful - both by our Constitution and by God's Law.
But, even more than this - think about he premise of this entire discussion. This Christian would, in the end, rather obey man than God.
Our military, government, and institutions should NEVER, EVER get themselves in that situation, yet we find that our courts and political masters are persecuting one group, and one group only. Christians. All other groups, including Satanists for crying out loud, are "tolerated" - even in military installations.
How far this nation has fallen.
Have either of you recently read Acts chapter 5?
Read just this portion:
Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22 But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, 23 “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.” 24 Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to. 25 And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” 26 Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people. 27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” 33 When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.
What was once honorable is under attack. Evil is good, and good is evil. Sweet is bitter, and bitter is sweet.
We are living in the Last Days. Anyone who has stood up for Christ will be recognized by Christ before God.
we find that our courts and political masters are persecuting one group, and one group only. Christians. All other groups, including Satanists for crying out loud, are "tolerated" - even in military installations.
I do agree with your sentiment. I am not siding with the military on this one, only stating that if the order was lawful and she disobeyed it, she put herself in this position.
What she and her attorneys say, well, I’d like to believe them. But like many things relating to hot button topics, hyperbole can run amok...
In my experience, having spent a couple of years as a 1st Sgt., if one is going to disobey an order, there is a right way and a wrong way.
She should have complied initially in order to defuse the situation. Met with her 1st Sgt. and then go and do her homework, research the regulations and the law.
If in the right, then confronted the NCO with their CO, 1st Sgt. and ADC present to get it straightened out.
IMO, her unit appears to be quite dysfunctional to allow something like this go this far and to the point where she was court martialed.
But do keep in mind...if she was court martialed, she had a jury and the military’s case must have been compelling enough to convict her of insubordination to a commissioned officer...
In closing, I do hope she wins on appeal and has her record restored and I am hopeful knowing that there are people like her serving in our armed forces who remain firm in their convictions.
I TOTALLY AGREE ..!!!!
Militarily, it wasn't the verse but the disobeying of a direct order or two and other disrespects. They can get you any way they want, but will use the disobeying bit as the real reason. Always best to obey the order, even if wrong (supposedly OK to disobey an illegal order, but that can be risky also) and pursue setting things right within the system. Unless one wants to be removed from the service and found that they won't let you go w/o "due process"....
But, your comment is absolutely an indication of how far our military has been dumped - there used to be some common sense and also some leeway for morale purposes - now it's PC or so long.
Festooned? A single short verse is festooning? Absurd.
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