[xzins]

You both know that I deeply respect each of you. However, as a retired Chaplain, I will disagree. We do not want to leave our military to atheistic, immoral puppets of a would-be socialist dictator. We want the resistance to be INSIDE the military more than any other institution in society.

This is EXACTLY the time for Americans to join the military in droves and violate this illegal order.

It is against regulation to obey an illegal order, and there is no doubt this is an illegal order.

"Witnessing" (proclaiming Jesus to others) is a religious observance for every Christian denomination I know of, except for perhaps "The Primitive Baptist Church".

It is ILLEGAL for any governmental group to demand that a religious group NOT follow their religion's religious observances.

It was said best by Pope John Paul II: "No believer in Christ, no institution of the Church can avoid this supreme duty: to proclaim Christ to all people."

The Pope, of course, got that from Jesus, who in Mark 16 said: "15 He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation"

There can be NO DOUBT: "proclaiming Jesus" is MORE a religious observance for Christians than is most anything else in our Christian faith.

Telling Christians NOT to proclaim is no different than telling Christians that they are not permitted to practice their religion.

Army FM 1-05 says:

1-4. At every echelon of the force, the chaplaincy is the Army’s primary agency for ensuring the right to free exercise of religion for Soldiers on behalf of the commander. The chaplains and chaplain assistants, from the Chief of Chaplains down to battalion UMTs, fulfill this core and essential responsibility. Based upon the requirements of the operational mission, a Soldier exercises this right in a number of ways to include:

- Worshipping according to one’s faith.
- Seeking religious counsel and care.
- Keeping holy days and observances.
- Participating in rites, sacraments, and ordinances.
- Practicing dietary laws.

One can't "keep observances" such as "witnessing", if one is prevented from doing so. The only way to tell a soldier that he/she can't "keep an observance" of his religion is to force him to follow a different religion.

We will not give in. We will not leave the field of battle to the socialists!

[Kaslin]

Bump

[Nowhere Man]

I see your point though plus perhaps it is a good way to keep them honest.

[Gene Eric]

>> Telling Christians NOT to proclaim is no different than telling Christians that they are not permitted to practice their religion.

Exactly.