American Family Association says chaplains and soldiers are being denied the very rights they’re protecting
TUPELO, Miss. – A Christian Army Chaplain dedicated to using the hope-filled messages of the Bible to prevent others from committing suicide should be commended. Instead, Chaplain Joseph Lawhorn received a reprimand.
Lawhorn was issued a “Letter of Concern” for discussing faith and quoting the Bible during a suicide prevention training session with the 5th Ranger Training Battalion at the University of Georgia last month. Now, those who believe in protecting Americans’ religious liberties are rallying around him.
American Family Association (AFA, www.afa.net) says that, yet again, military chaplains and soldiers are being stripped of the very rights they are serving to protect.
“Our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines put their lives on the line every day to protect our liberties, including our religious freedoms,” said AFA President Tim Wildmon.“It’s beyond understanding that anyone would seek to deny these very same soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines the religious liberty they fight and die for.”
“Atheists, agnostics and any other groups wishing to attack Christianity aren’t helping these soldiers who are struggling by preventing them from getting faith-based care, comfort and support during their times of greatest need. These soldiers need our support, and the opposition is trying to keep them from getting crucial and necessary help because of their own ideology. This is unconscionable and demonstrates an utter lack of compassion. When soldiers are struggling with depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts or tendencies, it’s neither the time nor place for politics.”
The letter of concern from Col. David Fivecoat, commander of the Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade at Ft. Benning, claims that Lawhorn advocated Christianity by providing a handout that listed Army resources on one side and a biblical approach to handling depression on the other.
According to Fox News’ Todd Starnes, the Chaplain was warned to be “careful to avoid any perception you are advocating one system of beliefs over another.” Lawhorn’s attorneys say his comments are covered by the “right of conscience clause,” passed in last year’s National Defense Authorization Act, section 533. Furthermore, Lawhorn did nothing wrong because he did not present faith or the Bible as the only method of dealing with depression or suicidal thoughts, but also provided information with non-faith-based resources. Lawhorn shared his own story of depression and his faith journey as well.
Lawhorn’s troubles began when someone in the training class complained to the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers.
Mike Berry of the Liberty Institute is representing the chaplain, and Georgia Congressman Doug Collins is also getting behind Lawhorn, firing off a letter that reads, in part, “I find it counterintuitive to have someone lead a suicide prevention course but prohibit them from providing their personal testimony.” Collins’ letter also cites the Army’s Equal Opportunity policy, formulated to protect the personal beliefs of military personnel.
Berry said Americans should be outraged over Chaplain Lawhorn’s reprimand, telling Fox News, “His job is to save lives – and he’s being punished for trying to do his job. He’s doing everything he can to save them, and yet now they’re trying to say (that) the way you’re doing it offends me.”
American Family Association offers its friends and supporters several mobile apps through http://action.afa.net/mobile. The AFA Action Alerts app, with breaking news and action alerts, is available for the iPhone and iPad on the Apple App Store, on Google Play and on the Amazon Appstore for Android. The AFR (American Family Radio) app is available for Apple and Android products, and the AFA Action app with, for example, voter information at election time, is available on Apple and Android platforms.
