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Perkins warns of fallout from Pentagon reprimand of officers in Christian video

The president of the Family Research Council fears a Pentagon report that recommends disciplinary action be taken against seven high-ranking military officers for appearing in a Christian video may bolster efforts by liberals to silence the religious expression of evangelicals in the military.



A Pentagon investigation concludes that four generals and three other high-ranking officers -- including a retired Pentagon chaplain -- violated ethics rules by appearing in a video promoting the Christian Embassy, an evangelical group that has long held prayer meetings at the Pentagon. The probe was requested last year by Michael Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, a liberal group that complained the officers were violating the alleged "separation of church and state."

A 47-page report compiled by the Defense Department's inspector general finds the officers "improperly endorsed and participated with a non-federal entity while in uniform" and recommends that Air Force and Army leaders take "appropriate corrective action" against the seven.

Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council in Washington, DC, says the officers may have violated Defense Department protocol, but not the Establishment Clause as Weinstein claims.

"What is disingenuous about this is that it focuses on particular regulations about speaking in uniform or doing this and that, which has nothing to do with religious affiliation," the FRC president explains. "But then it's taken and extrapolated and ... used to intimidate government [and] military personnel from being associated with religion."

According to Perkins, the report also causes military and governmental entities to discourage religious participation. "What is unfortunate about this is that [it] will be used in ways that actually ... discriminate against religious conviction on behalf of members of the military and government personnel, because it will trample upon the free exercise provision of the First Amendment," he asserts.

Weinstein, who two years ago sued the Air Force Academy claiming evangelicals were perpetuating religious discrimination, is demanding Congress hold oversight hearings on what he believes is the Defense Department's failure to separate "church and state."

Matthew 5:10 Blessed and happy and enviably fortunate and spiritually prosperous (in the state in which the born-again child of God enjoys and finds satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, regardless of his outward conditions) are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake (for being and doing right), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!