Editor, Times-Union: In the ‘08 elections there were a few letters to the editor from people of faith who supported Obama. You can be fooled once, but the evidence is overwhelming as we now have more proof of this president’s hostility toward people of biblical faith, his hostility toward biblical values, his hostility toward our military chaplains’ freedoms to do what a chaplain is called to do, and forcing American citizens to go against their biblical values with healthcare. The list goes on and on.
A college history professor said to me, “This president and his administration is without a doubt the most anti-religious administration that this country has ever had.” I asked who he would say is the second in the history of our presidents and his response was, “I can’t name one. There has been one or two that was not pro-religion, but not one has been as active and hostile toward people of faith as the current one.”
I have great respect and appreciation for our military and the chaplains that serve them. I have met and been friends with a number of them over the years. In July I received a quarterly update from the Eagle Commission, the sending agent for chaplains from my church denomination. With it was a June 18 news release from the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty, titled “Bibles are out - ‘gay pride’ is in.” Following is the article.
WASHINGTON — The Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty says it strongly condemns the decision by U.S. Department of Defense officials to celebrate “Gay Pride Month.”
The details of how the military will celebrate have not been made public, but the Pentagon announced Friday that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta wants to honor the contributions of homosexual service members. Ironically, although DoD makes attempts to strengthen traditional families, it has never promoted a “heterosexual month” to honor the contributions of heterosexual members who make up at least 97 percent of the military.
“I find it interesting that in the same week that the decision was announced to no longer allow Bibles to be published using military insignia, the Pentagon announced the celebration of homosexuality – something the Scriptures clearly condemns,” said Chaplain (COL) Ron Crews, USAR retired, executive director for the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty.
“By openly affirming bisexual and homosexual behavior, military leadership is coming into direct conflict with the morals and standards held almost universally by chaplains and service members of virtually every major faith group in the military,” Crews explained. “This blatant attempt to ‘celebrate’ a minority view of political correctness will not endear military families to the military.”
I emailed Ron Crews CH(COL) USAR Ret’d with some questions about the news release to confirm or rebuke just three of several other assaults from this administration on the liberty of chaplains to share their faith. Because of the 500 word limit, the questions and his reply will be in another forthcoming letter to the editor of the Times-Union.
