Do Americans want a military free of all religious influence?
That is the question being posed in response to a letter from the ACLU to the United States Naval Academy demanding that midshipmen not be allowed to pray before their noon meal. For decades, lunch at the U.S. Naval Academy has been preceded by a brief, voluntary prayer. But earlier this year, the American Civil Liberties Union wrote the Academy demanding that the prayers cease. The ACLU claims the prayers violate the so-called "separation of church and state." But Joel Oster, senior counsel with the Alliance Defense Fund, says the real intent of the letter is clear. "The ACLU wants to rid the U.S. government from anything religious. And this is just another example of them trying to get involved and trying to strip America from its religious heritage and its religious practices, and it must be stopped," Oster contends. He says the ACLU and other anti-religious groups are seemingly even more aggressive in their opposition to all things godly than they have been in the past. "I think they're ramping up their attacks. While in the past, maybe they've said, 'We're not really going after all prayer, just overtly sectarian prayer,'" he points out. "Now, the gloves are off and it's clear they're going after any and all prayers," Oster explains. Oster says that ADF tries to avoid the distinction between sectarian and non-sectarian prayers because government should not be in the business of scrutinizing the content of anyone's prayers. He argues that the military should be able to determine how to best prepare its men and women for combat, including acknowledging that there is a spiritual dimension to military service. ADF has offered to defend the Naval Academy free of charge if the ACLU sues.
If you believe OneNewsNow.com is an important source for Christian news, please consider a small tax-deductible gift for this service.
