Army Specialist Dustin Chalker is a loyal soldier, a good citizen, and an atheist. It is the last of his characteristics that has caused problems when he is ordered to sit through ceremonies with sectarian religious observations. With the help of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, he has filed suit in a federal district court in Kansas (which is also a party), challenging the practices as a violation of the Establishment Clause of the Constitution.
In the complaint below, Chalker argues that such sectarian prayers and observations should not be part of compelled attendance events. The odds run heavily against him given prior cases and the insistence of the military that such prayers are ceremonial like the prayers that open up Congress.
Here is the complaint, Chalker case
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rcampbell,
I completely agree. God should be suing Congress for false representation. If this is the best their prayers can do they need to shut up or pick a different god/dess.
The supreme court punted on this with Newdow. What is the point of meaningless “ceremonial” prayer? That’s a contradiction for any real believer. No one, believer or atheist, should have to sit through state sponsored ceremonial prayer.
Today’s military is in the business of enforcing right wing christian ideology, forced prayer is one example. It is a lie to call it ceremonial when it is a clear practice taking place on many levels in the military.
>insistence of the military that such prayers are ceremonial like the prayers that open up Congress.
Then both if these practices should be stopped for the same reason.