Va Being Sued Again

[boomer2]

I just received an email from the Aamerican Family Association that the mentioned cemetery's director has VA employees checking funerals to ensure that they are not using the word God or any other religious messages at funerals. The VA is being sued by the VFW, The American Legion and the National Memorial Ladies the suit is being done by the Liberty Institute. I would post the article here but I am unsure about copy right issues as it is an emailed article. If someone can advise on this I will post the article (it is not a link).

[carlie]

I just received an email from the Aamerican Family Association that the mentioned cemetery's director has VA employees checking funerals to ensure that they are not using the word God or any other religious messages at funerals. The VA is being sued by the VFW, The American Legion and the National Memorial Ladies the suit is being done by the Liberty Institute. I would post the article here but I am unsure about copy right issues as it is an emailed article. If someone can advise on this I will post the article (it is not a link).

You can post a snippet in quotes and a link.

I would like to read it.

[boomer2]

Carlie,

Here is some of it

"The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs continues an outrageous and unconstitutional campaign to censor citizens from freely expressing their religious beliefs. Government officials at the Houston National Cemetery continue to:

• Ban the word "God" at funerals for veterans;

• Require grieving families to submit prayers or religious messages for approval to the government before a funeral at the cemetery;

• Hide the Bible and the cross that were once placed in the cemetery chapel;

• Send VA officials to monitor funerals to ensure the VFW, The American Legion or the National Memorial Ladies do not mention God or give a religious message to families who are burying their loved ones.

These outrageous actions of religious hostility and censorship are unlawful, unconstitutional and must stop now. When the Obama VA refused to back down, Liberty Institute took immediate legal action.

TAKE ACTION

Please stand with our veterans today.

Send an email to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Steve L. Muro. Ask him to 1) stop his department's religious discrimination and 2) relieve Houston Cemetery Director Ocasio of her duties."

Let me know if this to much. They have a link to the Law suit as well

http://action.afa.net/uploadedFiles/Activism/AFA_Action_Alerts/Action_Alert_Related_Items/houstonvacomplaint.pdf

[carlie]

One of our founding principals is supposed freedom of religion

and this is nothing more than oppression of religion.

I wish they would take on the Fing Westboro Baptist Church !

[Pete53]

Its Freedom of Religion specifically to allow any one to worship as they choose it is not and never has been outlawing anything religious.

[Testvet]

from what I ahve heard of the official policy is that the fallen veterans family HAS to request any type of religious acts in a person being buried in the National Cemetary that the honor guards just can't start doing any religoius prayers or handouts of religious material unless the family requests no one has been banned from having their clergy from performing the ceremony and saying prayers at the ceremonies being done in the pavilions at the cemetary's

I think this lawsuit is an over the top reaction to someone if I remember right Liberty University is the school created by Jerry Falwell and his family the VA policy is that no one can make the veterans family have to hear anything religious unless they want to it is their service

the VA's money could be better spent than dealing with this

[GuaymasJim]

I was with each of the 3 battalions of 9th Marines during Operation Dewey Canyon. There were dead and dying Marines everywhere and our Catholic Navy Chaplain administered Confession, Last Rites, the Shema, and Kaddish prayers (and other rites which I did not recognize) to every poor soul (including some NVA!) that he could without any ill regard to any single religion. He did this with bullets, rockets, missiles and artillery raining down on us day and night. He was a brave and honorable man! I have heard it said that if you go to war not believing in a god and survive, you sure believe in one going home. I agree.

So now according to the brain trust at the VA, the 1st Amendment will allow a priest say prayers over dead and wounded warriors on the battlefield, but that same 1st Amendment prohibits those same prayers at a warrior's funeral in the United States. Bullshit! Someone needs to read the Constitution especially were it says: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, ...

This is so wrong at so many levels that it is hard to comprehend. They should be ashamed of themselves, but we know they aren't.

Maybe in our lifetimes, we will see the VA finally understand who their "clients" really are, but I doubt it.

Edited July 12, 2011 by GuaymasJim