The Congressional Prayer Caucus
Floor Speech
Mr. LAMBORN. I want to thank my friend and colleague, Representative Randy Forbes of Virginia, for his leadership in this vital area of religious liberty and for putting this time together.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of our constitutionally granted right to religious liberty and in support of our military. I am grateful for our Nation's military, and I feel privileged to represent thousands of men and women in uniform who serve at the five military installations in my district. Our military is made up of brave, peace-loving men and women of all faiths serving to protect our freedom and our way of life. But there is a growing and troubling pattern of religious discrimination against our men and women in arms.
Earlier this year, an Army Reserve training brief listed Catholics, Evangelical Christians, Sunni Muslims and some Jews as ``religious extremists,'' along with groups like al Qaeda, Hamas, and the KKK. Also, in July of this year, a Christian chaplain was ordered to remove a religious column he had written which simply detailed the history of the phrase:
There are no atheists in foxholes.
Furthermore, in drafting religious freedom policies and regulations, officials within the Pentagon have consulted with radical atheists who once characterized Christians as ``monsters who terrorize their fellow Americans who are die-hard enemies of the United States Constitution.'' This same radical atheist is calling on the Pentagon to prosecute military chaplains who share their faith with serv ice mem bers, claiming that even speaking about your Christian faith amounts to ``unconstitutional religious proselytizing and oppression.''
Mr. Speaker, this is an affront to our civil liberties and demeaning to this Nation that has always believed in the First Amendment freedom of self-expression. Religious freedom is an integral part of America's greatness and has been a pillar of our Nation from the very beginning. We must remain firmly committed to defending religious freedom.
Source