To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE
UNACCEPTABLE! Marine Court-Martialed Simply for Displaying a Bible Verse on Her Workplace Computer"The plight of Lance Corporal Monifa Sterling seems unbelievable—a member of the Armed Forces criminally prosecuted for displaying a slightly altered passage of Scripture from the Old Testament: 'No weapon formed against me shall prosper.'" –Todd Starnes (Plano, TX)—[Liberty Institute] This week, Liberty Institute and volunteer attorney Paul Clement asked the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces (CAAF)—the highest military court whose cases are subject to review by the Supreme Court of the United States—to review the case of Lance Corporal (LCpl) Monifa Sterling, USMC. LCpl Sterling was convicted at a court-martial for putting a Bible verse on her computer when she was stationed at Camp Lejune, North Carolina. (Photo via Liberty Institute) After being criminally prosecuted by the United States Government, LCpl Sterling initially represented herself, then appealed her case to the Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals. She again cited her First Amendment rights to religious expression, as well as her protection under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). RFRA is a vital law that has been used in court to protect religious liberty in various contexts. "If the government can order a Marine not to display a Bible verse, they could try and order her not to get a religious tattoo, or go to church on Sunday," says Liberty Institute Director of Military Affairs and Senior Counsel Mike Berry. "Restricting a Marine's free exercise of religion is blatantly unconstitutional." Liberty Institute, along with volunteer attorney Paul Clement—a partner at Bancroft PLLC who has argued over 75 cases in the U.S. Supreme Court, including the recent Hobby Lobby victory—is now asking the court to rule that the appellate court should have applied RFRA in LCpl Sterling's case, protecting her right to post Bible verses as a form of religious exercise. A decision that RFRA should have been applied would set a major precedent that could be used to protect others in the military who desire to express their faith while serving their country. Non-Religious Speech Is Okay… But Religious Is Not? LCpl Sterling printed out the words of Isaiah 54:17: "No weapon formed against you shall prosper." But after taping it in three different places in her workspace, LCpl Sterling's supervisor—who also happened to be her former drill instructor—ordered her to remove the Bible verse, cursing at her in the process. When LCpl Sterling asked why, her supervisor said, "I don't like the tone." The service member explained it was her First Amendment right to display the Bible verse and declined to take them down. Moreover, no other person in the unit ever complained about the verse. (Photo via Charisma News/Courtesy/Liberty Institute) The next day, LCpl Sterling discovered that her supervisor tore down the Bible verse and threw it in the trash. Adding insult to injury, the U.S. Government charged LCpl Sterling with the crime of failing to obey a direct order because she did not remove the Bible verse. "If a service member has a right to display a secular poster, put an atheist bumper sticker on their car, or get a Star of David tattoo," explains Berry, "then Lance Corporal Sterling has the right to display a small Bible verse on her computer monitor." Attacks On Religion Trigger Vigorous Legal Defense
To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE Other Recent Articles from Breaking Christian News Israelis Remember Hostages, Fallen Soldiers, Terror Victims as Passover Begins She Survived a Death Camp. Facing Biden DOJ Charges, She Is Prepared to Die in Prison Planned Parenthood Committed 392,712 Abortions, Received $699.3 Million in Taxpayer Funding in 2023 Student Loan Forgiveness: Morally Reprehensible and Legally Invalid Columbia Classes Go Virtual Before Passover Amid Protests Hundreds Accept Jesus Christ in Poland at Franklin Graham Rally Grammy-Winning Christian Artist Mandisa Has Died: Report How You Can Send Letters of Encouragement to Jailed Pro-Life Heroes Illegal Immigrants Being Moved into Soldiers' Home Where Veterans Must Pay to Stay House Democrats Vow to Codify 'Rights' to Trans Surgeries, Hormones, Puberty Blockers Israel Strikes Deep Inside Iran, Nuclear Facilities NOT Hit An Important Message from Japan to the world about the WHO, Japan and the Next So-called 'Vaccine' Farmers, Truckers Warn California Emissions Mandates Will Cause 'Catastrophic' Supply Chain Crisis Fed Court Overturns State Law Protecting Women's Sports from 'Transgender' Athletes Biden's Education Secretary Vows to Shut Down the Largest Christian University in the US Search the Articles Archives |
All articles on this site and emails from BCN are copyrighted property of Breaking Christian News. Permission is given to link to, or share a BCN story if proper attribution is given to both the original writer and summarizer of the story. Breaking Christian News 2005-2019. All Rights Reserved.
Breaking Christian News is a division of Elijah List Publications, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Disclaimer: Articles and links, as well as the source articles linked to; do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Breaking Christian News.
Home | Store | Subscribe | Facebook | Article Archive |