Written by Don ByrdThe House Subcommittee on Religious Personnel held a hearing yesterday on the issue of religious accommodation in the military. The discussion focused on restrictions on military chaplains and on personnel that require exemptions for religiously required beards or head coverings.
Religion News Service reports that as for chaplains, members of the congressional subcommittee who hoped to highlight heavy-handed regulations limiting religious freedom, the chaplains on the panel provided little support.
Written by Don ByrdA few days ago, the Pentagon announced a change in policy to make more difficult the denial of a servicemember’s request for a religious accommodation from the military’s strict grooming standards. The change has been hailed as a step forward in religious freedom rights for many faiths previously restricted from service due to the prohibition on long hair, turbans, head coverings and beards. But many now argue the change does not go far enough to ensure that a person whose faith requires an accommodation will receive one.
Written by Don ByrdToday the Defense Department announced historic changes in its policy of religious accommodation reflecting a new willingness to make exceptions to military grooming standards when based on a servicemember’s sincere religious beliefs. Requests for such accommodations will now be weighed against the demands of the mission.
Written by Don ByrdThe U.S. House of Representatives last week passed the Defense Authorization bill, including language added in the Senate addressing the issue of religious expression by military chaplains. Typically, chaplains are asked to perform their official duties using inclusive language that, as best as possible, ministers to a wide range of religious adherents among diverse military personnel. Some have argued this emphasis improperly restricts a chaplain’s freedom to express his or her own religious beliefs.
In response to that controversy, changes in the defense spending bill attempt to limit the military’s ability to make personnel decisions based on expressions of faith. The relevant text is below.
Written by Don ByrdIn honor of Veterans Day yesterday, Huffington Post featured a look at religious diversity in the U.S. military, from a Sikh Army Captain to a Muslim Colonel in the Marine Corps. Have a look!
