[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 17952-17953]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN THE MILITARY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. J. RANDY FORBES

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 21, 2013

  Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, religious freedom is a fundamental human 
right--a right

[[Page 17953]]

which is guaranteed by the First Amendment. Many of America's earliest 
settlers came to her shores seeking religious freedom. As individuals 
around the world face persecution because of their religious beliefs, 
America has stood as the beacon for the importance of protecting the 
ability to freely exercise religious beliefs without fear of 
intimidation, reprisal, or harm.
  It is impossible to defend religious freedom for the civilian and yet 
deny it to the soldier. The full expression and practice of faith in 
the military has strong roots. General Washington oversaw the formation 
of a military chaplaincy in 1775 to support and sustain his men in 
their religious beliefs. President Franklin D. Roosevelt composed the 
forward to a military edition of the New Testament, in which he wrote, 
``Throughout the centuries men of many faiths and diverse origins have 
found in the Sacred Book words of wisdom, counsel and inspiration. It 
is a fountain of strength and now, as always, an aid in attaining the 
highest aspirations of the human soul.''
  Faith permeates every aspect of a person's life; it cannot be 
confined to a belief that is maintained only within one's head, home, 
or place of worship. It is essential that our military policies and 
leadership respect the fact that a person's faith also informs the way 
in which they serve. Anything less is a disservice to their brave and 
noble sacrifice. It is for this reason that Congress enacted conscience 
protections in last year's National Defense Authorization Act. However, 
these protections have fallen on deaf ears. President Obama called 
these protections ill-advised and unnecessary. Over eleven months have 
passed since these protections were signed into law, and the Department 
of Defense has yet to implement policies to enforce the conscience 
protections.
  Furthermore, I fear there is a growing lack of understanding for the 
importance of preserving the integrity of the chaplaincy. A chaplain's 
purpose is first and foremost to facilitate the free exercise rights of 
servicemembers and their families. They serve as an essential pillar of 
support, especially for those who are not able to freely access 
religious services and support in the way they could as civilians. 
Chaplains are more than counselors, honorably and indiscriminately 
serving all servicemembers.
  The members of our Armed Forces do not leave their faith at home when 
they commit to serve our country, and I remain committed to ensuring 
they are never required to do so.

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