Friday, November 8, 2013

Family Research Council, Churches Celebrate Military Freedom Sunday


November 08, 2013

FRC releases video about religious persecution in the U.S. military

WASHINGTON, D.C. - One day before Veterans Day, Family Research Council (FRC) and churches around the country will celebrate Military Freedom Sunday, a day to honor and pray for the men and women serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, who daily risk their lives to defend our lives and rights.

FRC and participating churches will also reflect on the ever-increasing harassment and formal reprimands service members are facing when they exercise their religious beliefs.

On Veterans Day, FRC and 15 other members of the Restore Military Religious Freedom Coalition will run an ad in the Military Times' publications informing service members that religious liberty advocacy groups stand ready to provide legal assistance should they experience a violation of their religious liberty rights.

Of the event FRC President Tony Perkins said:

"On Military Freedom Sunday, we will honor and pray for our troops, especially those who are being discriminated against for living out their faith. More and more service members are facing harassment, demotion, and formal reprimands simply for being Bible-believing Christians. They've been prohibited from sharing their faith, forbidden from praying publicly, and dismissed from duty for refusing to surrender their religious convictions.

"Defending America's freedom shouldn't mean surrendering theirs, especially given that the Constitution they have sworn to uphold guarantees religious liberty as all Americans' 'first freedom,'" concluded Perkins.

In advance of Military Freedom Sunday, FRC released the following video entitled "A Clear and Present Danger," featuring real-life stories of persecution in the military: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-PDR9Gxvvc&list=PLX54JHEGsMzN9E-HL5a5URo264xNGjFvP

To view a bulletin insert created by FRC for this Sunday's event, click here: http://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF13K09.pdf

To read "A Clear and Present Danger," FRC's report on religious persecution in the military, click here: http://www.frc.org/clearpresentdanger

To view the Military Times ad, click here: http://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF13K20.pdf