Americans United Urges Army Officials To Alter ‘Church Retreat’ Program At Missouri Base

[Adsos Letter]

Source: Americans United for Separation of Church and State

December 18, 2009

U.S. military officials should make further changes at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri to ensure that soldiers are not subjected to unwanted religious proselytism, says Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

In July of 2008, Americans United wrote to Department of Defense officials to raise concerns about the “Tabernacle Baptist Church Retreat” (previously known as “Free Day Away”), a program sponsored by a church in Lebanon, Mo. Under the program, soldiers are taken to the church for food and recreational activities but are required to attend an evangelistic service while there.

Soldiers who chose not to attend were left behind at the base to continue with their military responsibilities. The fort is a training center for new recruits, and the “Church Retreat” program is the only day (other than the day before graduation) off base allotted to enlistees. Officials at the fort had been promoting the program for 36 years.

Shortly after AU sent its missive, Department of Defense officials issued guidelines stating that it should be made clear that attendance is voluntary and that soldiers who remain behind should be allotted free time and not made to work.



Read more: http://www.au.org/media/press-releases/archives/2009/12...


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Americans United is a religious liberty watchdog group based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, the organization educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.

They can use all the support you are able to give.

[MineralMan]

1. I remember in Basic that if you didn't attend chapel on Sunday,

you got to clean the latrines. So I went to the Jewish chapel at Lackland AFB. I was one of the very first USAF enlisted person to have "Atheist" on my dog tags. It was a major struggle, but I won, with the help of the Jewish chaplain. He seemed to get it.

These days, it's easy to be an atheist in the USAF. In 1965, not so much.

[darkstar3]

2. delete

wrong place

[darkstar3]

3. My dad worked on that fort for almost 2 decades.

My parents' house is still located 15 minutes from there. This is just the tip of the iceberg. I could tell you stories about fort evangelism that would flabbergast you. One of my favorites involves a church group going to a strip club on military appreciation night to shut the place down and pass out Chic Tracts.

I. Shit. You. Not.