Soldiers Punished for Refusing to Attend a Christian Rock Concert

There is nothing wrong with being a Christian. There is something very wrong with trying to force others to become one. There is nothing wrong with talking about the love of Christ. There is something wrong with trying to force someone to love Christ. There is nothing wrong with talking about your own faith, no matter which group you happen to belong to. There is something wrong with power being given to your denomination over others just as there is something wrong with the military doing any of this.

Maybe you're devoted like I am but thinking of what Christ means in your own life was not forced on you. You had the right to decide which church to attend. Christians come from many different denominations and each has their own set of rules as well as beliefs. If you read this story based on your own faith then look deeper and know this isn't about just being a Christian, but a member of the selected group of Christians above all others. This isn't about making a choice of your own freewill but being forced to conform. This nation was built on the foundation of religious freedom and was defended by the blood of those who serve in the military. If you find no problem with these things going on in the military then you are not supporting your own faith, your own country or the troops.

All faiths should be treated equally. If the majority of the troops are Christian, then there should be more spiritual avenues for them from every denomination. If there are Christian Rock concerts, great, but no one should be forced to attend. What if the soldier simply doesn't like rock music or the band at all? What if their upbringing was opposed to rock music? If a church forced you to go to a service, would you still want to belong to that church or would you feel so bitter toward it, you never returned? You may have had a wonderful spiritual church life but keep in mind that there are many who have not. If you were treated badly by a church would you want to be forced to attend anything having to do with that church?

Things in the military have gotten totally out of control and it should disgust every citizen in this country. Having a choice to retain one's own faith of their own freewill is a fundamental right in this country. If we allow this to go on in the military then what have we become?

I've said it many times that there needs to be more Chaplains in the military. A lot of the Chaplains serving now are appalled by what has been going on when evangelism and proselytizing has become more important that taking care of everyone honoring their own freewill. This is not a slam against Chaplains, especially when I am a civilian Chaplain, believing in the power of faith. Forcing anyone dishonors the faith, this country and our troops.

Soldiers Punished for Refusing to Attend a Christian Rock Concert
Posted by steved at 2:46 pm
August 22, 2010
This post first appeared on Booman Tribune.
There is so much that is just so wrong with this story I don’t know where to begin:
The Army said Friday it was investigating a claim that dozens of soldiers who refused to attend a Christian band’s concert at a Virginia military base were banished to their barracks and told to clean them up. [...]Pvt. Anthony Smith said he and other soldiers felt pressured to attend the May concert while stationed at the Newport News base, home of the Army’s Transportation Corps.

“My whole issue was I don’t need to be preached at,” Smith said in a phone interview from Phoenix, where he is stationed with the National Guard. “That’s not what I signed up for.” {…]

Smith, 21, was stationed in Virginia for nearly seven months for helicopter electrician training when the Christian rock group BarlowGirl played as part of the “Commanding General’s Spiritual Fitness Concerts.”

Smith said a staff sergeant told 200 men in their barracks they could either attend or remain in their barracks. Eighty to 100 decided not to attend, he said.

“Instead of being released to our personal time, we were locked down,” Smith said. “It seemed very much like a punishment.”


Banished for refusing to attend a Christian concert? What is happening to our military? When did it morph into you must be a Christian to serve or else? And what the hell does being a Christian, or following any other religion, have to do with being a soldier?
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Soldiers Punished for Refusing to Attend a Christian Rock Concert