Soldiers allege punishment over Christian show

Soldiers allege punishment over Christian show

By Joe Gould - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Sep 6, 2010 10:03:09 EDT

The Army is investigating allegations that soldiers were pressured to attend a Christian concert — and punished when they refused.

Pvt. Anthony Smith says he was one of 80 soldiers in Advanced Individual Training at Fort Eustis, Va., who were punished for opting not to attend a Christian rock concert on post. The soldiers were confined to their barracks, ordered to clean and were barred from using cell phones and other electronics, according to Smith and another soldier who asked to remain anonymous.

The Army is conducting an investigation into the incident, ordered by Lt. Gen. John E. “Jack” Sterling, Training and Doctrine Command chief of staff, TRADOC spokesman Harvey Perritt said. Perritt and a Fort Eustis spokesman declined to offer details while the investigation continues.

Col. Thomas Collins, an Army spokesman at the Pentagon, said the military should not impose religious views on soldiers.

“It’s not a problem to hold a Christian rock concert on an Army post; it’s a problem if soldiers who didn’t want to attend were compelled to attend or feel punished for not attending,” he said. “That is not consistent with Army policy.”
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Soldiers allege punishment over Christian show


I felt the same way when I wrote this,,,,,

Monday, August 23, 2010

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.
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