U.S. Navy Orders Bibles to be Removed from All Guest Lodges

A new policy no longer allows Bibles or other religious material to be placed in U.S. Navy base guest rooms. The Freedom From Religion Foundation sent a letter to the Navy questioning whether the placement of Bibles in more than 3,000 guest rooms is constitutional. Upon receiving the letter, the Navy has decided to remove all Bibles from the rooms.

According to Religion News Service (RNS), the Navy is still able to make religious material available for guests, they just can’t be placed in the guest rooms. The decision to remove the Bibles has upset many Americans, and the American Family Association (AFA) is urging members to call Navy officials and request the the directive be reversed and Bibles to be placed in the rooms again. RNS quotes AFA president, Tim Wildmon, explaining his opinion:

[pull_quote_center]Our U.S. soldiers are being asked to respect the Muslim religion while Christians are being categorically discriminated against. Such an attack on religious liberty has no place in the United States military.[/pull_quote_center]

However, not everyone is upset with the decision. Supporters say that placing religious materials in guest rooms is a constitutional wrong since the Establishment Clause prohibits the American government from promoting any one religion. Mikey Weinstein, president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, argues:

[pull_quote_center]We would be just as angry if there was a Quran or a Torah or Richard Dawkins’ ‘The God Delusion.'[/pull_quote_center]

Retired Army Reserve Chaplain Ron Crews, stated that “a Bible in a hotel room is no more illegal than a chaplain in the military. They are there for those who want them…There is nothing wrong with allowing the Gideons to place Bibles in Navy lodges, which it has done for decades at no cost to the Navy.”

Read more on the story at ReligionNews.com.