No Bibles in Walter Reed - this is what they were

No Bibles in Walter Reed - this is what they were doing.....did you know?

Family Research Council Sues Over Decision to Ban Bibles from Walter Reed!


| 4/19/2012 | Christian Newswire

Posted on Thursday, April 19, 2012 9:51:41 PM by sreastman

Faith Issues/Christian Newswire

Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and fights government corruption, announced today that it has filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the US Department of the Navy on behalf of the Family Research Council (FRC). The FOIA lawsuit, (Family Research Council, Inc. v. Department of the Navy (No. 1:12-cv-00589)), seeks access to records concerning a policy announced in a September 14, 2011, memo issued by the Commander of the Walter Reed National Military Medial Center banning the use and/or distribution of Bibles and other religious items during visits with wounded, ill or injured patients.

On December 13, 2011, the Family Research Council filed a FOIA request with the US Department of the Navy to obtain the following records:

a) All records concerning, regarding, or relating to the policy of limiting patient access to Bibles and other religious materials or artifacts;

b) All communications with any third parties concerning the policy, including communications during the drafting period;

c) All records of implementation plans/guidelines of the policy; and

d) All communications concerning, regarding or relating to the revocation or possible revocation of this policy;

The US Navy acknowledged receipt of the FOIA request on December 21, 2012, and was required, by law, to respond by January 23, 2012, at the latest. However, as of the date of this lawsuit, the US Navy has neither produced any responsive documents nor indicated why these records should be withheld. The US Navy has also failed to indicate if a response is forthcoming.

On September 14, 2011, Colonel Chuck Callaghan, Chief of Staff of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, issued a memorandum on behalf of the facility's Commander with the subject heading, "WOUNDED, ILL AND INJURED PARTNERS IN CARE GUIDELINES." One of the memorandum's stipulations regarding "Partners in care guidelines" stated "No religious items (i.e. Bibles, reading material, and/or artifacts are allowed to be given away or used during a visit." Partners in care, as defined by the memo, include family members as well as "verifiable 501(c)(3) benevolent organizations," among others.

The Family Research Council obtained the memorandum and shared it with members of Congress, leading to significant press coverage. Walter Reed officials ultimately issued a statement rescinding the policy: "Bibles and other religious materials have always been and will remain available for patient use at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The visitation policy as written was incorrect and should have been more thoroughly reviewed before its release. It has been rescinded."

The Family Research Council filed a FOIA request regarding the matter and FRC President Tony Perkins issued the following statement: "We filed a Freedom of Information Act request with Walter Reed Military Medical Center in hope of understanding who authorized the Bible ban and why. Although the Center's spokesmen assure that the policy has been rescinded, we have yet to see the revised policy. Until then, we'll push forward with our investigation to see who or what is driving the religious purging. This is yet another troubling instance of Obama administration hostility toward religious liberty, a liberty that is guaranteed by the First Amendment."

"Judicial Watch is happy to represent FRC in federal court as it seeks to extract the truth from the Obama administration about its deplorable idea to ban Bibles from Walter Reed," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.

© 2012 Christian Communication Network







No Bibles allowed in hospitals for our wounded soldiers!
Who in America would vote for Obama after they read this?
The soldiers who wake up in Walter Reed Medical Center are in Maryland, but, under the Navy¹s new rules, they may think they¹re in Communist China.
After months of peeling away the military¹s core values, Obama¹s army is on the move. And this time, it has a high-value target: the Bible.
In a memo obtained by FRC, Navy officials have announced that ³no religious items (including Bibles, reading material, and/or artifacts) are allowed to be given away or used during a visit.² The new orders are buried in a four-page document about patient care, which an Army officer forwarded to us. Effective immediately, families, friends and even pastors will have to check their beliefs at the door to visit one of the largest military hospitals in the United States.
Last night, after memos were circulated to leaders on the Hill, an outraged Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) took to the House floor and blasted the policy.
³Mr. Speaker, these military men and women who are recovering at Walter Reed and Bethesda have given their all for America! They¹ve defended and taken an oath to the Constitution, and here they are. The people who come to visit them can¹t bring a religious artifact? They can¹t bring a Bible? ... A priest can¹t walk in with the Eucharist and offer communion to a patient who might be on his deathbed because it¹s prohibited in this memo from the Department of the Navy?² This is Obama¹s military, where homosexuality is celebrated and Christianity is censored; where witches are financed and crosses are scorned; where bestiality is embraced and Bibles are banned; where same-sex ³weddings² are encouraged but international charity is not. After three years of ideological warfare, the Obama administration¹s intent is clear: to disarm the military of its biggest weapon ‹ FAITH!
Regardless of Obama¹s agenda, there is absolutely nothing in the Constitution that empowers the government to stop family members from giving Bibles or crosses to their loved ones. And from a public-relations standpoint, the best way to boost approval ratings is not by denying comfort to wounded warriors. Unfortunately for our troops, who have endured so much turmoil under the Obama administration, this is another blow. Perhaps with the help of Congressman King and others, it¹s only a temporary one.