WASHINGTON, March 30, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/
-- Family Research Council (FRC) and fellow members of the
Restore Military Religious Freedom Coalition today delivered a
petition with 101,215 signatures to the Pentagon in support of Lt.
Commander Wes Modder. The
decorated U.S. Navy Chaplain was removed from his duties, will be
brought before an official Board of Inquiry, and could be
ultimately forced out of the military simply because he expressed
biblical views of sexual morality, including homosexuality, when
counseling another officer.
The petition asks Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and the
Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus to
fully restore Chaplain Modder and drop all charges against him.
Of the petition Family Research Council President Tony Perkins said:
"More than 100,000 Americans are joining together in this
petition to say they will not stand for service members being
punished and driven out simply for living in accordance with their
religious beliefs. The case of Chaplain Modder has the Navy's
attention, as it should. Religious liberty is being targeted.
We not only delivered petitions, we delivered a message – we will
not back down from defending the religious liberty of those in the
military."
Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jerry Boykin,
Family Research Council's executive vice president, added:
"Chaplain Modder -- a Christian chaplain -- gave biblical
counsel about sexual morality, and now he's in danger of losing his
job. This kind of intimidation must not be allowed to continue. The
chaplaincy exists in order to give spiritual care to men and women
who serve our country, sacrifice much, and are often daily in
harm's way. When a chaplain is not allowed to speak the tenets of
his or her faith, what is left to speak?
"The action taken against Chaplain Wes Modder is
unacceptable, and must be rescinded immediately. Chaplains in
the military must be allowed to fully and freely represent in word
and in deed the faith communities that have endorsed them,"
concluded Boykin.
To read the petition, click here:
http://www.frc.org/alert/another-chaplain-needs-your-help
To learn more about the coalition, click here:
http://militaryfreedom.org/
Chaplain Modder is legally represented by the Liberty Institute,
one of dozens of groups that comprise the Restore Military Freedom
Coalition, which is dedicated to defending religious expression in
the U.S. Armed Forces.
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
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SOURCE Family Research Council