U.S. Soldiers who declined attending Christian concert are punished

While most Americans have been exposed to endless news coverage and drawn into a national debate about an Islamic Culture Center being built two blocks from the site of the September 11 terrorist attack, the main stream media is being woefully silent on another story involving religious intolerance in America. The latest incidence of religious intolerance in America involves dozens of soldiers at a Virginia military base who were denied leave if they choose not to attent a Christian band concert, while other soldiers in the same unit were given leave to attend the concert.

First reported by The Military Religious Freedom Foundation, the same group that brought attention to rifle scopes used by U.S. soldiers inscribed with secret Biblical references, the following is from an associated press report on the story.

Fort Eustis spokesman Rick Haverinen told The Associated Press he couldn't comment on the specifics of the investigation. At the Pentagon, Army spokesman Col. Thomas Collins said the military shouldn't impose religious views on soldiers.

"If something like that were to have happened, it would be contrary to Army policy," Collins said.

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."

Smith said he and the other soldiers were told not to use their cell phones or personal computers and ordered to clean up the barracks.

Sounds like a case of coercion and evangelization to this observer. The AP story goes on to report.

About 20 of the men, including several Muslims, refused to attend the concert based on their religious beliefs, he said.

Smith said he went up the chain of command and traced the concert edict to a captain, who said he simply wanted to "show support for those kind of events that bring soldiers together."

While not accepting blame, the officer apologized to the soldiers who refused to attend the concert and said it was not his intent to proselytize, he said.

"But once you get in there, you realize it's evangelization," Smith said.

This latest incident will probaly be downplayed and under reported because it will hurt the image of the military.