Posted on Jul 27, 2015
Is "Religious Freedom" used as an excuse to disobey orders or refuse to conform?
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http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/story/military/2015/07/25/marine-vet-awaits-appeal-decision--religious-freedom-case/29926539/
In this article the Marine blatantly disobeyed orders but she is claiming her right to religious freedom was violated and now the case is still going.
Does she have a leg to stand on or is her religious freedom a separate issue than violating an order that doesn't prevent her worship/observation of her religion?
In this article the Marine blatantly disobeyed orders but she is claiming her right to religious freedom was violated and now the case is still going.
Does she have a leg to stand on or is her religious freedom a separate issue than violating an order that doesn't prevent her worship/observation of her religion?
Marine Corps
Religion
Court Martial
Politics
Orders
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 34
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This individual had a loooooong history of disciplinary issues and misconduct. The verses and the incident surrounding it were barely a sidenote in her proceedings, it's just the part most likely to generate headlines, so that's what the media ran with. I posted the actual transcripts of the trial a while back, I'll see if I can't dig them back up and repost them here. It's clear to see after reading them that this case had nothing to do with religious freedom.
EDIT: Found Them!
http://www.jag.navy.mil/courts/documents/archive/2015/STERLING-201400150-UNPUB.PDF
EDIT: Found Them!
http://www.jag.navy.mil/courts/documents/archive/2015/STERLING-201400150-UNPUB.PDF
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COL Jon Thompson
That document sheds a lot of light on this Marine that was not covered by the articles. I am a man of strong Christian faith and as I told my mother-in-law, I would have had to take some action against this Marine had I been her commander.
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Sgt William Biggs
You should post a trigger warning on this (ha ha). I get so angry every time I have read it!
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Cpl Christopher Bishop
It sure seems to me that those with the most behavioral issues are the ones crying afterwords about their religion, which they can't seen to follow.
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I love that you brought this up, but I despise the person it is centered on. This LCpl has done everything possible to piss off her command, be belligerent, and skirt regulations with the sole desire of one-upping her NCO's and SNCO's. I didn't come to this decision lightly. I read several articles, including her legal case in the Marine Corps, and she is abusing religious freedom. I find that she, and her legal team, are attempting to use her faith to portray her as a casualty of a perceived war on Christianity. Nearly every Marine that I know, that read what she did, has dealt with a terminal lance like her and they were all happy she burned.
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LCDR (Join to see)
Sgt William Biggs I agree. From everything I looked into on this she's using religious freedom to try to get some relief from being a really shitty Marine.
Id you have a different example/post I can change the link, or make it a secondary one. I agree she's not the best poster child. She's just the one in the news for it right now.
Id you have a different example/post I can change the link, or make it a secondary one. I agree she's not the best poster child. She's just the one in the news for it right now.
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This specific case was brought up about a month ago. When reading the actual issue at play, you can see it was more of a "conflict of personalities" and less of a "Religious Freedom" issue. The Marine in question disobeyed multiple orders from not only her Staff NCO, but the 1st Sgt. She failed to be at her appointed place of duty. She refused to wear the uniform of the day, even after being corrected multiple times (by her SSgt & the 1stSgt).
This particular case was not about Religious Freedom. It was about two people in an antagonistic relationship, which escalated to a Special Courts Martial, after the Marine refused an NJP (after refusing to correct the deficiencies she created). The Court documents showed her command actually tried to fix the issue in multiple ways, and this was the last defense of the desperate.
This particular case was not about Religious Freedom. It was about two people in an antagonistic relationship, which escalated to a Special Courts Martial, after the Marine refused an NJP (after refusing to correct the deficiencies she created). The Court documents showed her command actually tried to fix the issue in multiple ways, and this was the last defense of the desperate.
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SGT Jeremiah B.
It's really a case of an E-3 forgetting her damn place and then being a complete idiot.
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COL Jon Thompson
I should have read your comment first and saved myself typing basically the same thing.
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SGT Anthony Rossi
Agree. Religious freedom should be allowed but without a respect for authority what good is your religion.
Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. -Hebrews 13:17
Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. -Hebrews 13:17
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