{"id":2042695,"date":"2023-09-23T19:19:02","date_gmt":"2023-09-23T23:19:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/christian-bookstore-on-army-base-faces-threat-of-legal-action\/"},"modified":"2023-09-23T19:23:51","modified_gmt":"2023-09-23T23:23:51","slug":"christian-bookstore-on-army-base-faces-threat-of-legal-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/christian-bookstore-on-army-base-faces-threat-of-legal-action\/","title":{"rendered":"Christian bookstore on military base faces legal threat."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fchristian-bookstore-on-army-base-faces-threat-of-legal-action%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2042695&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<h2>A Christian Bookstore at a Military Base Sparks Controversy<\/h2>\n<p>A Christian bookstore located at a military base in North Carolina is causing quite a stir. An activist has called for its removal, claiming that its presence violates the Constitution&#8217;s Establishment Clause, which mandates a separation between church and state. The activist has even threatened\u200d legal action if the base&#8217;s commanding general doesn&#8217;t take immediate steps to shut\u200b down\u200d the store.<\/p>\n<p>In September\u200d 2022, \u2064Josh Creson, a former\u2062 captain in the U.S. Army, along with his family, opened Fairth2Soar, a Christian book and gift store, at a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rewind-review-and-re-rate-count-me-in-a-satisfying-documentary-about-drumming\/\" title=\"Rewind, Review, and Re-Rate: \u2018Count Me In\u2019: A Satisfying Documentary About Drumming\">mini-mall<\/a> on Fort Bragg, now known \u2063as Fort \u200bLiberty. Mr. Creson served nearly \u2062nine years in the Army \u200cand deployed to Iraq in 2003 with \u2062the 82nd Airborne Division.<\/p>\n<p>For almost a year, \u2064the bookstore operated without any\u2062 issues or concerns. However, everything changed with a phone call on August \u200d31, 2023, at around 2:55 p.m.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode\">\n<div class=\"border-comp-divider mb-4 mr-4 w-full max-w-[500px] border px-5 py-4 text-[16px] leading-[20px] text-[#262626] md:float-left\" id=\"in_article_related_stories\">\n<h2 class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related Stories<\/h2>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/us-army-adjusts-artillery-air-missile-systems-to-reflect-lessons-learned-in-ukraine-5494558?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>US Army\u200b Adjusts Artillery, Air, Missile Systems \u2064to \u2062Reflect Lessons Learned in Ukraine: Army \u200dGeneral<\/h3>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">9\/20\/2023<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/us-army-adjusts-artillery-air-missile-systems-to-reflect-lessons-learned-in-ukraine-5494558?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/former-soldier-says-army-punished-him-after-suffering-ptsd-from-afghanistan-5493100?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>Former Soldier\u200b Alleges Army Punished Him After Suffering PTSD From Afghanistan<\/h3>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">9\/18\/2023<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/former-soldier-says-army-punished-him-after-suffering-ptsd-from-afghanistan-5493100?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8220;The caller threatened me, criticized me, and even \u200bcursed at\u200c me, demanding that I leave our soldiers \u2063alone,&#8221; Mr. Creson revealed.<\/p>\n<p>It seems that the caller may have been alerted\u200b by a Facebook post on the store&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/christian-bookstore-on-army-base-faces-threat-of-legal-action\/\" title=\"Christian bookstore on military base faces legal threat.\">social media page earlier<\/a> that day. Someone had inquired about whether the store sold products related to other religions, such as Islam or Judaism.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Creson&#8217;s wife responded briefly, explaining that the store doesn&#8217;t offer religious products associated with those faiths but \u2064does provide \u2062a Messianic Jewish Literal Translation of the New Covenant Scriptures.<\/p>\n<p>Shortly after, Michael L. &#8220;Mikey&#8221; \u200dWeinstein, the founder and president of the \u2062Military and Religious Freedom Foundation nonprofit, posted a demand on the store&#8217;s page, calling \u2062for the removal of the &#8220;Christian nationalist &#8216;Faith2Soar&#8217; store&#8221; from the\u200c Fort Liberty \u200cPX\u200b mini-mall.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. \u2063Weinstein clarified that he doesn&#8217;t have an issue with a Christian bookstore itself but rather its location. He argues that since \u2062the government, specifically the Department of Defense, sponsors the\u2064 store, it violates the Establishment Clause.<\/p>\n<p>According to Mr. Weinstein, &#8220;We don&#8217;t \u200ccare what other faiths believe in. We only care about when, where, and\u200d how they choose to express their faith.&#8221; And in his view, Fort Liberty is not an \u2062appropriate place for the Christian bookstore.<\/p>\n<p>Concerns \u200babout the store&#8217;s location\u200b have prompted 211 soldiers, including 165 Christians, to reach out to\u2064 Mr. Weinstein&#8217;s foundation. \u2063These\u2064 soldiers fear potential retaliation \u2064if they were to\u2063 voice their\u200b concerns through official channels.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Creson expressed his surprise at the sudden turn \u2063of events. The Army and Air Force Exchange Service, responsible for\u200c providing goods and services at military installations worldwide,\u200d contacted \u200dhim. While there hasn&#8217;t been an official response yet, it appears that the military exchange service doesn&#8217;t have an issue with his store.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Weinstein has contacted Lt. General Christopher \u200bT. Donahue,\u200b the \u2064commanding general of XVIII Airborne Corps and\u200d Fort Liberty, demanding the\u2062 removal of the store. However, Lt. Gen. Donahue has yet to make a public statement on the matter.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Weinstein explained, &#8220;Before we take this to federal court, we&#8217;re\u2062 giving the Army the opportunity to \u2063address the problem through the Inspector General \u200d(IG) and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) process.&#8221; He added, &#8220;If necessary, we&#8217;ll go to court after exhausting all administrative remedies.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Despite the legal threats, Mr. Creson \u200cremains \u2062determined to keep his store\u2062 open. He has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/were-off-track-heres-how-republicans-plan-to-move-the-needle-on-climate-change\/\" title=\"\u2018We\u2019re Off Track\u2019: Here\u2019s How Republicans Plan To Move The Needle On Climate Change\">received overwhelming support<\/a> from military personnel, their families, \u2062and veterans\u2063 who appreciate his presence on the base. He encourages customers\u2062 and anyone who hears their story \u200dto stand\u200d firm in their Christian beliefs.<\/p>\n<p>Mr.\u200c Creson&#8217;s attorney,\u2063 Mike Berry, senior counsel at First Liberty\u2063 Institute, stated, &#8220;Faith has always been a source of \u200bstrength for our troops.&#8221; He firmly believes that Mr. Weinstein&#8217;s legal threats would\u200d not hold up in court. Mr. Berry proudly\u2062 stands \u2062with Mr. Creson, providing inspiration \u200cand\u2062 hope to\u2062 the men and women \u2063in uniform.<\/p>\n<p>The\u2064 Epoch Times reached out to the Fort Liberty Public Affairs office for comment\u2062 but received no response.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> Should the Department of Defense consider \u200calternative\u200c locations for the Christian bookstore to uphold the principle of separation between church \u200band state?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  \u2064Presence of a Christian bookstore on a military base.<\/p>\n<p>The controversy surrounding the\u200c Christian bookstore at Fort Liberty raises important\u200c questions\u200d about the relationship between religion and the military. The activist,\u200d Michael Weinstein, argues that the presence of \u200ca Christian bookstore on a military base violates \u200dthe Constitution&#8217;s Establishment Clause, which prohibits the\u200d government \u200cfrom endorsing or promoting \u2064any particular religion. He \u200ccontends that the Department of \u200bDefense&#8217;s sponsorship of the\u200d store constitutes government endorsement of Christianity.<\/p>\n<p>However, it is essential to examine\u2062 the context and purpose of the bookstore. The bookstore, named Fairth2Soar, was opened \u200dby Josh Creson, a former\u2064 captain in the U.S. Army and\u200d his\u2063 family.\u200d Mr. Creson\u200b served in \u200bthe \u200cmilitary\u200b for nearly\u2064 nine \u200dyears and deployed to Iraq in 2003. Their\u200b intention in opening the bookstore was to provide a space for military personnel and their families to \u200caccess Christian \u2062literature and gifts.\u2062 For \u200dalmost a year, the bookstore operated without any issues or concerns, serving as another retail option within the mini-mall on the military base.<\/p>\n<p>The controversy began when a Facebook\u200c post \u2064on\u200c the store&#8217;s page attracted attention from a caller who\u200d expressed displeasure and demanded \u2062that the store \u2064be shut down. This caller&#8217;s anger may\u200c have been triggered by a response from Mr. Creson&#8217;s \u2064wife, clarifying \u200dthat the store \u200cdid not carry products \u2064associated with other religions \u200dbut\u200c did\u200c offer a Messianic Jewish Literal Translation of the\u2064 New \u2063Covenant Scriptures. This response \u2062may\u2064 have been \u2063misinterpreted as exclusionary or dismissive of other faiths, leading to the subsequent demands for the\u2062 store&#8217;s \u2062removal.<\/p>\n<p>The founder and president of \u200dthe\u2063 Military and Religious Freedom Foundation, Michael Weinstein, \u2062criticized the store&#8217;s location rather than the existence of a Christian bookstore in and of \u2062itself. Mr. Weinstein contends that as \u200bthe government, specifically the Department \u2064of\u2063 Defense, sponsors the store, it violates \u2062the Establishment \u2064Clause. His primary concern is ensuring that religious expression within \u2062the military is conducted in\u200c an appropriate manner \u2062and location.<\/p>\n<p>While it is important\u2063 to respect the rights \u200dand freedoms of all individuals, including their religious beliefs, it is equally important to maintain a separation between church and state within military institutions. Military\u200b bases should be inclusive spaces \u2062that\u2063 accommodate the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/michael-sandels-vain-quest-for-the-common-good\/\" title=\"Michael Sandel\u2019s Vain Quest for the Common Good\">diverse religious beliefs<\/a> of\u200b service members\u2062 and their families. \u200bThe presence of a Christian\u2062 bookstore sponsored by the government could be seen as preferential\u200c treatment of Christianity, potentially alienating \u2064those of different \u2063faiths.<\/p>\n<p>The\u2063 resolution to this controversy\u200d lies in \u2064finding a balanced approach that respects religious freedom while\u2063 upholding \u2063the Constitution. The Department of Defense should consider alternative locations for the Christian bookstore \u2063that \u2062are not\u2064 directly sponsored by\u2062 the government. This\u2062 would \u200dallow for \u2062the continued provision of Christian literature and gifts while also ensuring that the\u2062 military\u200c base remains\u200c inclusive and welcoming to individuals\u200c of all\u2062 religious \u200bbackgrounds.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, it is\u2064 vital for military bases \u2062to be \u2062spaces that \u2062honor the constitutional rights and freedoms \u200dof individuals while promoting a sense of unity and inclusivity among service members. \u200dRespecting religious beliefs and encouraging dialogue and understanding \u200cbetween\u2063 different faiths is essential for a harmonious and \u2064diverse \u2062military community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Christian bookstore on a North Carolina military base is causing controversy as an activist claims it violates the Constitution&#8217;s Establishment Clause, which mandates separation of church and state. Legal action is threatened if the base&#8217;s commanding general fails to close the store.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":758,"featured_media":2042696,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2042695","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2042695","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/758"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2042695"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2042695\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2042696"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2042695"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2042695"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2042695"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}