{"id":2112194,"date":"2023-11-30T13:13:01","date_gmt":"2023-11-30T18:13:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/va-facility-removes-bible-from-table-that-honors-imprisoned-missing-service-members\/"},"modified":"2023-11-30T13:15:51","modified_gmt":"2023-11-30T18:15:51","slug":"va-facility-removes-bible-from-table-that-honors-imprisoned-missing-service-members","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/va-facility-removes-bible-from-table-that-honors-imprisoned-missing-service-members\/","title":{"rendered":"VA Facility Removes Bible from Table That Honors Imprisoned, Missing Service Members"},"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\">24<\/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%2Fva-facility-removes-bible-from-table-that-honors-imprisoned-missing-service-members%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=2112194&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--><h2>VA Facility Removes Bible from Table That Honors Imprisoned, Missing Service Members<\/h2>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Boy, \u200cthe Military Religious Freedom Foundation sure showed \u2063 <em>them<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this month, the MRFF made a shocking discovery at a Lexington, Kentucky, \u200cVeterans Administration facility. The &#8220;Missing Man Table,&#8221; which pays tribute to prisoners of war and those\u2063 missing in action, had\u200c a Bible on it!<\/p>\n<p>Of all the issues \u200din the world that \u200cneeded attention, this was one that\u2062 demanded immediate action. In a letter to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democratic-watchdog-demands-jordan-disinvite-rfk-jr-from-testifying-before-weaponization-committee\/\" title=\"Watchdog group urges Jordan to rescind RFK Jr's invitation to testify before weaponization committee.\">executive \u2062director<\/a> of the VA facility, the MRFF demanded the removal of the\u2063 Bible, calling it &#8220;illicit, unconstitutional Christian proselytizing material.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The VA facility caved in to these demands.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3>A Major Victory\u2063 for the MRFF<\/h3>\n<p>According to MRFF Senior Research Director Chris Rodda, the VA initially removed the entire table. However, the MRFF announced that\u2062 they\u200c had achieved a &#8220;major victory&#8221; when the table was\u2064 restored,\u200c albeit with a journal \u2062replacing the Bible.<\/p>\n<p>Medical Center Director Russell Armstead responded to the MRFF, expressing his commitment to respecting the dignity and \u2064rights of \u2064all veterans. He \u2062stated that all table displays within\u2064 the VA Lexington Health Care System would now include\u2062 a journal.<\/p>\n<p>Replacing the Bible with a journal may seem like \u2064a small change, \u200dbut it symbolizes the\u2062 MRFF&#8217;s actions: replacing a religious text with a personal account.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;MRFF commends Mr. Armstead for his decision to do the right thing and honor ALL veterans in the VA\u200c medical facilities under his control,&#8221; MRFF said in a statement.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3>A\u200b Pattern of Controversy<\/h3>\n<p>This is not \u2064the first time the MRFF has clashed with a VA facility over a religious display. In 2019, they protested \u2063the presence of a Catholic \u2064Bible on a &#8220;Missing Man Table&#8221; in a facility in New Hampshire.<\/p>\n<p>But what purpose does it serve to remove a Bible from \u2062a table? Only a small number of patients were reportedly bothered by its presence. Yet, the MRFF succeeded in pressuring the VA to capitulate, sending a message that religious references should be replaced with personal journals.<\/p>\n<h3>A Question of Priorities<\/h3>\n<p>If the MRFF\u200d is dedicating its resources to fighting \u2063over a table in Kentucky, it suggests that the challenges faced by nonbelievers in the Armed Forces are trivial. Perhaps the organization should focus on more\u2063 significant\u200b cases \u2064of religious repression, if they exist.<\/p>\n<p>However, this controversy draws\u200d attention, even if\u200b it seems trivial. The MRFF wants\u200d to assert its influence and challenge the dominance\u200d of\u200d Christianity in America, especially \u200dwhen it\u200d comes to influencing the federal government.<\/p>\n<p>So, veterans seeking spiritual solace\u2064 are now directed to find it in a\u200d journal. That&#8217;s the message being sent \u2064here. Quite an accomplishment.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/va-facility-removes-bible-tava-facility-removes-bible-table-honors-imprisoned-missing-service-membersble-honors-imprisoned-missing-service-members\/\">VA Facility Removes Bible from \u200bTable That Honors\u200c Imprisoned, Missing Service Members<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\">The\u200b Western Journal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> Why is it important for government institutions like\u2064 the VA to uphold religious neutrality and equal treatment for \u200dall \u2063<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-releases-list-of-president-trumps-accomplishments-and-it-is-historic\/\" title=\"White House Releases List of President Trump\u2019s Accomplishments \u2013  And It Is Historic!\">service members<\/a>, regardless of \u200ctheir\u2062 beliefs<\/h2>\n<p><span>  \u2064 Urnal may seem like a small victory for the MRFF, \u200cbut it represents a big step \u200dtowards ensuring religious \u2063freedom and inclusivity within VA\u2062 facilities. The \u200cMissing\u2063 Man \u2064Table is \u2062meant to honor \u200band remember our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-releases-statement-on-loss-of-u-s-service-members-before-biden-addresses-americans\/\" title=\"Trump Releases Statement On Loss Of U.S. Service Members Before Biden Addresses Americans\">brave service members<\/a> who have been imprisoned or are missing in action, regardless of their religious beliefs or lack thereof. \u2063By removing \u2062the\u2063 Bible and replacing it \u200dwith a journal, \u200dthe VA facility has \u200dcreated a more\u2062 inclusive \u200dspace that respects the diversity of those being honored.<\/p>\n<p>Some may argue that removing\u200d the \u200bBible is an attack on\u2064 Christianity or that it\u200c undermines the religious traditions of our service members. However,\u200d it is important \u200dto remember that \u200dthe VA is a government institution, and as such, it has \u200dan obligation to uphold the principles of the Constitution, \u2062including the separation of church and state.\u2063 Placing a religious text on a government-sanctioned \u200bmemorial table could be seen as a form of endorsement or favoritism towards a particular religion, which \u200bgoes against the ideals \u200cof religious\u200b freedom and\u2062 equal \u200ctreatment \u2062for \u200call.<\/p>\n<p>The \u2062MRFF&#8217;s demand for the removal of the Bible from the Missing Man Table was not an attack\u200b on Christianity \u2063or any other \u200breligious faith. Instead, it\u2062 was a call for neutrality and inclusivity within VA facilities. The\u200c goal\u200b was \u2064to ensure that all service members, regardless of their religious beliefs or lack thereof, feel respected and honored\u200c in these spaces.<\/p>\n<p>One could argue that the\u2062 Bible holds \u2064significance for some \u200dservice members and their families. While this is true, it is important to remember that\u2063 the Missing \u2064Man Table is not meant to be a \u2063religious \u200dmemorial. It \u200dis a solemn tribute to \u2062those who have\u200b made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. By replacing the Bible with a journal,\u200d the VA facility has\u200b created a space where all service members and\u2063 their families can come together, regardless of their religious beliefs, and pay their respects.<\/p>\n<p>In \u200dthe grand \u2064scheme of things,\u2062 the removal of a Bible from a memorial \u200dtable \u2063may seem like a small issue. \u2063However, it is representative\u200c of a larger conversation about\u2062 religious \u200cfreedom, inclusivity, and\u200b the role of religion \u200din government \u200dinstitutions. \u2063The MRFF&#8217;s\u200b actions in this case\u200c highlight the importance of\u200d upholding the principles\u2064 of religious\u2064 neutrality within the VA, ensuring that all service\u200b members, \u2062regardless of their beliefs, are treated with equal respect and dignity.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, the removal of a Bible\u200d from the Missing Man Table at a \u2064VA facility in Lexington, Kentucky, was not an attack on Christianity or any other religious faith. It was a call for neutrality and inclusivity within government \u200dinstitutions,\u200b ensuring that\u200d all service members\u200c and their \u2062families, regardless of their religious beliefs, feel respected and honored. By replacing the Bible with a journal, \u200cthe \u2064VA facility\u200d has\u200c taken a step towards\u200c creating a \u2064more inclusive space that upholds\u200c the\u2062 principles of religious freedom and equal \u200dtreatment for all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Boy, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation sure showed\u00a0them. Earlier this month, the MRFF discovered that, at a Lexington, Kentucky, Veterans Administration facility, the so-called \u201cMissing Man Table,\u201d which commemorates prisoners of war and those missing in action, had a\u00a0Bible on it! Of all the issues in the world that needed to be addressed, here\u2019s one<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":663,"featured_media":2112195,"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":[548],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2112194","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conservative-news-daily"],"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\/2112194","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\/663"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2112194"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2112194\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2112195"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2112194"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2112194"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2112194"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}