Coast Guard Chaplains’ Memo Includes Invasive Questions for Religious Exemption Requesters

Contact Your Elected Officials
The Epoch Times Logo

A recent Department of Defense (DoD) memorandum to U.S. Coast Guard chaplains includes multiple highly invasive questions about the sincerity of the faith and practice of Guardsmen seeking religious exemptions from the military branch’s COVID-19 vaccine requirement.

“Have the member describe how they consistently keep the tenets of their faith and demonstrate those in their daily life. Ask them to be as specific as possible,” the memo directs the chaplains to ask of exemption-seekers.

“Put the specifics acts (or lack thereof) in the memo.”

The referenced memo is a record that the chaplains are required to create of their interviews with requesters. A copy of the questions section of the memo was made available to The Epoch Times, which verified that it’s a Department of Defense product authored by “Lee, Amanda M CDR.”

A civil liberties attorney told The Epoch Times such questions aren’t legal.

“Almost none of the questions in that memo are appropriate, although some are certainly more inflammatory and offensive than others. The only obligation the service member has is to establish that they have a sincerely held religious belief that is being substantially burdened by the government,” First Liberty Institute General Counsel Mike Berry told The Epoch Times on Sept. 23.

“Once they show that, the burden shifts entirely to the government.  The government has no authority and no legitimate basis to ask the sorts of questions that are in the memo, and it demonstrates overt hostility to religious beliefs.”

The Plano, Texas-based First Liberty Institute specializes in First Amendment and religious liberty litigation.

The memo also warns the chaplains to be wary of Guardsmen who may be abusing the exemption process.

“It is important to provide context in the memo discussing the member’s belief. If they come to the meeting and begin by discussing concerns about safety, politics, etc., note that in the memo,” the DoD memo reads.

By Mark Tapscott

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Thinking Conservative
The Thinking Conservativehttps://www.thethinkingconservative.com/
The goal of THE THINKING CONSERVATIVE is to help us educate ourselves on conservative topics of importance to our freedom and our pursuit of happiness. We do this by sharing conservative opinions on all kinds of subjects, from all types of people, and all kinds of media, in a way that will challenge our perceptions and help us to make educated choices.

James Franklin’s contract fallout

Penn State’s decision to fire head coach James Franklin after a disappointing 22–21 home loss to Northwestern will cost an estimated $56 million buyout. 

Trump’s Middle East Trip Led to Historic Breakthroughs

Trump’s bold, unconventional strategy helped end the Israel-Hamas war and set the stage for a more stable, prosperous Middle East.

Pretending Really Hard

The world is real and so are its problems, too. Reality is the enemy of liberals, even though they are pretending, really hard, that it is not.

Trump 2.0’s Eurasian Balancing Act Has Failed

Trump's Eurasian balancing act has failed due to his arrogant and aggressive approach towards all three countries.

Should Palestinian clans rebelling against Hamas be given Gaza?

Hamas’s October 7 attack exposed its violent ideology, showing cruelty toward its enemies and also against the Palestinian people it claims to defend.

Trump, Patel Confirm FBI Special Agents Will Get Paid During Shutdown

FBI special agents will receive their paychecks despite the government shutdown, according to President Donald Trump and FBI Director Kash Patel.

Trump Admin Withholds $41 Million From California Over English-Language Trucking Rules

Trump admin withholds $40.6M in California transportation funds, citing failure to meet federal English proficiency rules for truck drivers.

An Inconvenient Study – Feature Film

Journalist Del Bigtree challenged a top infectious disease expert in 2016 to a vaxxed vs. unvaxxed study. The long-hidden results are finally revealed.

Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump Admin’s Shutdown-Related Layoffs

A federal judge on Oct. 15 temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s plan to lay off certain federal employees during the government shutdown. 

Trump Names Longtime Adviser Dan Scavino to Key Personnel Position

One of President Trump’s longtime advisers, Dan Scavino, is going to be in charge of selecting and appointing key positions within the executive branch.

First Lady’s Effort Helped Reunite 8 War-Displaced Children With Their Families

First lady Melania Trump said 8 children impacted by the fighting between Ukraine and Russia were reunited with their families on Oct. 9.

Trump to Impose New 100 Percent Tariff on China on Nov. 1

President Trump said that the US will impose an additional 100 percent tariffs on Chinese goods and export controls on critical software starting on Nov. 1.

Trump Admin Agrees to $20 Billion Rescue Plan for Argentina

The U.S. government has finalized a $20 billion economic rescue plan for Argentina, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on Oct. 9.
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

MAGA Business Central