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US Soldiers Pressured To Attend Commanding General's Religious Concerts

By Howard M. Friedman

Talk To Action reported Thursday on a series of Commanding General's Spiritual Fitness Concerts at Fort Eustice and Fort Lee, both Army bases in Virginia. Supposedly attendance is voluntary, but soldiers feel pressured to attend. It is reported that in May an NCO put group of soliders at Ft. Eustice on lockdown and required them to do maintenance work for opting out of attendance. Maj. Gen. James E. Chambers began the concert series which was supposed to have performers from different religious traditions. However all the concerts have featured evangelical Christina performers, who also read from the Bible and gave Christian testimony between songs. The Military Religious Freedom Foundation is looking into the cost of the concerts that featured nationally known Christian artists. [Thanks to Dispatches from the Culture Wars for the lead via Scott Mange.]

Full post as published by Religion Clause on August 21, 2010 (boomark / email).