VA Chaplain: Gov’t Made Me Hide Crosses and Pictures of Jesus, Banned Me From Reading Bible Aloud
Independent Journal Review ^ | June 2 2014 | Emily Hulsey
In the wake of the ever-growing VA scandal, actions at the Iron Mountain VA Hospital in Michigan may not have gotten quite as much press as many feel they should.
Patsy Norton, when walking into Iron Mountain’s VA chapel, was appalled to find every sign of Christianity hidden from sight. She detailed her shock in this letter, published by Joe For America:
May 30, 2014 The Daily News
EDITOR:
I went to the VA Hospital in Iron Mountain today on business. While there I stopped at the Chapel and found pinky-purple curtains with mesh at the top, covering the altar. (You know the type. They use them between sick patients in the hospital).
I stopped in my tracks, shocked at what I saw. I peeked behind the curtain, and found what used to be the welcoming part of the chapel, the Cross, a picture of Jesus, and other Christian icons familiar to the majority of Americans.
I found Chaplain Bob Mueller, to ask what the meaning was of this change. This is what he told me. “A couple of months ago, an order came down from Washington DC to cover all things associated with Christianity in the VA. Their solution is to cover everything in all the VA Chapels across the country.”
Norton also said that the chaplain was told to “stop talking about Jesus, and to stop reading Scripture out loud.”
The repression of Christianity isn’t limited to Iron Mountain, but has been reported in VA facilities all over the country:
Last Christmas a group of Georgia high school students were given a list of government-approved carols to sing at a VA hospital in Augusta and a VA hospital in Texas refused to accept holiday cards that included the phrase, “Merry Christmas.”
Not only are these actions a symbol of religious intolerance, but they are another nail in the coffin, so to speak, of the state of the Veterans Administration.
Taking care of our veterans is one of our government’s utmost responsibilities. Limiting their religious freedoms and blocking them from medical care should not be tolerated. |
