Group Threatens to Strip Prayer from Marine Corps University

Military Religious Freedom Foundation is demanding the military cancel National Day of Prayer events at Marine Corps University, according to the American Center for Law and Justice.

"This absurdly named organization has nothing to do with religious freedom in the military and is actually on a campaign to remove religious freedom from the military," Matthew Clark with the ACLJ, told CBN News.

"We've just sent off a letter to the general explaining exactly what this organization is attempting to do, how it fails time and time again in the federal court, and uses bullying tactics to try to silence religious liberty in the military and explained in detail legally why this prayer service is not a violation," he said.

MRFF is threatening Brig. Gen. Helen G. Pratt, president of Marine Corps University in Quantico, Virginia, with federal lawsuits for permitting a military chaplain to invite soldiers in training to a prayer service that is optional.

The ACLJ said the move is "dishonoring and legally wrong."

"We're fighting back," ACLJ Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow said in an email. "When MRFF tried to have another general court martialed for participating in last year's National Day of Prayer, we fought back and we won."

MRFF has also forced three Veterans Affairs hospitals and a military base to remove the Bible from "Missing Man" displays. "Missing Man" displays recognize MIA and POW soldiers with a special table on which symbolic items are placed, including a Bible.

"That is something that the Military Religious Freedom Foundation cannot stand," Clark said. "They want every semblance of religion in the military removed. That cannot happen, and we have sent off letters to the VA and to several of these military installations that have caved to the anti-Christian attacks."

"We hope that we can get some of those decisions reversed. This is something that is ongoing, and we're continuing to send out letters by the day to the highest echelons of the military as well as these individual installations," Clark continued.

"We're there to send them a letter to explain what really is at stake and that there's no constitutional violation when honoring the faith of our men and women who are dedicated to defending our own religious freedom here in America," he said.

As the ACLJ fights to defend religious freedom, Clark told CBN News Christians and people of faith need to pray.  
    
"As (Thursday) is the National Day of Prayer, praying for our military is first and foremost, but also taking action," he said. "You can join onto our letters at the ACLJ at ACLJ.org, signing our petitions and speaking out."

"This is really a public effort because when it exposes what is happening, what this organization is doing, trying to defeat religious liberty in the military, it really does make a difference," he continued. "And we've seen tremendous victories when people just are willing to stand up and have their voice counted."