by Jayla Ward • 1 minute
The President’s Religious Liberty Commission held its fourth hearing on Wednesday, focusing on the religious freedom challenges that our military men and women face. They heard from the perspectives of service members, chaplains and veterans.
First Liberty attorney and Director of External Affairs Mike Berry, our client Kenny Vaughan, and WallBuilders Founder David Barton were among the speakers.
“These men and women are risking their very lives for our freedoms. To stand for theirs is the very least we can do,” noted Kelly Shackelford, CEO and Chief Counsel at First Liberty and member of the President’s Religious Liberty Commission.
“The testimonies at today’s meeting highlight the importance of ensuring that the religious liberty of our service members, chaplains, and veterans are upheld both now and into the future,” he continued.
As the hearing started, David Barton recounted the military’s rich history of faith. He presented several artifacts that display the powerful tradition of prayer amidst crises. One of these artifacts included General Patton’s prayer card, which was printed in 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge.
First Liberty’s client, Kenny Vaughan, shared about the discrimination and challenges his company, Shields of Strength, faced in providing hope for our troops through scripture-inspired dog tags. He also shared about his recent victory after five years.
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In his testimony, Mike Berry shared from his experience as an officer in the Marines, stating, “Our leaders have always recognized that spiritual fitness strengthens our military.” He also described the hostility and harassment he faced when he requested a religious accommodation for the Covid-19 vaccine mandate.
“Religious liberty in the military is an issue of great personal importance, and I am honored to have been invited to testify at the Religious Liberty Commission hearing,” Mike said. “The testimonies offered today demonstrate that religious hostility remains a problem, even in our military. But thanks to important initiatives such as this Commission, we have the opportunity to course correct.”
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