A Christian article that was written as a military personnel’s testimony of how his own faith helps him stay grounded was recently removed from the newsletter published by Ohio Air National Guard. The decision was taken after a fellow serviceman filed a complaint about the article’s “offending” content.
Colonel Florencio Marquinez, who serves as the commander of the Fighter Wing’s Medical Group, wrote his testimony in the September issue of The Stringer.
The article, titled Commander’s Comments: A Spiritual Journey as a Commander, reads, “There have been many challenges and adversities along the way that really impacted my life. … It is my strong spiritual foundation that has kept the light shining on my path. I would not be the man I am today if isn’t wasn’t for my mother leading our whole family to Jesus Christ. Her creed to us five children growing up is God first in your life, then comes family and third, work. My career both in the military and civilian world has brought many challenges and struggles, but one verse from the Bible that really helped me get through them is from Matthew 19:26, ‘With God, all things are possible.’ So no matter how stressful your life can be with juggling family issues, relationships, career advancement, work, school or any burden that life throws your way, cast it upon the Lord and He will sustain you.”
He added that the national motto, which reads, “In God We Trust” can be traced back to the Scriptures and that is why all men must have faith in God. Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a Christian legal group fighting on behalf of Marquinez, said an unidentified serviceman complained about Marquinez’ testimony, calling it “offending” and “odious.”
Reportedly, Commander Colonel Craig Baker received the complaint and immediately ordered the newsletter to be published all over again, this time without Marquinez’s article. ADF lawyer Joseph La Rue wrote a report on the matter that explains how Baker’s decision may have contradicted the Constitution’s provisions, as his action amounts to censorship.
“[T]he government doesn’t get to tell us what we are allowed to say. Nor does it get to tell us what we are not allowed to say,” he outlined. “The Supreme Court has explained that, when the government allows discussion by others of certain topics in its publications, it is not allowed to impose restrictions that discriminate among viewpoints on those subjects.
So, because the military allows discussions about ‘what has made your life better,’ ‘what helps you as you lead your troops,’ or secular psychological principles, it is not allowed to say that some answers are okay, while others aren’t.”
La Rue believes Marquinez was only sharing with his readers the story of his life and it was wrong of Baker to have the article forbidden just because the author happened to be Christian.
“Common sense tells us that it would be wrong, of course, for Col. Marquinez to order those under his command to attend church, or to follow Jesus. But that’s not what he did,” La Rue continued. “No: he merely said, Jesus has helped me, and if you have problems, you should consider letting Him help you, too. There’s nothing wrong or improper about that. Col. Baker trampled Col. Marquienez’s First Amendment rights. And in doing so, he tacitly sent a very dangerous message: if you’re a Christian, you can’t be a commander in the Ohio Air National Guard. Or, at the very least, you must keep your Christianity to yourself.”
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