Writing at the On Faith site of the Washington Post, Baptist Joint Committee Director Brent Walker issues a strong response to the misguided call for Muslims to be banned from the US military following the shootings at Ft. Hood.
Religion should only disqualify someone from active military service if the religious beliefs and practices would substantially impair the performance of one's duties in the military.
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Recent events at Ft. Hood should not cause us to look askance at the accommodation of religion in the military or to condemn Islam in particular. One deranged soldier should not overshadow the thousands of faithful Muslims admirably serving in the U.S. military.
Likewise, ABP reports other prominent Baptist leaders are speaking out against the call for military personnel to pass a religious test.
"Using this incident to instill a hatred and mistrust of Muslims proudly serving in our military damages its integrity and ignores the religious freedom assured in the Constitution that the men and women serving in our armed forces are sworn to defend," wrote [Interterfaith Alliance President Welton] Gaddy, a former president of the Alliance of Baptists also active in early leadership of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
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"About the only viable counterforce is for the majority of Christian ministers to stand up for goodwill American Muslims and to speak continuously for the separation of church and state," [Baptist Center for Ethics Director Robert] Parham wrote.
