Military Bars National Guard to Attend Vacation Bible School
By Joseph DeCaro, Worthy News Correspondent
CARTHAGE (Worthy News)– Citing federal regulations, the Missouri National Guard recently refused to participate in a meet-and-greet with Vacation Bible students at Bible Baptist Church in Carthage, according to the Daily Caller.
This year's Bible school theme — "God's Rescue Squad" — had featured visits from paramedics, firefighters and law enforcement. But when members of the state Guard were scheduled to pay their respects they didn't come because it could appear as an endorsement of a religious organization.
"Army participation must not selectively benefit or appear to benefit any person, group, or corporation (whether profit or nonprofit), religion, sect, religious or sectarian group, or quasi-religious or ideological movement."
"We were told it was against military policy for National Guard troops to participate in Vacation Bible School," Pastor Kent Hogan told Fox News. "They said if the National Guard had assets on church property it would look like the National Guard is sponsoring the Baptist religion."
"They said they didn't want to offend anybody," Hogan told Fox. "Well, it's offended our whole church."
But the U.S. Department of Defense decided not to offend GLBTs, permitting a military color guard to march in the annual gay pride parade in Washington, D.C., last month. And in 2012, the DoD disobeyed its own directives by allowing uniformed service members to march in another gay pride parade, this time in San Diego.