Houston Funeral Home BANS "God" From Military Funerals. Time To Rise Up

[twyacht]

After regular conversations with m25, a TX resident, he has told me that Houston has been ALL "F"ed up for some time.....

Seems he's tragically correct. Oh, the NRA Convention is slated for Houston in 2013,....someone needs a change of venue, and let Chris Cox, and Wayne LaPierre know....

Contact info at bottom of page,...let em' know.....

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2011/06/houston_cemetery_bans_the_word_god_from_military_funerals_1.html

June 29, 2011
Houston Cemetery Bans the Word 'God' from Military Funerals
Christine Biediger

This morning, just five days before the celebration of our nation's independence, I was shocked into wakefulness by a news item on Fox and Friends.  It seems that the Houston National Cemetery has now begun banning "God" from military funerals.

The director of the Houston VA National Cemetery, Arleen Ocasio, has ordered the burial teams to instruct that religious references, as well as prayer, are no longer to be included as part of the burial services.  Requests for messages or prayers can be formally submitted for her approval, but the mention of "God" is not allowed.

Ocasio has also ordered the closing of the cemetery chapel, which used to be available for grieving family and friends to gather and pray.  The space is now used to conduct personnel meetings, and for storage.

Perhaps Ocasio is not aware that this country was founded by people who willingly uprooted their families and risked their lives crossing a violent and deadly sea to reach these free shores.  These God-fearing people carved a righteous civilization out of a wilderness and raised their children with the moral principles handed down from God.  Great consideration was taken by our founders, when creating a constitution that would protect the individual liberties of all. They defined citizen rights in a divinely inspired and distinctly indestructible manner, because our rights come to us from God -- not from man.  Countless heroes have died defending the freedoms -- religious and other -- that were established as the foundation of the American way of life.  How sacred is our religious freedom.  How sacred is freedom, period.

As a resident of Houston, I am profoundly ashamed that my wonderful city has become the epicenter of an issue so vile, so evil.  It is one thing for a Christian valedictorian to have to fight for the right to mention God, or to pray, as part of her valedictory address -- a right protected by the 1st Amendment, I might add.  But this takes the fight to a whole new level.

It is beyond my ability to comprehend what a family must feel when they bury a loved one who served voluntarily, honorably, and with great sacrifice, for the freedoms we take for granted every day of our lives.  These people are keenly aware of the America-haters who live among us, who rely upon the very freedoms, earned with military bloodshed, to rain their hatred down upon our heads.  Yet these military families stoically bear in their hearts the understanding that their loved ones' sacrifice was for the rights and freedoms of all Americans, even those who don't deserve them.

If anyone in this country deserves the right to have prayers and religious speech, take place over their graves, it is those who have sacrificed the most.  The ban on "God" at these funerals is an insult -- not only to Christians, but, more importantly, to our military Christians.  How very shameful it is that this attack comes from within the Veterans Administration itself.

The words spoken at a funeral service are intended to bring comfort to those left behind.  For a Christian, the most soothing and reassuring words come from our Creator.  The prayers offer a salve on the open wounds of our souls.  Our military families deserve this type of a farewell, if that is what they choose.

This is a lesson to us, as we sit in the comfort of our freedoms.  The left-wing war against the liberties that our military heroes have fought for is being waged here, at home.  We must take up the fight to preserve what has been won for us, with a rain of e-mails, phone calls, complaints, and political action to root out those in our administration who would treat our warriors in such a vile way.  Whether you believe in God or not, please do what you can to safeguard religious rights -- you never know when a freedom you hold dear will be in jeopardy.

Here is the contact information for the cemetery:

Houston National Cemetery

10410 Veterans Memorial Drive

Houston, TX 77038

Phone: (281) 447-8686

FAX: (281) 447-0580

I read this article twice,....and am sad lynching is a crime...In this case,.....

[bjtraz]

As an American, who doesn't believe in God by the way, and as a veteran, I am APPALLED, beyond belief. While I have my beliefs, I acknowledge the fact that many people need the concept of God for guidance and contentment. Since when did the minority, direct the actions of the majority?

Brian

[Pecos Bill]

As an American, who doesn't believe in God by the way, and as a veteran, I am APPALLED, beyond belief. While I have my beliefs, I acknowledge the fact that many people need the concept of God for guidance and contentment. Since when did the minority, direct the actions of the majority?

Brian

You never heard of Madeline Murray O'Hare (sp)? If memory serves she's the atheist who got prayer removed from all public schools. ( And a Texan to boot? ) We've been ruled by the vocal minority for more years than I care to remember. Think about some of the dumb labels that are on most of our products these days because a vocal few are too stupid the read directions or use a modicum common sense.

Pecos

[kmitch200]

Requests for messages or prayers can be formally submitted for her approval, but the mention of "God" is not allowed.

Who does this bitch think she is?
If you don't want a religious funeral, fine. If you do want one, that's fine too.
What gives Arleen The Ahole the right to dictate anything to anyone? Is she a closet Westboro??

[TAB]

its a biz, 100% her choice.

[Sponsor]

[Timothy]

its a biz, 100% her choice.

If it's a VA cemetery operated by the government she probably doesn't have a choice and is in violation of the 1st Amendment.  

If it IS, in fact a privately owned and operated cemetery then, while I don't like it, I would have to agree!  The government has no business in how private business operates.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

By banning God from her PRIVATE cemetery, she is exercising HER right to free speech...people can then choose to use her facility or not, that's their choice...IMO.

[crusader rabbit]

Our Constitution guarantees us froodom of religion; not freedom from religion.  This a$$hat is apparently too stupid to understand that concept.  As was mentioned earlier in this thread, lynching just may be an appropriate option.

Didn't we already read about the results of this sort of idiocy in the tale of Sodom and Gamorrah?

I weep for my country.

Crusader

[Solus]

All the separation of church and state apply to the government and government run/sponsored establishments.

I am a strong advocate of the this, as I have posted before, but there is no government agency involved here.

And even in some government controlled locations, it should not apply, in particular government run cemeteries like Arlington.  The funerals/memorials/monuments/markers of Veterans should be in keeping with the believes of the Veteran.  The chaplain service can be flexible enough to to provide the proper service supporting the religious belief or non-belief of all Veterans.

The government SHOULD NOT enforce any of those to conform to one particular religion, i.e. a cross as the marker for every grave.  Jewish Veterans should be given a Star of David marker, if that is what is traditional (I don't know what is), and non-believers given what ever default marker is traditional.

Separation of Church and State requires that the State favor no religion in any way, treating each religious belief and non-believers equally, it does not require the elimination of religion in any way.

And the premiss of a Republic is that the majority, no mater how large, cannot take away the rights of a minority, no matter how small.

So, if a minority, even of one person, is having their rights violated, they CAN and SHOULD so what is necessary to stop that violation. 

That is the vision of the Founding Fathers, regardless of their personal religious beliefs, and is what makes this country unique.

 

[Hazcat]

All the separation of church and state apply to the government and government run/sponsored establishments.

I am a strong advocate of the this, as I have posted before, but there is no government agency involved here.

And even in some government controlled locations, it should not apply, in particular government run cemeteries like Arlington.  The funerals/memorials/monuments/markers of Veterans should be in keeping with the believes of the Veteran.  The chaplain service can be flexible enough to to provide the proper service supporting the religious belief or non-belief of all Veterans.

The government SHOULD NOT enforce any of those to conform to one particular religion, i.e. a cross as the marker for every grave.  Jewish Veterans should be given a Star of David marker, if that is what is traditional (I don't know what is), and non-believers given what ever default marker is traditional.

Separation of Church and State requires that the State favor no religion in any way, treating each religious belief and non-believers equally, it does not require the elimination of religion in any way.

And the premiss of a Republic is that the majority, no mater how large, cannot take away the rights of a minority, no matter how small.

So, if a minority, even of one person, is having their rights violated, they CAN and SHOULD so what is necessary to stop that violation. 

That is the vision of the Founding Fathers, regardless of their personal religious beliefs, and is what makes this country unique.

 

Gotta disagree with this statement, Solus.

This is a bout the burial teams NOT just a general service held at the cemetery.  It should be up to the family.

[Solus]

Gotta disagree with this statement, Solus.

This is a bout the burial teams NOT just a general service held at the cemetery.  It should be up to the family.

Oh...I agree, Haz.

That statement about the minority rights was not intended to be on topic, but of rights in general.

No one's rights will be violated by what we consider a standard burial, even up to a "minority slur" as an epitaph on a tombstone.
It might be in very bad taste but it is the last time the deceased will be exercising their 1st Amendment right.