VOA常速英语2007年-Watchdog Group Challenges US Military Over Reli

By Mike O'Sullivan
Los Angeles
10 December 2007

The U.S. Constitution guarantees religious freedom and prevents government support of religion. The provisions apply to those in the military, as well as civilians¹. Mike O'Sullivan reports, an organization led by a former military lawyer has challenged the Pentagon over religious issues.

Mikey Weinstein, a former Air Force Judge Advocate, or legal officer, and one -time lawyer in the Reagan White House, heads a watchdog group called the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. He helped file a lawsuit² in September alleging³ that a soldier stationed in Iraq was prevented from holding a meeting for atheists and other non-Christians⁵.

Weinstein says in this and other cases, over-zealous Christians have bullied⁷ subordinates.

"We're not trying to banish⁸ anybody's religion," said Mikey Weinstein. "We're just saying you can't use the draconian⁹ specter of U.S. military command influence to force a helpless subordinate to accept one particular biblical world view."

Weinstein filed an earlier lawsuit in 2005 arguing that the Air Force Academy, where his son was a cadet, pressured non-Christian⁶ students to attend Christian meetings, and practiced other forms of religious discrimination. The suit was dismissed and a Pentagon investigation¹⁰ found no overt¹¹ discrimination at the academy. Bill Carr, who oversees¹² military personnel policy at the Defense¹³ Department, says there were problems, however.

"The perception among cadets was that Christianity was openly practiced in an interfaith setting," said Carr. "The central theme was the assertion that in what should have been, or what was, an interfaith setting, one faith group was afforded prominence¹⁴ by leaders."

In response to the issue, the Pentagon instituted new guidelines and imposed training for religious tolerance¹⁵.

Carr says the military has always tried to meet the spiritual needs its members, for example, by providing chaplains. They are drawn¹⁶ from various faiths and offer a sympathetic ear in times of trouble. They also lead voluntary worship services for members of their own faith. Carr says chaplains are instructed in their training not to seek converts from other religions.

"When a chaplain comes in, their faith group understands that there will be a requirement for pluralism," he said. "During their initial training, that is reinforced over and over, and the message is wonderfully received buy a huge majority of chaplains."

He says Christian chaplains, for example, who are in the majority, must use inclusive language in mixed settings where attendance is mandatory¹⁷.

"If they are in an inter-faith setting, then they would behave in an inclusive way, for example, not praying in the name of Jesus Christ, since that singles out Christians, and instead praying, for example, to heavenly father," said Carr.

Critics object even to inclusive prayers, which they say are still religious and may offend some people. Weinstein says written guidelines are unclear and leave the door open to abuses.

The Pentagon policy has also upset some Evangelical Christians, including some members of Congress, who say the rights of Christian chaplains are being restricted if they are prevented from praying in the name of Jesus, even in mixed settings. A Navy chaplain was court-martialed last year for protesting the Pentagon policy while he was wearing his uniform.

Weinstein says he has received thousands of complaints from service members who allege¹⁸ religious coercion¹⁹ by fundamentalist Christians. He says most who complain are Christian themselves, and he adds that his organization is not attacking any faith, but respects the country's religions.

"Are we a Christian nation? We are.," said Weinstein. "Are we a Jewish nation? Yes. Are we a Hindu and Buddhist²⁰ and Wiccan nation? Are we an atheist⁴ and agnostic nation? Yes, yes. We are everything. But you do not have the right to use your position of employment superiority in a civil context or military command authority to force your biblical world view."

A survey last year by the Military Times newspaper showed that 80 percent of respondents felt free to practice and express their religion in the military. Twelve percent, however, said they did not feel free to do that.

In August, the Defense Department's inspector²¹ general found that seven officers, including four generals, acted improperly²² when they appeared in uniform in a promotional video for an Evangelical Christian organization.

Bill Carr says military leaders are responsible for ensuring that members of the armed forces can practice their religion, or practice no religion, as they choose, consistent with good military order.

Mikey Weinstein says he will continue using the courts to try to end what he calls pervasive²³ religious discrimination in the military.

1 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

2 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

3 alleging   

断言，宣称，辩解( allege的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• His reputation was blemished by a newspaper article alleging he'd evaded his taxes. 由于报上一篇文章声称他曾逃税，他的名誉受到损害。
• This our Peeress declined as unnecessary, alleging that her cousin Thornhill's recommendation would be sufficient. 那位贵人不肯，还说不必，只要有她老表唐希尔保荐就够了。

4 atheist   

n.无神论者

参考例句：

• She was an atheist but now she says she's seen the light.她本来是个无神论者，可是现在她说自己的信仰改变了。
• He is admittedly an atheist.他被公认是位无神论者。

5 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

6 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

7 bullied   

adj.被欺负了v.恐吓，威逼( bully的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• My son is being bullied at school. 我儿子在学校里受欺负。
• The boy bullied the small girl into giving him all her money. 那男孩威逼那个小女孩把所有的钱都给他。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 banish   

vt.放逐，驱逐；消除，排除

参考例句：

• The doctor advised her to banish fear and anxiety.医生劝她消除恐惧和忧虑。
• He tried to banish gloom from his thought.他试图驱除心中的忧愁。

9 draconian   

adj.严苛的；苛刻的；严酷的；龙一样的

参考例句：

• You can't expect the people to obey such draconian regulations.你不能指望人民服从如此严苛的规定。
• The city needs a draconian way of dealing with robbers.这个城市需要一个严苛的办法来对付强盗。

10 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

11 overt   

adj.公开的，明显的，公然的

参考例句：

• His opponent's intention is quite overt.他的对手的意图很明显。
• We should learn to fight with enemy in an overt and covert way.我们应学会同敌人做公开和隐蔽的斗争。

12 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

13 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

14 prominence   

n.突出；显著；杰出；重要

参考例句：

• He came to prominence during the World Cup in Italy.他在意大利的世界杯赛中声名鹊起。
• This young fashion designer is rising to prominence.这位年轻的时装设计师的声望越来越高。

15 tolerance   

n.宽容；容忍，忍受；耐药力；公差

参考例句：

• Tolerance is one of his strengths.宽容是他的一个优点。
• Human beings have limited tolerance of noise.人类对噪音的忍耐力有限。

16 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

17 mandatory   

adj.命令的；强制的；义务的；n.受托者

参考例句：

• It's mandatory to pay taxes.缴税是义务性的。
• There is no mandatory paid annual leave in the U.S.美国没有强制带薪年假。

18 allege   

vt.宣称，申述，主张，断言

参考例句：

• The newspaper reporters allege that the man was murdered but they have given no proof.新闻记者们宣称这个男人是被谋杀的，但他们没提出证据。
• Students occasionally allege illness as the reason for absence.学生时不时会称病缺课。

19 coercion   

n.强制，高压统治

参考例句：

• Neither trickery nor coercion is used to secure confessions.既不诱供也不逼供。
• He paid the money under coercion.他被迫付钱。

20 Buddhist   

adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒

参考例句：

• The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。
• In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里，人世上一切事情都是空的。

21 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

22 improperly   

不正确地，不适当地

参考例句：

• Of course it was acting improperly. 这样做就是不对嘛！
• He is trying to improperly influence a witness. 他在试图误导证人。

23 pervasive   

adj.普遍的；遍布的，(到处)弥漫的；渗透性的

参考例句：

• It is the most pervasive compound on earth.它是地球上最普遍的化合物。
• The adverse health effects of car exhaust are pervasive and difficult to measure.汽车尾气对人类健康所构成的有害影响是普遍的，并且难以估算。