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US Marine Court-martialed For Refusing To Remove Bible Verse From Her Computer - Religion - Nairaland

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US Marine Court-martialed For Refusing To Remove Bible Verse From Her Computer by farem: 10:42pm On May 27, 2015
US Marine court-martialed for refusing to remove Bible verse from her computer

lucinda-borkett-jones Lucinda Borkett-Jones CHRISTIAN TODAY FEATURES EDITOR 27 May 2015

Monifa Sterling was court-martialed for refusing to remove the verse "No weapons formed against me shall prosper" from her desk.
A US Marine was convicted at a court-martial last year after she refused to remove a Bible verse from her computer work station, but now Liberty Institute, a religious liberty law firm, is appealing the decision.

Lance Corporal Monifa Sterling was prosecuted for displaying a slightly paraphrased version of Isaiah 54:17: "No weapons formed against me shall prosper" around her computer while she was stationed at Camp Lejune in North Carolina.

She represented herself at her trial in February last year, citing her right to religious expression under the First Amendment and her protection under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

She lost the case and appealed to the Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals, but was told by both courts that displaying a Bible verse did not constitute religious exercise.

According to Fox News she was found guilty of disrespect towards a commissioned officer and failing to go to her appointed place of duty, among other charges.

Sterling's rank was demoted to private and she was discharged with bad conduct. She is currently looking for another job.

Her case has now been taken up by the Liberty Institute and former US solicitor general Paul Clement, whose recent court victories include the high profile Hobby Lobby case against the Affordable Care Act. The appeal has been lodged with the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, the highest miltary court in the US.

Sterling decided to display the scripture verse after she saw others had put personal items around their work space at the base, according to Liberty Institute. She chose the verse as it was a personal favourite.

Her supervisor told her to remove it, and when she asked why, the supervisor said "I don't like the tone." Although she refused, the supervisor later took it down and threw it in the bin.

"If the government can order a Marine not to display a Bible verse, they could try and order her not to get a religious tattoo, or go to church on Sunday," said Mike Berry, Liberty Institute Director of Military Affairs and Senior Counsel. "Restricting a Marine's free exercise of religion is blatantly unconstitutional."

Berry added: "If a service member has a right to display a secular poster, put an atheist bumper sticker on their car, or get a Star of David tattoo, then Lance Corporal Sterling has the right to display a small Bible verse on her computer monitor."
Re: US Marine Court-martialed For Refusing To Remove Bible Verse From Her Computer by kodded(m): 10:51pm On May 27, 2015
End Time Things angry

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Re: US Marine Court-martialed For Refusing To Remove Bible Verse From Her Computer by Anas09: 12:49pm On May 28, 2015
Don't they have muslims in the marine? Do they stop them from praying 5times a day?
The spirit of the age is the spirit of anti-christ. Lovers of themselves and haters of God.

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Re: US Marine Court-martialed For Refusing To Remove Bible Verse From Her Computer by Nobody: 3:25pm On May 28, 2015
Peace

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Judgement!!! / Open Heavens Daily Devotional 10/06/15 / Please Someone Should Give Me Biblical Texts Why It Is Bad To Marry Your Sister.

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