Mark 13:13 “You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.”
A U.S. Marine has been found guilty of disobeying a “lawful order” of a superior officer because she would not remove a Bible verse that she had taped onto her computer and desk.
Former Marine Lance Corporal Monifa Sterling has posted Isaiah 54:17, “no weapon formed against me shall prosper,” on her computer along with other Bible verses that she used for inspiration.
Her staff sergeant ordered her to remove the verses but Sterling refused, saying she had the First Amendment right to have those verses at her workstation. The next day, they had been removed by someone else.
She defended herself at trial and was found guilty of showing disrespect toward a superior commissioned officer, four instances of disobeying a lawful order of a noncommissioned officer, and failing to go to her appointed place of duty.
An appellate court said because she shared the desk with another Marine, she cannot claim the order violated her religious freedom.
“The military judge found that the signs verbiage was biblical in nature, that the desk was shared with another Marine, and the signs were visible to other Marines who came to the appellant’s desk for assistance,” the court ruling states. “The implication is clear — the junior Marine sharing the desk and the other Marines coming to the desk for assistance would be exposed to biblical quotations in the military workplace.”
“It is not hard to imagine the divisive impact to good order and discipline that may result when a service member is compelled to work at a government desk festooned with religious quotations, especially if that service member does not share that religion,” the court ruling continued.
The Liberty Institute has now stepped in and is defending the rights of Sterling.
“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,” Mike Berry of the Liberty Institute said to the Christian Post. “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.”
“Restricting a Marine’s free exercise of religion is blatantly unconstitutional.”
The Liberty Institute noted that no one else was using Sterling’s desk when the incident took place, meaning the appellate court ruled with a false basis. They also say that Sterling’s rights under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
WHY DO THEY CALL IT A MARRIAGE WHEN ALL IT IS <IS SAME SEX SIN !!!!! LETS CALL IT BY ITS REAL NAME OK?
LEAVE A BIBLE ANYWHERE TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST AMEN.LEAVE A NOTE. (JESUS LOVES YOU) COME TO HIM. HE WILL NEVER FORSAKE US.
GOD IS EVERYTHING TO ME HE KNITTED ME IN MY MOTHERS WOMB. HALLELUJAH! SHOUT IT OUT. JESUS, COME TO GOD IN JESUS NAME. IT’S NEVER TOO LATE. HE LOVES US. I CHALLENGE EVERY ONE TO GO SHARE THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST.IN THE GAS STATION, STORE,SCHOOLS, WITH NEIGHBORS.THE HOMELESS. EVERY ONE THAT CAN LISTEN TO YOU. SHOUT IT OUT JESUS. SAVES LIVES
This is One Nation Under God, In God we trust. Amen She needs an apology and her reward on Standing Firm of the Gospel of Jesus Christ . AMEN!
We completely agree with you Ralph. No matter where we go we have a voice the God gave us. Time for everyone especially us believers to voice the word of God. We have that right to practice our faith no matter where we are. Every outing is an opportunity to share Jesus with someone. You never know what people are going through and need to hear how much Jesus loves them. We witness to so many people in the grocery store and the mall. And have made some lasting friendships. We met a very nice Pastor one afternoon in the mall. We saw him reading his Bible and walked over to him and started talking. We must be bold in our Christian faith, if we don’t do it then who will?
Amen! Time to get out SHOUT ON!
Isn’t it wonderful that there is no dross in that “Sterling”?
Lord help us all to stand….
This is a great website for we can voice our opinions and not be judged. “If God is for us who can be against us.” We will continue to worship the Lord Yeshua Ha Mashiach whether or not people like us. Remember, God is good all the time, and all the time God is good”….hallulajah and amen!!!
I believe that the constitution still stands that we have the right to our beliefs. For those of you who think that you can wipe out the gospel by removing it from a persons desk or from view on anything, think again. As far as I can see bullying is still against the law. And believe me, when Christ returns, those of you who think you can remove Christ from our lives, will indeed find out who is in charge. May God draw you to Him before it is too late.
We are in agreement, we must all stand up for our Christian rights as well as being an American citizen. No one will nullify me and tell us we cannot use Bible scriptures in our email accounts. We cannot forget how our country 1st started. We are a Christian nation, although many are walking away from the faith, we are not. We don’t do what everyone else does, so if we are persecuted then so be it. We will lift up our voices and talk openly about our YESHUA/JESUS. For He is the one who saved us all who believe in Him. We are the church of Jesus Christ and our voices must be heard no matter where we are. We tell everyone everywhere how much Jesus loves them. No one ever has mocked us. Some walk away, and that is okay for we see that we have planted seeds in their heart. And who knows how many more times that one person will hear someone else tell them that they are loved by God. No matter where we are, the military, work place, out socially we must lift up the name of Yeshua/Jesus. If we are put down, well wasn’t the Lord Jesus also put down? Yes, He was….we are those voices crying out in the wilderness, Prepare the way for the Lord…no matter where we are we tell everyone about Jesus. We are Messianic believers in Yeshua for a long time. “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you O lord…amen
It’s time Christians stand up for the right to practice our faith no matter where we are!
When China starts lobbing bombs at us maybe the judge will rethink his ridiculous decision.
I realize that in Obama’s military Evangelicals are considered extremists and that in his hypocrisy he persecutes those who love the Lord but in Constitution government CAN NOT limit the free exercise of religion and I hope it’s not too late for Christians to take a stand against anti-Christian bigotry. We lost
In the homosexual -gay marriage front. What else are wegoing to loseon?
So if we are not allowed to openly practice religious behaviors in the military why the hell do we have chaplains?!!
We are Praying for you Monifa Sterling ,i pray that whatever you go through you will Tust in GOD all the way,Gods Word says find it pure joy my brothers and sisters,when you face trials of many kinds.(James 1:2) and Matthew 5:12) Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before yoou. God Bless you.
You go, Girl!