Why Is the U.S. Navy is attacking a navy chaplain?

Chaplain Wes Modder, USN

Chaplain Wes Modder is a decorated Navy chaplain who has been entrusted with the spiritual well-being of the Navy’s most elite forces. His commanding officers praised him as a “national asset” with “charismatic leadership and sound judgment.”  One called him “the best of the best.” He is a respected and decorated chaplain with a doctorate in military ministry; Chaplain Modder had a spotless, even exceptional, 15-year record.

However, a  very small number of sailors requested private, pastoral care and counseling sessions during which they asked him about certain matters of personal conduct and belief.  Chaplain Modder’s answers, as always, were in line with the teachings of his endorsing denomination, as required by his denomination and protected by federal law. Then, a handful of sailors complained, because they disagreed with the biblical views Chaplain Modder expressed in response to their questions.

In reaction, the Navy removed Chaplain Modder from his unit and isolated him at the base chapel, cutting him off from his sailors and forbidding him from ministering to their spiritual needs. Chaplain Modder’s commander launched a three-pronged attack against him, requesting that Chaplain Modder be:  

1)    Removed from the promotion list.

2)    “Detached for cause,” the military equivalent of being fired. 

3)    Brought before an official Board of Inquiry, where he could be involuntarily forced out of the Navy.

Chaplain Modder’s attorney, Liberty Institute Senior Counsel Mike Berry—Director of Military Affairs for Liberty Institute, a former U.S. Marine JAG Officer, and adjunct law

Mike Berry

professor at the U.S. Naval Academy, will be our guest Tuesday on Faith On Trial. 

Liberty Institute has requested that the Navy rescind all three threats against him, and return him to duty and good standing so he can continue his “best of the best” service to sailors and Marines who need him. 

Let Deacon/Attorney Mike Manno, and his co-host Gina Noll keep you up to date with the latest religious liberty news every Tuesday at 9 a.m. (central) and re-broadcast at 9 p.m. on Iowa Catholic Radio, 1150 AM; 88.5 & 94.5 FM and streaming on IowaCatholicRadio.com.

Faith On Trial is underwritten by Attorney Rick McConville of Coppola, McConville, Coppola, Carroll, Hockenberg & Scalise PC 2100 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines, 515-453-1055 and Confluence Brewing Company, off the Bike Trail just south of Grey’s Lake, 1235 Thomas Beck Road, Des Moines, where there is live entertainment in the tap room every Thursday night.

Should a printer be forced to print messages he has a moral objections to? Next on FOT Kentucky t-shirt printer’s attorney

When a print shop in Lexington, Kentucky, Hands on Originals, was asked to print t-shirts promoting a local gay and lesbian organization, the owner, a Christian who believes that sexual relationships and sexual activity is reserved for marriage between a man and a woman, declined. Instead, he offered to refer the group to another printer who would match his price. Despite getting their t-shirts printed for free at the other shop, the gay group pursued a complaint with the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Human Rights Commission accusing the printer of discrimination. 



Jim Campbell

If this story sounds familiar, it’s probably because stories like this are becoming more and more common. 

 

In a troubling ruling, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Human Rights Commission found that the owner of the shop, Blaine Adamson, had discriminated against the organization and ordered that he not only print promotional materials that express messages he does not want to promote, but that he attend a government-run reeducation program.

 

Tuesday, Deacon Mike and Gina Noll will host Blaine Adamson’s attorney, Jim Campbell, senior legal counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).  Since joining ADF in 2007, Campbell has been involved in defending marriage, religious liberty, and freedom of conscience against legal attacks.  He earned his J.D. from the University of Akron School of Law where he graduated summa cum laude in 2006.  

Join Deacon Mike and Gina for a lively discussion at 9 a.m. on Iowa Catholic Radio, 1150 AM; 88.5 & 94.5 FM and streaming on IowaCatholicRadio.com.  Faith On Trial is sponsored by Attorney Rick McConville of Coppola, McConville, Coppola, Carroll, Hockenberg & Scalise PC, 2100 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines, 453-1055 and Confluence Brewing Company, off the Bike Trail just south of Grey’s lake, 1235 Thomas Beck Road, Des Moines, where there is entertainment in the tap room every Thursday.

 

City spies a church and demands it obtain a business license; Church’s attorney will be on FOT this Tuesday

Compiled from OneNewsNow.com:

After sending a city spy to report on church activities in order to collect incriminating “evidence,” the City of Lake Worth in Florida is now demanding that church property owners obtain “business licenses” to avoid foreclosures, hundreds of dollars in daily fines and ultimately shutting services down.

Worshipers at Common Ground Church in Lake Worth, Fla

After being informed about the local government’s “KGB-type harassment,” Liberty Counsel issued a letter to the City of Lake Worth. Attorneys with the Christian nonprofit legal organization are demanding that it retract what they are calling a baseless order requiring all churches in the area — some of which have been pillars of light in their communities for nearly a century — to close their doors.

In addition to the threatened fines and licensing demands, the City has allegedly been taking park in a “KGB-type” investigation of Common Ground Church, sending one of its employees to spy on the church and meticulously record its worship services in hopes or documenting and video recording violations.

Tuesday on Faith On Trial, one of the Liberty Counsel attorneys representing the churches, Richard Mast, will join Deacon Mike Manno and Gina Noll to discuss this case.

Liberty Counsel obtained a statement recorded and prepared by the city “spy,” which attorneys say “reads like a report from behind the Iron Curtain describing illicit activity.” Here is how it reads:

“I walked back to the Coffee Bar and was able to visualize … what appeared to be a ministry in progress,” the City spy wrote in the report, which then listed off various observations. “[This included:] Someone speaking from a podium … A (sic) overhead TV or projection with [S]cripture verse on it … Rows of people sitting in chairs on both sides like a gathering setting … People holding what appeared to be [B]ibles or religious books, as one had a cross on it." 

In the report, it is noted that the church activities were captured on video on the “city phone” and that the recordings would later be used “for future court presentation.”

Join Deacon Mike and Gina Noll for a lively discussion of this issue Tuesday at 9 a.m. (CDT) and re-broadcast at 9 p.m. on Iowa Catholic Radio, 1150 AM; 88.5 & 94.5 FM and streaming on IowaCatholicRadio.com

Guess what the IRS wants to know during a ‘random’ audit of a faith-based non-profit law firm? Next on FOT

Robert Tyler

Advocates for Faith & Freedom is a non-profit law firm dedicated to protecting religious liberty in the courts. Its mission is to engage in cases that will uphold our religious liberty and America’s heritage and to educate Americans about our fundamental constitutional rights.  Attorneys with Advocates have often appeared as guests on FOT.

Recently, Advocates were informed by the IRS that it was performing a “random” audit of the firm for 2012. In wake of the recent abuses of the IRS targeting many conservative groups around the country, and being well aware of the overreaching attempts made by the government to intimidate and stop conservative groups in the past, Advocates refused to let anything stand in the way of fighting for your right to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Yet the IRS requested lists of their 2012 donors, volunteers, newsletters, and financial records. 2012 just so happened to be the year Advocates argued in the Ninth Circuit in defense of Proposition 8, California’s marriage initiative, as well as the year we hosted a controversial figure, Dinesh DiSouza, to speak at the group’s Justice Gala.

The IRS also asked that the board of directors to adopt a new policy by which it would discontinue sending our supporters links to places they can find Christian-based voter guides that explain where candidates stand on various issues.

Todd Erzen

Tuesday Advocates president and general counsel Robert H. Tyler will be our guest on FOT to discuss this issue with Deacon Mike Manno and co-host Gina Noll and he will tell our listeners what answer he gave to the IRS.

Robert has been featured in American Lawyer and has been published in The Daily Journal, as well as a number of other national media. On numerous occasions, Robert has been called on to comment and be interviewed by local, national, and international media outlets. He has been a featured guest on Fox News, MSNBC, TBN, PBS, as well as Faith On Trial.

Also joining us Tuesday will be our monthly visit with our media analyst Todd Erzen, formerly with the Des Moines Register.

Join Deacon Mike and Gina for a lively discussion at 9 a.m. on Iowa Catholic Radio, 1150 AM; 88.5 & 94.5 FM and streaming on IowaCatholicRadio.com.  Faith On Trial is sponsored by Attorney Rick McConville of Coppola, McConville, Coppola, Carroll, Hockenberg & Scalise PC, 2100 Westown Parkway, West Des Moines, 453-1055 and Confluence Brewing Company, off the Bike Trail just south of Grey’s lake, 1235 Thomas Beck Road, Des Moines, where there is entertainment in the tap room every Thursday.