VA Bans Using Words “God,” “God Bless You” & “God Bless” at Funerals for Veterans
Posted by Jim Hoft on Wednesday, June 29, 2011, 4:40 PM
It’s an Obama world…
The VA in Houston has banned using offensive words like “God,” “God bless you” and “God bless” at the Houston National Cemetery.
(Department of Veteran’s Affairs)
Chron.com reported, via Pundit Press:
Local veterans and volunteer groups accuse Department of Veterans Affairs officials of censoring religious speech — including the word “God” – at Houston National Cemetery.
In one example cited in documents filed this week in federal court, cemetery director Arleen Ocasio reportedly told volunteers with the National Memorial Ladies that they had to stop telling families “God bless you” at funerals and that they had to remove the words “God bless” from condolence cards.
“It’s just unfair that somebody would ask us to take God out of our vocabulary,” said Cheryl Whitfield, founder of Houston National Memorial Ladies.
“I could’ve kept my mouth shut and let things happen, but when it comes to standing up for your belief in God and giving comfort to the families, I don’t want to regret not saying anything,” Whitfield said. “We all had to stand up for what we believe in.”
The new allegations of “religious hostility” by VA and cemetery officials follow on the heels of a controversy over Pastor Scott Rainey’s prayer in Jesus’ name at a Memorial Day service in the cemetery.
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Published May 21, 2012 at 12:19 am - 43 Comments
#1AMERICAN commented:
What the FUC& is this country turning into…
mg4us commented:
It is high time that living Veterans take back the VA
Also this tells it all
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=316857
There is no “O” in Capitalism, only sOcialism and cOmmunism
O for Obama O-buma O-boy an big ZerO
Also no O in Republican only in DemOcRATs
Mahdi Al-Dajjal commented:
But the word “Allah” is perfectly acceptable.
Multitude commented:
Government shall not establish a (secular) religion?
It’s pretty clear the Government is no longer abiding with any aspect of the Constitution. Probably a rather unwise thing to do, as I’m certain the French could share some experiences with what happened to the elites when times got tough and their social contract was violated.
John Fembup commented:
“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.”
What cretins are afoot in this country?
Andrew X commented:
It is time for a relentless campaign of civil disobediance on the largest possible scale.
Remember, “policies” and “mandates” such as this are utterly meaningless if we the people choose to ignore them with the contempt they so richly deserve.
Every single visitor to this cemetary needs to bury it’s staff and associates in “God Bless You’s”, relentlessly and unceasingly. And treat such mandates as the chattering of magpies.
And we need to respond that way to every such mandate we come across, wherever they may rear their odious and odiferous heads.
LibsRMorons commented:
I guess when that Congressman said that liberals are evil and think they are God, he was correct. Maybe its time to start a new fad, like the wave used to be at the Ballpark..except this time we use a cross, and a message to Washington that we will not listen or obey!
Personally, this year, lets light up Christmas with lots of lights, and a huge lit Cross on every home. Lets show the govt that they can shove their BS right up their arses!
john03 commented:
This simply cannot be allowed to stand.
LibsRMorons commented:
Our cars! Lets start this off by ordering these! Now this will make the batsh*t crazy liberals go crazy!
http://www.cafepress.com/+one_nation_under_god_sticker_oval,51371768
LibsRMorons commented:
With this one too!
http://www.cafepress.com/+obama_omg_wtf_bumper_sticker,444487577
Tommy commented:
It’s simple folks..tell the gov’t and its officials to stick it where the sun don’t shine. It’s time for Americans to take their country back.
FORGER - Racist Czar commented:
“John Fembup commented:
“Congress shall make no law, period. Full Stop. End of sentence.
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.””Fixed it to how it should have read in the first place…
RKflorida commented:
Use them anyway. What are they going to do? Exhume the dead? Don’t buckle to this crap.
Ladue Pundit commented:
This is why Todd Akin (R-MO) will not retract what he said about liberals. They hate God and are not afraid to admit it.
Go Todd, future MO senator.
The Moll commented:
Saying Allah is still ok.
big L commented:
Bad, real Bad. Well, it looks like Dept of Vet affairs can join the ash heap with Dept of energy,and Dept of education. Change HHs to Health and Work. We need a lot less CAbinet posts. Vet afairs have been a disgrace as far as I have seen.
Militant conservative commented:
Eff em. violating free speach and freedom of religion in one swipe.
Sorry, then I get to ignore your do not carry your gun here sign.
fair nuff right?
Not to worry Obama is just trying to undo 230 years of true freedom.
Ain’t gonna happen, powder is dry.
Taqiyyotomist commented:
ATTN JIM HOFT
#14 Ladue Pundit’s comment should be appended to the main post, IMO.
This is called “instant gratification”. Instant proof that the Hon. Akin was right.
Excellent observation, Ladue.
succotash commented:
Shame on us as a nation if we allow this evil to prevail. Make your voice heard loud and clear.We ARE ONE NATION UNDER GOD.
oogum commented:
Carry your military son’s remains to the cemetery and bury them. Get a “free” VA headstone with the choice of Christian, Jew of for God’s sake muslim emblems. Then have some idiot say you can’t say God. Right.
retire05 commented:
Oh, but it is even worse that the Chronicle reported.
Listening to Michael Berry today, he had one of the Memorial Ladies on who said that Arleen Ocasio has ordered that any invocation, speech or words of memorial by any minister/priest, friend or family member has to be first submitted to her for approval. Ocasio has also ordered that no woman can wear open-toed shoes to the cemetary.
A funeral director in Houston, who specializes in military funerals said also that Ocasio has told him, personally, that while he may take donations from the family for the minister, that he cannot accept donations from the family intended for the VFW who provides a Color Guard to most military funerals.
We Texans, with the support of Congressman Ted Poe, are calling for Arleen Ocasio’s immediate firing. No moving her to another Veteran’s cemetary, she must be fired. She is refusing to allow any terms that depart from her secular view of government, even if the families want a religious ceremony. So, as a Texan, I am asking all of you to call your Congressman and demand the immediate firing of Arleen Ocasio.
retire05 commented:
And remember, this is coming from the administration of Obama, who could not even remember the name of a man who he bestowed the Medal of Honor to.
Smarty commented:
We need 3 things to take our country back from these people:
1) Tar (roofing compound would work, comes in 5 gallon buckets)
2) Feathers
3) a good alibi in your pocket for later
Repeat with next tyrannical official.
donh commented:
Dig up the coffins and move them to another cemetary. This is just some hack posing as a hard core communist so they can get a big promotion from Obama.
DANEgerus commented:
Arleen Ocasio at 281-447-8686 (extension 206) and e-mail her @ Arleen.ocasio@va.gov
Blacque Jacques Shellacque commented:
So will the headstones of veterans at this cemetery soon be lacking these in the future?
martha commented:
I would ignore this, it crap. If I want to say G-D I’ll say G-d! What are they going to do arrest me? I still have a 1st amendment do’nt I?
If enough of us ignore it, they will slither away, the time has come to stop meekly giving in to this crap, just ignore it what are they going to do?
retire05 commented:
Do not bother calling Arleen Ocasio’s office. Her staff is not taking calls, or if you do get throught, they are hanging up on people who complain about this outrage.
Call your Congressman and demand her immediate firing.
Callipygian1 commented:
I hope local Conservatives keep the heat up on this and keep us posted. Admittedly I am not as religious as most here, but I certainly am irate, if not furious, about this action against some fo the best people on Earth.
Taqiyyotomist commented:
Fire her!
And then get ready to see her replaced with yet another in an endless series of Maoists and Stalinists. (And watch — when she’s fired, she’ll be forever receiving a “golden parachute” pension and benefits package…no matter how long she “served” — courtesy the U.S. Taxpayers’ ever-thinning wallets…)
There are hundreds just waiting in the wings for the opportunity to “serve”, just for that chance to further the “cause”, (and for, naturally, that fat pension and bennies package, stolen from the evil Producer Class.)
No matter who we get fired, they will be “set”, after the dust settles…and they will be replaced by another God-hating Commie. Who wants to bet against me on this?
I_B_Prophen commented:
Don’t dare think that this will go unaddressed here in Houston, Texas.
This is just the sort of crap that a lot of us have been waiting for.
The Houston National Cemetery will be besieged by those who know what is right!!!
It’s time to route out the Rat _astards!
Auntie Em commented:
http://www.guidrynews.com/story.aspx?id=1000025672
Looks like Janet Napalitano. I can see why she may not like invoking the name of God Almighty. Guilty conscience.
WJoy O commented:
We must sue her personally — she is violating our Consitutional rights!
texabama commented:
I am in agreement with those who have said to ignore the dictate and say whatever you please. Really, what can they do? Just because a bureaucrat gives an edict doesn’t mean a flying fig. You don’t work for them and they have no real power over you. They are trying to set precedent and we can’t allow that to happen.
Joanne commented:
There are way more Christians and believers in God in the U.S. than atheists. Christians and believers in God need to stand up to these heathens and tell them to take a flying cluck of the nearest freight train.
Smarty commented:
To #27,
Has ignoring such offenses worked for your (Jewish) people so well in the past? Isn’t insanity doing the same thing over and over expecting the same results?
The last thing Christians need is to lay down and take more abuse. Our country is going to hell because about a third of us (hard core liberals) are trying to take it there, about a third of us are fools who cannot see it coming, and the other third are afraid of losing our jobs, families and lives if we start the revolution before everyone else is ready to join in.
Rock commented:
My letter to my Representative
I suspect you are aware of the scandal that is boiling to the surface over the action of one Miss Arleen Ocasio the Director of the VA in Houston Texas. If this is the new America under Obama I feel that my service to this Country for over 20 years was for nothing, and that this person has spit on the graves of all the men and women that gave their all for the Nation. This is the reward we get for service, disgraceful, ugly, unabashed hatred from some callous bureaucrat. No apology in the world will undo her spiteful mistreatment of our history and traditions. She needs to go. Or you in Washington are useless.
Maybe I should have waited in writing this, but the insults under this regime keep piling up and no one in DC seems inclined to end this farce.
God Country and our Constitution are attacked every day by the subversive cretins this administration as unleashed on us.
………………………………………………………………………………………..
By the way, this harpy is a big Sis look alike.
Smarty commented:
You cannot sue, the bar and the courts are stuffed with Jews who will oppose the Christian every step of the way.
donh commented:
WOW #32…I wonder if there are time line photos to trace Ocasio’s adoption of the Janet Napolitano hair du. Bet she strated that around 2009. That butch hair cut is like wearing a code pink gay pride button on your lapel. No wonder she’s been climbing the grave yard ladder so quickly. Major affirmative action credentials. A latina, a woman, a lesbian , and a God denier who shape shifts her physical appearance to match her communist party superiors . Why can’t these kind of ceremonial do nothing $200,000 jobs with luxury benefits go to wounded vets instead of PC fascists ?
bg commented:
++
who didn’t see this coming way before Obama was selected to transition
US / West into the NWO whether we like it or not, i mean, what the heck
will we be able to do about it once America is in dire financial distress via
Obama’s skilled use of Cloward, Piven, and Alinsky tactics all rolled into
ONE, with the obvious blessings of the US Congress & the MSM, not to
mention world leaders to boot.. *sigh*
[scroll up/down, click on links & connecting links as you
go, or not.. depends on how much you want to know..]
==
bg commented:
++
re: #40
bit more here..
==
DavidD commented:
Palin 2012.
DavidD commented:
Seriously. Please, Sarah, just run.
DavidD commented:
By the way, Rock #37 June 29, 2011 at 7:46 pm was right on. Awesome letter.
FurryGuyJeans commented:
This militantly indifferent agnostic finds all these over-the-top demands to remove any mention of God or Christianity from the marketplace of ideas to be horrendous. The slow creep of tyranny eclipsing our freedoms advances on. Soon the only worship Americans will be allowed will be that directed to our Ear Leader Barry.
Valerie commented:
“#5 June 29, 2011 at 4:48 pm
John Fembup commented:
What cretins are afoot in this country?”
Those that don’t like to read. Included in that group are Eric Holder, and Barack Obama.
sam davis commented:
Just sent an e-mail to ms. Ocasio. The subject line was God Bless America and I simply copied and pasted God Bless America 1000 times.
John03 commented:
@Rock #37 – Well said indeed. And thank you for your service to our country. God bless (I guess I can still say that here, right?)
catwoman368 commented:
Nothing good comes out of Chicago.
Stevo commented:
With the 1st Amendment clauses ‘or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;’ and ‘or abridging the freedom of speech,’ and a daily round of fellow Christians burying their loved ones as plaintiffs with standing, one would think this is one of those slam-dunk, precedent setting cases that liberty loving law firms would be elbowing each other out of the way for a chance to represent.
Well, I can dream can’t I?
bg commented:
++
It Has Always Been The Soldier
It is the soldier,
not the President who gives US Democracy.
It is the soldier,
not the Congress who takes Care of US.
It is the soldier,
not the Reporter who has given us Freedom of Press.
It is the soldier,
not the Poet who has given us Freedom of Speech.
It is the soldier,
not the campus [community] Organizer who
has given us the Freedom to Demonstrate.
It is the soldier,
who salutes the flag;
who serves beneath the flag,
and whose coffin is draped by the flag,
that allows the protester to burn the flag.
~ Father Dennis O’Brien, US Marine Corp. Chaplain
God Bless America!
God Bless Soldiers everywhere for putting THEIR
lives on the line to protect us ALL from terrorism!
==
Mike McLeod commented:
The VA and the Government, and the damn stupid ignorant liberals can kiss my ass! I held a young corpsman in my arms and watched him die at Camp Carroll, Dong Ha Mountain, South Vietnam! I will be damned if I will put up anymore of tis government and the likes of the idiot Obama! They all can kiss my ass an come get some!
Mike McLeod commented:
I am a United States Marine forever and I love my country. Obama and his weak administration of cowards can come and get some anytime they have the guts to do so.
Godbless this country and all the troops dead and alive! I will fight for anyone that will stand up for the Red white and Blue and anyone that hates liberals I will die for….
Mike Yakus commented:
Just get this dummy fired. He doesn’t have the right to impose those restrictions. He’s obviously incompetent.
Molon Labe commented:
#25
Danegerus:
What happened to your wonderful blog?
donh commented:
Suicide among our returning service men is a real crisis. Here you have a prime example of why servicemen are killing themselves….Losing a brother and having to look some ugly man/woman in the face like Janet Napolitano telling you to STFU about God as you lay them in the ground…worse than having Westboro baptist dig the graveyard.
John03 commented:
Good news! Just saw this article talking about congressman Ted Poe calling for Ocasio’s firing!
http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/dayton/news/article_7e61fdfb-80ac-5170-8346-79128867c3c7.html
Redpillpatriot commented:
Separation of church and state are not in the constitution. They only exist in the minds of liberal supreme court justices.
The first Ammendment protects the use of God and Jesus! If they choose to ignore the 1st Ammendment, I say we introduce them to the 2nd.
Redpillpatriot commented:
#51 BG Does that apply to me? or are you still mad at me
SC88 commented:
Well, well, another Chicago connection:
“For approximately 10 years before joining the National Cemetery Administration, Ocasio held various positions in the VA West Side Medical Center in Chicago, Ill.”
Wonder if she knew another hospital bureaucrat about town named Michelle?
Arch commented:
This is a blatant violation of the First Amendment by a Federal Government official. If I were in Houston, I would call the American Legion and VFW to find a lawyer to take this as a civil rights case. The beauty of the civil rights law is that officials can be held personally responsible as in fines and jail time. That’s what happened in Dearborn. Civil suits are not necessary.
ogee commented:
HUH? Don’t we still have freedom of religion?
bg commented:
++
Rpp #58
i don’t “get mad”..
i try sticking to the “issues” vs “personals” as much as possible..
==
C-Christian Soldier commented:
an HATE CRIME against Christians and Jews-
time to sue!
C-CS
CommieJuice commented:
Barack Obama’s America!
Deborah Morgan commented:
Well I don’t get upset when obscenities and dirty foul mouth people open their mouths and spew forth their words because I am a GROWN UP!!! I can IGNORE what they say! Anyone should have the RIGHT to say what they choose at funerals… I don’t care if it offends someone else… We are all going to say things that offend someone. THEY need to GROW UP instead of whining like a bunch of CRY BABIES… BOO HOO HOO… HE/SHE SAID THE WORD GOD….
I AM OFFENDED BECAUSE YOU TOLD ME I COULDN’T SAY THE WORD GOD… It’s CALLED FREE SPEECH AND ONE OF THE MAIN FACTORS THIS COUNTRY WAS FOUNDED UPON!!!!
GROW UP GROW UP GROW UP GROW UP GROW UP…. WHINEY BRATSSS!!!!
TigerEyes commented:
The answer is to say it louder and more often. Lets paper the USA with American Flags and God. Cover Billboards, houses, cars, bicycles, tee shirts and every website. We can carpet them with our God Given Rights to FREE SPEECH and let them whine. Overwhelm them with our patriotism and shut them down! Just remember that we outnumber them by a large margin.
allan commented:
change is happening.
nightwalker571 commented:
Andrew X
I could not agree with you more but when in the hell are we going to do it. It had better be sooner than later that fight begins!!
Lets do like the illegal aliens did in Atlanta a couple of day ago and that was to cow herd the state capital and then go out in the street and block it with signs on “arrest me I am illegal”. Of course all of the illegal alien political hoars and pimps were there. There are a few of the head pimps that live there.
nightwalker571 commented:
Andrew X
I forgot to say God Bless You and God Bless The USA. Amen
KIRK MCFARLIN commented:
THE FASTER OBAMA IS REMOVED (HOWEVER THAT HAPPENS) THE FASTER THE UNITED STATES WILL START TO NORMALIZE
THEN WE CAN CLEAN UP THE V.A.