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Soldier News
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michae-@bellsouth.net
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Sep 25, 2007 20:13 PDT
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Atheist soldier revises lawsuit
9/25/2007, 9:54 p.m. CDT
By JOHN MILBURN
The Associated Press
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Attorneys for a soldier who claims he has been harassed for being an atheist amended his lawsuit Tuesday after the military said it couldn't find the officer initially listed as a defendant.
The amended complaint, filed in federal court in Kansas City, Kan., names Maj. Freddy J. Welborn and Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
The plaintiffs, Spec. Jeremy Hall and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, had sued Gates and a Maj. Paul Welborne, but military officials said they couldn't find an officer by that name.
Hall, who is with the 97th Military Police Battalion, of Fort Riley, alleges Welborn threatened to file military charges against him and block his reenlistment for holding the meeting of atheists and non-Christians. Hall, 22, was trying to organize a chapter of the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers at his base in Iraq.
Welborn did not immediately respond to messages sent Tuesday to a military e-mail address listed for him.
Welborn appears in videos on the Web site for the 3rd Infantry Division. He is a civil affairs officer in Iraq, according to the site.
In the videos, Welborn discusses the importance of military service, leadership and discipline.
On a MySpace page that appears to be Welborn's, he says he is working toward a degree from a Bible college. The page is under Welborn's name and has several pictures of a man identifies as him in uniform. It lists his interests as the "study of God's word, evangelism, grandchildren, family and those men called by God to preach the Gospel."
"Doctrine is important, but not as important as a personal relationship with our Lord Jesus," the site states.
Mikey Weinstein, president and founder of the foundation, said Welborn shouldn't impose his faith on junior officers and enlisted soldiers.
___
On the Net:
Military Religious Freedom Foundation: http://www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org
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<H1 class=red>Atheist soldier revises lawsuit</H1>
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<TD class=byln width=328>9/25/2007, 9:54 p.m. CDT
<DIV>By JOHN MILBURN </DIV><B>The Associated Press</B></TD>
<TD width=3> </TD>
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<P>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Attorneys for a soldier who claims he has been harassed
for being an atheist amended his lawsuit Tuesday after the military said it
couldn't find the officer initially listed as a defendant.</P>
<P>The amended complaint, filed in federal court in Kansas City, Kan., names
Maj. Freddy J. Welborn and Defense Secretary Robert Gates.</P>
<P>The plaintiffs, Spec. Jeremy Hall and the Military Religious Freedom
Foundation, had sued Gates and a Maj. Paul Welborne, but military officials said
they couldn't find an officer by that name.</P>
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Hall, who is with the 97th Military Police Battalion, of Fort Riley, alleges
Welborn threatened to file military charges against him and block his
reenlistment for holding the meeting of atheists and non-Christians. Hall, 22,
was trying to organize a chapter of the Military Association of Atheists and
Freethinkers at his base in Iraq.
<P></P>
<P>Welborn did not immediately respond to messages sent Tuesday to a military
e-mail address listed for him.</P>
<P>Welborn appears in videos on the Web site for the 3rd Infantry Division. He
is a civil affairs officer in Iraq, according to the site.</P>
<P>In the videos, Welborn discusses the importance of military service,
leadership and discipline.</P>
<P>On a MySpace page that appears to be Welborn's, he says he is working toward
a degree from a Bible college. The page is under Welborn's name and has several
pictures of a man identifies as him in uniform. It lists his interests as the
"study of God's word, evangelism, grandchildren, family and those men called by
God to preach the Gospel."</P>
<P>"Doctrine is important, but not as important as a personal relationship with
our Lord Jesus," the site states.</P>
<P>Mikey Weinstein, president and founder of the foundation, said Welborn
shouldn't impose his faith on junior officers and enlisted soldiers.</P>
<P>___</P>
<P>On the Net:</P>
<P>Military Religious Freedom Foundation: <A
href="http://www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org/"
target=new>http://www.militaryreligiousfreedom.org</A>
</P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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