Americans United Demands Military End Its Proselytizing Christian Concerts

Americans United for Separation of Church and State is calling on the U.S. military to stop holding Christian music concerts on its bases. Their complaint is spawned by an upcoming Christian rock concert planned for Fort Bragg.

The “Rock the Fort” event at Fort Bragg this weekend targets both military personnel and adults and children in the surrounding community for conversion to Christianity. This clearly violates the separation of church and state, attorneys with Americans United informed Army officials in a letter today. “It’s not the Army’s job to convert Americans to Christianity,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. “This event is totally unacceptable and must be canceled. “It is particularly shocking that the military would join forces with Franklin Graham,” Lynn continued. “Graham has expressed utter contempt for Islam, Hinduism and other faiths. When our military joins hands with him, it sends exactly the wrong message to the world. Our military defends a nation that includes people of many different faiths and some who follow no faith at all.”

RELATED: Last month about 80 soldiers at Fort Eustis, Virginia were punished by their superiors for refusing to attend a mandatory Christian rock concert on their base.