(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Christian nationalist store opens in Army PX — hundreds of soldiers, mostly Christians, want it gone [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2023-08-31 So, there’s a company called Hold Fast that sells apparel and other items blatantly equating patriotism with Christianity, saying on its website: “Hold Fast apparel, hats, and drinkware are for freedom loving Americans who want to see Biblical values preserved and are taking a stand and letting their voices be heard.” That’s just fine. A private company has the free speech rights to be as Christian nationalistic as it wants to be. What is NOT just fine is a for store that sells these Hold Fast and other Christian and Christian nationalistic items to be operating — and highly visibly operating — in a U.S. Army PX. But that is what we now have with the Faith2Soar store and kiosk in the PX mini-mall at Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg) in North Carolina. The store, owned by Josh Creson, a graduate of both Liberty University and Regent University, two schools known for their Christian nationalism, flaunts, among other things, Christian t-shirts hung on the kiosk and outside the store, essentially having the same effect in visibility and size as big Jesus posters being plastered on the walls of the PX, which is absolutely not permitted in a government facility. To see some of the most damning photos of the unconstitutional — and unavoidable to Fort Liberty mini-mall patrons — promotion of the military-preferred faith of Christianity by the Faith2Soar kiosk, look no further that this post from Faith2Soar’s own Facebook page: x Although this photo taken a few days ago by a MRFF client was taken while the Faith2Soar kiosk was closed for lunch, you can still clearly see a Jesus shirt hung next to a Hold Fast Constitution shirt, because nothing shouts Christian nationalism better than inextricably coupling Jesus with the Constitution. And, of course, no Christian store at the installation that’s home to the 82nd Airborne Division would be complete without selling the book Jesus was an Airborne Ranger! The following e-mail is from one of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation’s (MRFF) 211 U.S. Army Fort Liberty clients (165 of whom are Christians) who want this store gone, whose reaction to seeing the Faith2Soar kiosk for the first time was: "You gotta be shitting me, right? Is this really allowed in an AAFES facility?" From: (MRFF Client’s/U.S. Army member’s E-mail Address Withheld) Subject: Fort Liberty Christian store Date: August 29, 2023 at 5:02:14 PM MDT To: info@militaryreligiousfreedom.org Team MRFF - I'm an Army member at Fort Liberty, NC. This week, I popped into the Mini-Mall PX at Bastogne Drive and Rock Merritt Avenue for a quick bite to eat. After grabbing my chow and taking a seat, I looked up and noticed the 'FAITH2SOAR Christian Bookstore and More' on the other side of the Mini-Mall, complete with a little kiosk selling T-shirts reading "Salvation is Found in JESUS" and other very exclusively Christian messages. My first thought was, "You gotta be shitting me, right? Is this really allowed in an AAFES facility?" After staring in disbelief for a minute or two, I decided it was time for a closer look and a couple of photos. As I walked toward the store and kiosk, I realized that MRFF needs to hear about this, rapidly. I sent the images to Mikey Weinstein, and he wasted zero time in getting back to me - we're talking within eight minutes. Apparently this has been an issue for a while, and he's on the case. I'm an atheist who was raised in a nominally Christian household, but I realized by the time I was 16 that I do not believe in god. Goodness and character is not tied to religious beliefs . It has to come from within a person who is capable of self-reflection and constantly analyzing his/her beliefs, morals, and ethics to develop a strong set of standards. As a Soldier, I definitely steered clear of church services and religious events, but I also believe that there IS a place in the military for the Chaplaincy - many of my brothers and sisters maintain their religious faith in garrison, in the field, and downrange. Our Chaplains are there to ensure the faithful can exercise their religious freedom, as well as being available to talk and counsel during the darker times. Should AAFES host this particular store? Emphatically, NO. This clearly amounts to DoD endorsement of one specific religion, which I will never agree to. Is there a Jewish, Buddhist, or Muslim store? No. Agnostic. Atheist, or Humanist kiosk? Nope. There would be a mass conniption fit - especially from the far-right - if any of those faith or non-faith groups were represented in a similar fashion. Let the Chaplains handle the religious materials - stores like this have no business being authorized to operate on our military installations. I've been following the recent attempt by Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, to specifically bar American service members from contacting MRFF when one religion is being favored over another, OR if a person is being prevented from exercising their Constitutionally protected right to practice their own faith. Rep. Turner's fascist amendment to the NDAA is absolutely outrageous and unconstitutional on its face. This old Soldier is firmly in MRFF's corner, and I'll refer any service member to MRFF if the need arises - Turner and his ilk be damned. Thank you, MRFF, for what you do on behalf of ALL of us - faithful or not. This is America, and MRFF understands the real definition of "religious freedom," not the bastardized version bandied about by the theocrats on the right. (MRFF Client’s/U.S. Army Member’s name, rank, title, and unit all withheld) This blatant promotion of Christian nationalism and Christian supremacy, courtesy of the Army & Air Force Exchange Service’s (AAFES) allowing Faith2Soar to hawk its godly goods in the Fort Liberty PX mini-mall, in violation of both the Constitution and military regulations, must be stopped, as MRFF Founder and President Mikey Weinstein makes abundantly clear in the following letter that he is e-mailing today to Fort Liberty’s commanding general: [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/8/31/2190706/-Christian-nationalist-store-opens-in-Army-PX-hundreds-of-soldiers-mostly-Christians-want-it-gone Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/