Marine Corps base under attack for 'God bless the military' sign

The simple sign near the entrance to the marina at Marine Corps Base Hawaii has stood for nearly 15 years. Erected shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, it reads, “God bless the military, their families and the civilians who work with them.” But last week, Mikey Weinstein and his Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) demanded the base commander take down the sign or move it to the grounds of the base chapel.

“This sign is a brazen violation of the No Establishment clause of the Constitution, as it sends the clear message that your installation gives preference to those who hold religious beliefs over those who do not, and those who prefer a monotheistic, intervening god over other deities or theologies,” Blake A. Page, special assistant to Weinstein wrote in a message to base commander Col. Sean C. Killeen. “We recognize the value that religious activity brings to the lives of many, however this sign is not in keeping with the time, place, and manner restrictions required by law [or] for any military commander to bolster religious principles through the official authority given to their rank and position.”

In a telephone interview last week with the Honolulu Star Advertiser, Weinstein said the sign stands out “like a tarantula on a wedding cake” on the small military installation. He added that, over the past two weeks, 23 Marines of all ranks have complained to his organization about the sign, unwilling to lodge those complaints through their chain of command for fear of reprisal.

“When it is not on chapel grounds it is divisive,” Weinstein said. “It is elevating the concept of one faith over no faith, which the Supreme Court has made very clear is wrong, and so we have asked the commander—you know this sign is clearly not within the time, place, and manner restrictions required by the law—and so we’ve asked him to move it to the chapel grounds or take off the installation altogether.”

The Marine Corps Times reported officials at MCB Hawaii are looking into the matter.

“The commanding officer of Marine Corps Base Hawaii … has tasked his staff with researching the origin of the sign and its compliance with existing regulations,” said Capt. Timothy Irish, a base spokesman, in a statement to the newspaper. “The Base Inspector’s Office is reviewing its files to see if there have been any complaints in the past. MCBH will exercise due diligence to ensure compliance with existing regulations and law, including the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution.”

But, according to Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a religious liberty advocacy law firm, Killeen is on solid legal and constitutional grounds if he decides not to remove the sign.

“As it stands, the sign is not grounds for an Establishment Clause violation,” Daniel Briggs, ADF legal counsel and director of military affairs, wrote in an email Monday to Killeen, urging him to resist attempts to have the sign removed. “However, removal of the sign would certainly be in violation of the Establishment Clause, showing preference for no religion over religion. MRFF’s reference to time, place, and manner restrictions relates to a different area of law and is inapplicable.”

Briggs cited the 2014 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Town of Greece v. Galloway, in which Establishment Clause violations are “not made out any time a person experiences a sense of affront. …”

“The Establishment Clause does not provide a heckler’s veto to those who find offense,” Briggs wrote. “MRFF and its members are entitled to feel offense, but it is part of living in a pluralistic military community.”