Throughout the United States military, there is a shocking extent of oppressive religious pressure on active duty military personnel. In particular, military superiors frequently require their subordinates to attend and participate in Christian events, often of the fundamentalist Evangelical variety, under orders. This mandatory participation is illegal and unconstitutional, but this has not stopped all these abuses. The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) was founded to fight such objectionable religious indoctrination. Today the organization is supporting over 53,000 military personnel who have requested its legal help to combat the fundamentalist Christian indoctrination they are under orders to attend. Most of these individuals are themselves Christian, victimized by a version of Christianity that they do not believe, and the others are Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Atheists, Humanists, Agnostics, and other types of believers and nonbelievers.
Gregory J. Petrequin is a retired Air Force Colonel and Master Navigator who served, on active-duty, for 27 years. During that period, he was involved in combat operations, in the air and on the ground, in Iraq and the Horn of Africa. He has a BA degree, with honors, from San Francisco State University and three Masters Degrees from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Air University. Since retiring he was a Production Manager for Cintas Corporation, supervising a production plant and a team of 50 partners. He is now an ardent supporter and volunteer contributor for the MRFF. The Atheist Community of San Jose is proud to welcome Colonel Petrequin to enlighten us about MRFF’s critical work.
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