Texas Lawmaker Calls For Congress to Probe Banning of Prayer at Cemetery
A Texas Lawmaker has called for Congress to investigate the Houston National Cemetery after he discovered that cemetery officials were banning Christian Prayer from veteran funeral services, according to Foxnews.
“The Obama administration continues to prevent the word ‘God’ from being used at the funerals of our heroes,” said Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas). “It’s unacceptable and I’m going to put a stop to it as fast as humanly possible.”
According to Culberson, volunteer members of the honor guard from the Veterans of Foreign Wars were prohibited from making any references to God at the Houston National Cemetery, at a burial service he attended undercover on July 8th.
Culberson also said that the commander of the honor guard was told by cemetery officials to inquire with a grieving widow to see if she wanted the word God mentioned at her husband’s service. He then claims the man refused, saying he did not want to disturb the woman.
“The Obama administration told the nation and me they were not interfering with the prayer said over the graves of veterans,” said Culberson. “And I went undercover to personally verify that claim.”
VA officials deny that any religious speech or mentioning of God has been banned.
“The idea invoking the name of God or Jesus has been banned at VA national cemeteries is blatantly false,” said VA Press Secretary Josh Taylor in a written statement to Fox Radio. “The truth is, VA’s policy protects veterans’ families’ rights to pray however they choose at our national cemeteries.”
Taylor feels no one should pass judgment on the issue before knowing all the facts, and declined to comment on the current legal issues raised by a lawsuit already filed by the VFW for a similar reason.
Culberson stands by his position and wants to see the cemetery director fired.