I am including two links to newspaper articles that all veterans and their families should read. Although this is about RNC the story could national consequences.

Here is the gist of the story: Sharon Hunt’s father died in Oct 2006 and was cremated and interred at RNC. He was a retired Lt Colonel in the Air Force and highly decorated.

Her mother passed away in 2007 on exactly the same day as her father and almost to the hour. The plan was for the mother to be created and interred next to her father.

When 50 family members and friends showed for the funeral Gil Gallo the Direcotr at Riverside National Cemetery refused to accept the urn for burial.

Gallo or any of his management would speak to the family. How insensitive can a Cemetery Director be?

That was a year ago and the family are still waiting for a return phone or answer to emails and letters. Nothing from Gallo.

Mrs. Hunt did her own research and found out the reason for refusal is that the urn contained less than 100% of the remains. Hunt had divided her remains into keepsake urns for family members. Some of the ashes were spread at a family cemetery in Texas at the request of the decease.

On the day of the funeral Gil Gallo had decided to change his policy and enforce it at that very moment.

The policy of not accepting anything less that 100% of the remains was to stop people being buried in multiple national cemeteries. How absurd! That’s what databases are for.

Even publicity Gallo has not contacted the family to explain his decision or apologise for the grief he has caused.

A year later Mrs Hunt’s mother still remains unburied and separated from her husband of almost 60 years.

http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_10922389

http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_S_ashes08.38a6ac9.html

1 person(whiner) complained, therefore all were stripped of the religious portion of the service. No one said that a family member complained, as we are intelligent enough to know that the family decides how the service is to be performed. What we said is that a family member should have the option of religion in the ceremony.

It appears that everyone agrees on that…everyone gets that, except you.

I am not quite sure why you keep bringing up the pagan aspect as it has nothing to do with the discussion. Are you trying to say that a pagan should have the same option as a Christian? I would agree. Are you not capable of saying that?

This is nothing but a whiner that wanted their beliefs to be the only voice heard. It doesn’t look like it will last though.

As I have said all along, the details are needed. The information as to WHO and WHY made the complaint are very much needed. Sorry you miss that very important part. See, you can’t call a pagan service member family whiners simply because they choose not to hear of other gods at their service. See the difference?

It turns out it wasn’t a family member who complained at all so really at this point it’s non related to this specific story. However, it would make a difference when being called a whiner. Get it yet? I bet you would if you were Christian at your family member’s service and had to listen about a pagan god.

I am the one that wrote the above post and chose who to link to, so yes, I too was calling the person a whiner.

Was your link supposed to change something? Here is the money quote:

Phil Budahn, a spokesman for the VA in Washington, said the agency received an objection to the script’s religious references after it was used during a funeral at Riverside National Cemetery in California.

“It seemed inappropriate for federal employees to be the ones who actually read it,”Budahn said, so the VA sent word last month to cemetery directors warning them against doing so.

So because the vet was religious, they should chose between a military funeral, which is their right, to be conducted by the military (gov’t paid employees), or a burial in a cemetary near home so that they can have religion involved. Good luck with that insane arguement!

I did find an article which actually does have the specific details as to WHO complained and WHY if anyone is interested. http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=135627&ran=112444

Why don’t you practice reading prior to posting. Do research.

Now, for my opinion of the issue. If this was a complaint from a non-Christian or non-Jewish service member family that didn’t want someone else’s God entering their most private of moments, then some change IS justified.
(In my opinion some common sense should have prevailed. It would have been very simple to re-write numbers 11 and 12 to fit anyone’s personal preference.)

And before you all jump me, think of this.
What if the lines spoke of Pagan gods? How many Christians do you know who would have liked that at their loved one’s funeral. It shouldn’t be a choice between flag folding with Christian beliefs or no flag folding whatsoever.

Freedom of religion applies to all, not only the popular religions.