When Coast GuardAdm. William D. Lee addressed the crowd at this year’s National Day of Prayer service, he told a moving story about a young soldier determined to end his own life. Laying protocol aside, Lee gave the 24-year-old a Bible.
Retired Lt. Gen. William G. “Jerry” Boykin, executive vice president of the Family Research Council (FRC), says because of Lee’s actions, that young man is changed forever: “Today he is a joyful Christian who has put his faith in Christ.”
The FRC began in 1983 with a major emphasis on standing with those in the military to protect their First Amendment rights.
“It’s important for us to remember that the Christian faith is under attack,” Boykin says.
Accordingly, the FRC has formed a coalition of organizations throughout the country to pass legislation that would protect religious freedom and “eliminate any discrimination against Christians that are sharing their faith,” specifically in the military, Boykin says.
Boykin is quick to affirm these efforts aren’t about proselytizing or coercing—which he is against—but about the right to exercise Christian faith.
