Hailey Tran
During a speech to the American Legion in 2019, Vice President Mike Pence claimed that under the Obama administration, Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals had removed Bibles and banned Christmas carols. He cited a lawsuit to remove a World War II Bible from a memorial table in a VA hospital in New Hampshire. While there were a handful of instances in which Bibles were removed from displays at VA hospitals during Obama's presidency and at least one instance of religious carols being banned, these were decisions made by local staff and not directives from the Obama administration.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Did Obama ban Bibles in VA hospitals? | No, but there were instances of Bibles being removed from memorials in VA hospitals and clinics during the Obama administration. |
| Who made the claim? | Vice President Mike Pence |
| When was the claim made? | August 28, 2019 |
| Where was the claim made? | During a speech to the American Legion in Indianapolis |
| Context | A lawsuit was filed to remove a Bible from a memorial table at a VA hospital in New Hampshire |
| Pence's quote | "It’s really no surprise because, under the last administration, VA hospitals were removing Bibles and even banning Christmas carols in an effort to be politically correct." |
| Fact-check | These instances were the result of decisions by local staff, not directives from the Obama administration. |
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What You'll Learn
Bibles were removed from VA hospitals during Obama's presidency
During a speech to the American Legion in 2019, Vice President Mike Pence claimed that under the Obama administration, Bibles were removed from VA hospitals. He also stated that religious Christmas carols were banned. Pence's comments were in reference to a lawsuit to remove a Bible from a memorial table at a VA hospital in New Hampshire. The Bible in question was carried by a World War II veteran and its removal was demanded by the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.
While there were indeed a handful of instances in which Bibles were removed from displays at VA hospitals during Obama's presidency, these were limited to POW/MIA memorial displays. The removals were also the result of decisions by local staff, not directives from the Obama administration. Furthermore, Bibles were, and still are, available to any veteran in a VA hospital who wants one.
In 2013, students were banned from singing religious Christmas carols at a VA hospital in Georgia. However, after intervention from the conservative group Alliance Defending Freedom, the hospital reversed its decision and allowed the carolers to return.
In 2019, the Trump administration instituted new policies at the VA, allowing the inclusion of religious content in publicly accessible displays and the distribution of religious literature and symbols to patients and guests who request them. These policies aimed to clarify previous regulations, which had caused confusion regarding the display of religious symbols at VA facilities.
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Christmas carols were banned in VA hospitals during Obama's presidency
During a speech to the American Legion, Vice President Mike Pence claimed that under the Obama administration, religious Christmas carols were banned in VA hospitals. He cited a 2013 incident where students from a Christian school were banned from singing religious Christmas carols at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia. The VA hospital cited a 2008 policy (pre-Obama administration) that allowed them to restrict practices deemed detrimental to patients' health and safety. The school involved was allowed to return and sing after intervention from the conservative group Alliance Defending Freedom.
While there was at least one instance of religious Christmas carols being banned in a VA hospital during Obama's presidency, these decisions were made by local staff and were not a result of directives from the Obama administration. Furthermore, Bibles were not banned from VA hospitals, although there were a handful of instances where Bibles were removed from displays and memorials, particularly those dedicated to prisoners of war and those missing in action.
In 2015, there were reports of a broader ban on Christmas-related speech and celebrations at the Salem VA Medical Center in Virginia, which included a prohibition on employees saying "Merry Christmas" and a ban on Christmas trees. This ban was instituted by the "Executive Leadership Team" at the facility and not directly by the Obama administration.
It is important to note that VA hospitals have never been "religion-free zones," and Bibles have always been available to veterans who wanted them. The Trump administration, under which Mike Pence served as Vice President, implemented new policies clarifying the display of religious content and literature in VA facilities, suggesting confusion over previous policies.
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These actions were taken to be politically correct
During a speech to the American Legion in 2019, Vice President Mike Pence claimed that under the Obama administration, Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals had removed Bibles and banned Christmas carols. Pence cited a lawsuit to remove a Bible that was carried in World War II from a memorial table in a VA hospital in New Hampshire. He attributed these actions to political correctness, stating:
> "It's really no surprise because, under the last administration, VA hospitals were removing Bibles and even banning Christmas carols in an effort to be politically correct."
While there were indeed instances of Bibles being removed from displays and at least one instance of religious carols being banned during the Obama administration, these decisions were made by local staff and not as a result of directives from the Obama administration. The Obama administration did not ban Bibles in VA hospitals, and VA hospitals have never been "religion-free zones". Bibles were, and still are, available to any veteran in a VA hospital who wants one.
The Trump administration, under which Pence served, instituted new policies at the VA that allowed for the inclusion of religious content in publicly accessible displays and permitted patients and their guests to request and be provided with religious literature and symbols during their treatment. These policies were intended to clarify previous policies that had created confusion around the display of religious symbols at VA facilities.
The perception that the Obama administration was hostile to religion in the military has been propagated by some conservative groups and media outlets, who have characterised it as a "war on religious liberty". However, fact-checking organisations have refuted the claim that the Obama administration banned Bibles in VA hospitals, noting that any removals of Bibles or restrictions on religious expression were isolated incidents rather than a widespread policy.
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These actions were not a result of Obama's directives
During a speech to the American Legion in 2019, Vice President Mike Pence claimed that under the Obama administration, Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals had removed Bibles and banned Christmas carols. He cited a lawsuit to remove a World War II Bible from a memorial table in a VA hospital in New Hampshire. Pence's comments were limited to the POW/MIA memorial displays, and he did not explicitly state that "Obama ordered" a crackdown on Christian materials.
However, it is important to note that these instances of Bible removal and carol banning were isolated incidents and the result of decisions by local staff, not directives from the Obama administration. While there were a handful of instances in which Bibles were removed from displays and at least one instance of religious carols being banned in the public area of a VA hospital, these actions were not a result of Obama's directives. The Obama administration did not issue any policies or orders specifically targeting the inclusion of Bibles or religious carols in VA hospitals.
The VA's policies regarding religious literature and symbols may have contributed to these instances. The VA has stated that their policies are meant to welcome and respect all faiths while protecting them from unwelcomed religious material. This could have led to misinterpretations or overly cautious actions by local staff.
Furthermore, in 2013, a group of students was banned from singing religious Christmas carols at a VA hospital in Georgia. However, after intervention from the conservative group Alliance Defending Freedom, the hospital reversed its decision and allowed the students to return and perform their carols. This incident demonstrates that any bans on religious carols were not universally enforced and could be overturned through dialogue and advocacy.
In conclusion, while there were isolated instances of Bible removal and religious carol banning in VA hospitals during the Obama administration, these actions were not a result of specific directives from President Obama or his administration. These incidents were localized decisions made by individual VA hospitals, and the Obama administration did not implement any broad policies restricting religious expression in these facilities.
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Trump's VA policies allow religious content in displays
During a speech to the American Legion, Vice President Mike Pence claimed that under the Obama administration, Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals had removed Bibles and banned Christmas carols. He cited a lawsuit to have a World War II Bible removed from a memorial table. While there were a handful of instances in which Bibles were removed from displays at VA hospitals during the Obama administration, these were decisions made by local staff and not directives from the Obama administration.
In 2019, the Trump administration instituted new policies at the VA that would allow the inclusion of religious content in publicly accessible displays at VA facilities. The VA cited The American Legion v. American Humanist Association, a case in which the Supreme Court ruled that a large cross on public land in Bladensburg, Maryland, could remain on display. The VA's new guidance would "bring simplicity and clarity" to religious policies across its network and "promote religious liberty" for veterans. The policy applies to any public space, such as lobbies and grounds, and to any "text, material object, emblem or image that is representative of a religious or spiritual belief."
The Trump administration also launched an 'anti-Christian bias' investigation effort, asking VA staffers to report any retaliatory actions taken in response to religious holiday observances and any informal policies hostile to Christian views. The administration issued an executive order titled "Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias," aiming to "end the anti-Christian weaponization of government."
However, it is important to note that the VA's new policies under the Trump administration were met with criticism. Richard B. Katskee, legal director for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, stated that the Trump administration was contorting the court's decision to "justify the government putting up new religious displays." Dr. Kenneth Kizer, the VA's top healthcare official during the Clinton administration, expressed concern that the changes could open the door to discrimination based on characteristics not protected by federal law.
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Frequently asked questions
No, former US President Barack Obama did not ban Bibles in VA hospitals. However, there were a handful of instances where Bibles were removed from displays at VA hospitals during his administration.
Yes, during a speech to the American Legion, Vice President Mike Pence claimed that under the Obama administration, Veterans Affairs hospitals had banned Bibles and Christmas carols.
No, the Trump administration instituted new policies at the VA that allowed the inclusion of religious content in publicly accessible displays at VA facilities.
Yes, there was a lawsuit to remove a Bible that was carried in World War II from a memorial table at a VA hospital in New Hampshire. The lawsuit was filed by the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.
Yes, there was at least one instance of religious Christmas carols being banned in the public area of a VA hospital in Georgia during the Obama administration.
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