Scripture on the Desk

A Marine lance corporal working at a desk posted three printed copies of a verse — 'No weapon formed against me shall prosper' — on her computer tower, above her monitor and above her mailbox. Her staff sergeant ordered her to remove the signs; she did not, so the sergeant took them down herself. The next day the sergeant saw that the signs had been put back and again ordered her to remove them, and again she did not. Along with other charges of disobedience, disrespect and failing to go to her place of duty, she was prosecuted for disobeying the sergeant's orders. The defence argued that the orders violated the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, because the verse was from the Bible and had religious significance to her as a Christian.