{"id":129159,"date":"2025-04-23T13:15:49","date_gmt":"2025-04-23T13:15:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2025\/04\/23\/officials-launch-task-force-to-root-out-anti-christian-bias-in-va\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T16:22:50","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T16:22:50","slug":"officials-launch-task-force-to-root-out-anti-christian-bias-in-va","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/veterans\/2025\/04\/23\/officials-launch-task-force-to-root-out-anti-christian-bias-in-va\/","title":{"rendered":"Officials launch task force to root out \u2018anti-Christian bias\u2019 in VA"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Veterans Affairs leaders<\/a> launched a department-wide investigation into allegations of anti-Christian bias on Monday, asking employees to report fellow staffers for any \u201cinformal policies, procedures, or unofficial understandings hostile to Christian views.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The move, which follows a government-wide mandate for investigations into discriminatory practices against Christian beliefs, drew immediate condemnation from Democratic lawmakers for showing favoritism towards a single religion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile religious discrimination must be forbidden and fought, this internal VA memo lacks any factual basis or rationale,\u201d said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.<\/a>, ranking member of the Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee. \u201cIt raises the specter of dividing the veteran community and favoring some religions over others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a department-wide memo distributed Monday, VA Secretary Doug Collins<\/a> said that a new department task force will \u201creview all instances of anti-Christian bias\u201d throughout VA operations. That includes \u201cadverse responses to requests for religious exemption\u201d and \u201cany observations of mistreatment for not participating in events or activities inconsistent with Christian views.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t