Christian cop loses appeal -- must attend mosque

By Bob Unruh

A panel of federal judges in Denver, in an opinion written by Judge Harris Hartz, found that it is perfectly appropriate for a police chief to order subordinates to attend an Islamic mosque where Muslims “discussed Islamic beliefs, Muhammad, Mecca, and why and how Muslims pray” in addition to encouraging officers “to buy” Islamic books and pamphlets that were for sale.

 The ruling came on Thursday from the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a case brought by Capt. Paul Fields, who had been ordered by Tulsa police officials to either go to a special event at the local mosque himself, or order others to do that.  Fields refused based on religious freedom objections and was punished for that.  The judges on the 10th Circuit panel said that was perfectly appropriate.  “This ruling is troubling on so many levels",......violates the First and 14th Amendments,” ....“Yet, inexplicably, the 10th Circuit refused to address this main issue on appeal......  “The court is wrong, and we intend to seek full court review of this patently erroneous decision,” …….“when judges can rewrite the case and the case history to fit the conclusion they seek....due process is robbed of any meaning,” ……“Had a Muslim officer objected to attending a Jewish event to be held at a synagogue on a Saturday and the officer was treated like Capt. Fields, there is little doubt that the entire Tulsa Police Department chain of command would have been fired,” Yerushalmi said…..Read more at