Fox News' Sean Hannity and Todd Starnes portrayed restraints on proselytization as proof of the Obama administration's purported “war on religious liberty in the military,” despite the fact that military policy has long prohibited unwanted proselytization.

On the May 2 edition of his Fox News show, Hannity claimed that a Pentagon statement reiterating the military's longtime policy against proselytizing was proof of Obama's “war on religious liberty.” Starnes added that Christians were “under significant attack” by the Obama administration, under which “we have seen a Christian cleansing of the United States military.”

In fact, the U.S. military's anti-proselytization policy has been consistent among all religions, and it targets only disruptive activities. A statement released May 2 by Defense Department spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Nate Christensen clarified the military's policy that “members of the military are free to share their faith as long as they don't harass others.” Christensen continued:

“Service members can share their faith (evangelize), but must not force unwanted, intrusive attempts to convert others of any faith or no faith to one's beliefs (proselytization),” said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Nate Christensen, a Pentagon spokesman, in an email. “If a service member harasses another member on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, or disability, then the commander takes action based on the gravity of the occurrence. Likewise, when religious harassment complaints are reported, commanders take action based on the gravity of the occurrence on a case-by-case basis.” Christensen said there are no plans to single out evangelical Christians for punishment, despite claims of activists. “The U.S. Department of Defense has never and will never single out a particular religious group for persecution or prosecution. The Department makes reasonable accommodations for all religions and celebrates the religious diversity of our service members,” he said.

Further, a 2010 Congressional Research Service study on legal issues related to freedom of religious expression in the military noted that previous Supreme Court decisions state that military rules must “not benefit individuals with religious objections at the expense of individuals who are not claiming religious objections.” The study also emphasized the Court's definition of unconstitutional accommodation of religion stating:

[T]he government may only accommodate or facilitate, not favor or promote, religious exercise.

Starnes also claimed that Air Force guidelines against proselytization conflicted with the military's policy. In fact, the Air Force merely clarified its guidelines for the treatment of religion consistent with DOD policy, specifying that personnel “should confidently practice [their] own beliefs while respecting others whose viewpoints differ from [their] own.” The guidelines specifically prohibit both discrimination against and preferential treatment toward any religion: