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NH VA Pushes to Dismiss Suit Over Bible at Medical Center

A Vietnam War veteran filed a lawsuit to have a bible removed from a veterans' medical center lobby, claiming it is unconstitutional

Lawyers for New Hampshire's veterans hospital say a lawsuit over the display of a Bible there should be dismissed because the Air Force veteran who filed it isn't harmed.

Justice Department attorney Cristen Handley told a federal judge Wednesday that James Chamberlain acknowledged he was Christian and wasn't offended by the display at a table honoring missing veterans and POWs.

Chamberlain said the Bible's inclusion is in violation of the Constitution, which prohibits discrimination of anyone based on their religious beliefs. His lawyer, Lawrence Vogelman, argued his client's religion shouldn't matter in the case.

The display is at the entranceway of the Manchester VA Medical Center. It was sponsored by a veterans group called the Northeast POW/MIA Network.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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