Top brass 'not aware' of bias against chaplains?

[OldSchool2]

from Religion News Service:

"Lawmakers peppered Pentagon officials on Wednesday (Jan. 29) about claims that military chaplains have faced discrimination for their beliefs, and time and again, chaplains and personnel officials said they were unaware of any bias (emphasis mine).

"Virginia Penrod, deputy assistant secretary of defense for military personnel policy, told the House Subcommittee on Military Personnel that she could not cite specific instances where chaplains had to preach a sermon or oversee a ceremony that conflicted with their beliefs.

"'There’s absolutely nothing in policy or code that prohibits a chaplain from praying according to the dictates of their faith,' she said ...

"Members of the panel questioned whether military commanders are allowed to proselytize. Brig. Gen. Charles R. Bailey, the Army’s deputy chief of chaplains, said it would be 'wrong' for commanders to say that their faith is superior to any other, but other kinds of private conversations about faith are permitted ..."

http://www.religionnews.com/2014/01/29/top-brass-say-theyre-aware-bias-military-chaplains/

So there's "nothing in policy or code" prohibiting prayer as long as you don't pray in public?

[Quantrill]

Used to be, that the biggest conflict for a chaplain was to minister to both Protestants and Catholics.   As both are Christian.   But now as the country gets farther away from God, we have every religion under the sun represented and the chaplain , which is supposed to be Christian, is many times expected to try and accomadate, and compromise his Christian views so as not to offend. 

 

So, that the Chaplain doesn't preach Christ the One and only way to eternal life.  And he doesn't preach that all others are false religions and those involved in them need to turn to Christ.

 

Quantrill

[OakWood]

Used to be, that the biggest conflict for a chaplain was to minister to both Protestants and Catholics.   As both are Christian.   But now as the country gets farther away from God, we have every religion under the sun represented and the chaplain , which is supposed to be Christian, is many times expected to try and accomadate, and compromise his Christian views so as not to offend. 

 

So, that the Chaplain doesn't preach Christ the One and only way to eternal life.  And he doesn't preach that all others are false religions and those involved in them need to turn to Christ.

 

Quantrill

 

That's a valid point. It's happening everywhere. I know chaplains who are now meant to get into this 'interfaith' rubbish.

[Quantrill]

Oakwood

 

It is a sad testimony.  A people who used to be Christian have turned from God to idols to the point that now a Christian chaplain is not wanted.

 

Quantrill

[OldSchool2]

Used to be, that the biggest conflict for a chaplain was to minister to both Protestants and Catholics.   As both are Christian.   But now as the country gets farther away from God, we have every religion under the sun represented and the chaplain , which is supposed to be Christian, is many times expected to try and accomadate, and compromise his Christian views so as not to offend ...

As a former Chaplain's Assistant, there were never enough chaplains of all religions and denominations to go around, so it became "one size fits all" out of necessity and not conviction.

[OakWood]

 

Used to be, that the biggest conflict for a chaplain was to minister to both Protestants and Catholics.   As both are Christian.   But now as the country gets farther away from God, we have every religion under the sun represented and the chaplain , which is supposed to be Christian, is many times expected to try and accomadate, and compromise his Christian views so as not to offend ...

As a former Chaplain's Assistant, there were never enough chaplains of all religions and denominations to go around, so it became "one size fits all" out of necessity and not conviction.

 

 

Denominations are one thing, but at least they are all Christian. Why should there be a need for a chaplain to fulfill the needs of other religions? If other religions want their own representatives they should pay for one themselves.

[OldSchool2]

Used to be, that the biggest conflict for a chaplain was to minister to both Protestants and Catholics.   As both are Christian.   But now as the country gets farther away from God, we have every religion under the sun represented and the chaplain , which is supposed to be Christian, is many times expected to try and accomadate, and compromise his Christian views so as not to offend ...

As a former Chaplain's Assistant, there were never enough chaplains of all religions and denominations to go around, so it became "one size fits all" out of necessity and not conviction.

 

Denominations are one thing, but at least they are all Christian. Why should there be a need for a chaplain to fulfill the needs of other religions? If other religions want their own representatives they should pay for one themselves.

The US military, not the sponsoring religious organization, pays for military chaplains. And as the US Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of worship, there is an exception made to the Establishment Clause due to religious accommodation.

"While the Establishment Clause generally prohibits the government from funding and sponsoring religious activities, there is one important exception to this rule: The government may fund or sponsor a religious activity if the government does so to accommodate the religious needs of people who, because of government action, no longer have access to religious resources. Thus, when the military has isolated service members from their normal worship opportunities, the government may then facilitate worship by providing the necessary religious resources, like chaplains. In such situations, the government is merely responding to a religious need and is therefore not promoting religion."

http://www.pewforum.org/2008/07/03/accommodating-faith-in-the-military/

And as I posted, there are not enough chaplains and assistant's for all religions.

[Willa]

Some years ago chaplains wrote to a lady of prayer in our church and asked her to pray because they had been told they cannot offer prayer in Jesus Name in their services.

[OldSchool2]

Some years ago chaplains wrote to a lady of prayer in our church and asked her to pray because they had been told they cannot offer prayer in Jesus Name in their services.

The Army and Navy Chaplaincy removed any symbolic references to Judea-Christianity from their crests about two decades ago. When I became a chaplains' assistant, I was one of the last to wear a crest with a cross and two stone tablets.

[kwikphilly]

Blessings Old School............

     This whole country is going to the dogs,everything we stood for is just crumbling......our forefathers based our Consitution on the Bible....we are supposed to be One Nation Under God,the God of Abraham,Isaac & Jacob....................my God,this is a disgrace-literally!

      For some reason this brought  me back to when Cassius Clay changed his name to Muhammed,besides his legal woes ny Dad always said he was simply trying to dodge the draft,our gov't has been too tolerant throughout the years ,permitted too many exceptions to the rule and this is the outcome,,,,,,,,,,,,

        Why would our gov't even permit a Muslim to serve in the US Miltary?They all pose a threat to national security

                                                                                                                                     With love-in Christ,Kwik