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Navy Chaplain Punished for Talking about Jesus Christ

CBN.com – Lieutenant Gordon Klingenschmitt was chaplain on the cruiser USS Anzio, based in Norfolk, Virginia, before he said he was transferred ashore and given a negative job recommendation because of religious disagreements.

LEE WEBB: The U.S. Navy is investigating a chaplain's allegation that he was punished for theological disagreements with his superior officers. Lieutenant Gordon Klingenschmitt says he was transferred ashore and given a negative job evaluation. I spoke with Chaplain Klingenschmitt on our nightly news program CBN NewsWatch, and I asked him if he had ever been disciplined for the content of any of his sermons.

LIEUTENANT GORDON KLINGENSCHMITT: I preached an evangelical sermon at an optionally attended service in the base chapel. It was advertised as a Christian memorial service that honored the faith of one of my deceased sailors, who was a member of my flock. In that sermon I said, you must be born again. I said Jesus Christ is the way to Heaven. And two senior chaplains advised my commanding officer to discipline me for that. They said, you can’t say that in the base chapel because it is not inclusive and might offend people. Well, they are enforcing Harvard Seminary’s Unitarian Universalist’s beliefs against my bishop's beliefs.

WEBB: You mentioned that, because you believe that the problem exists before chaplains even get to the fleet, that it happens in the Navy's chaplaincy program at Harvard? Is that what you’re saying?

KLINGENSCHMITT: Yes. Well, the Naval Chaplain School teaches the lectures on pluralism at the chaplain school, and they actually refer to Harvard Seminary’s model as the official government model. They give government endorsement to that denomination over all other denominations. In fact, they have an exercise there that you are not supposed to pray in Jesus' name. They have clipboards and evaluators who evaluate your prayers, and they praise you if you pray just to God. But if you pray in Jesus’ name, they counsel you. In fact, the chaplain school director spoke with my commanding officer and said that I was an immature chaplain. And my commanding officer used that recommendation as grounds to remove me from active duty.

WEBB: What happens next? Are you going to file legal action?

KLINGENSCHMITT: I have not yet filed any lawsuits. I am just asking for a simple apology and let them move on with their career and let me move on with my career. But if they don't want to apologize, I will have to consider other options.

WEBB: Do you think that it has been worth all of the trouble to be a chaplain? Would you rather just be a pastor in a local church somewhere?

KLINGENSCHMITT: I love the Navy and want to stay in the Navy, and serve sailors. I have given my life to the sailors. I hope that the senior leaders will let me do that. Over 60 chaplains filed a class action lawsuit citing religious discriminations problems just like this. In every instance, the Navy inspector general went in and found nothing wrong. Well, I don’t see that there’s nothing wrong. I see there is a widespread problem, and a lot of chaplains have complained, and we need congressional oversight.

WEBB: The Navy is looking into the allegations. A spokesman said if there is any substance to them, the legal process will take its course