Posted on 12/21/2005 7:24:58 AM PST by piperpilot
To pray -- or not to pray -- in Jesus' name is the question plaguing an increasing number of U.S. military chaplains, one of whom began a multiday hunger strike outside the White House yesterday.
"I am a Navy chaplain being fired because I pray in Jesus' name," said Navy Lt. Gordon Klingenschmitt, who will be holding 6 p.m. prayer vigils daily in Lafayette Park.
The hunger strike is intended to persuade President Bush to issue an executive order allowing military chaplains to pray according to their individual faith traditions. The American Center for Law and Justice has gathered 173,000 signatures on a petition seeking an executive order.
Seventy-three members of Congress have joined the request, saying in an Oct. 25 letter to the president, "In all branches of the military, it is becoming increasingly difficult for Christian chaplains to use the name of Jesus when praying."
About 80 percent of U.S. troops are Christian, the legislators wrote, adding that military "censorship" of chaplains' prayers disenfranchises "hundreds of thousands of Christian soldiers in the military who look to their chaplains for comfort, inspiration and support."
Official military policy allows any sort of prayer, but Lt. Klingenschmitt says that in reality, evangelical Protestant prayers are censored. He cites his training at the Navy Chaplains School in Newport, R.I., where "they have clipboards and evaluators who evaluate your prayers, and they praise you if you pray just to God," he said. "But if you pray in Jesus' name, they counsel you."
Muslim, Jewish and Roman Catholic chaplains are likewise told not to pray in the name of Allah, in Hebrew or in the name of the Trinity, he added.
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
BTTT
that quote was used in one of my taglines.
"When a Chaplain has to avoid using the name of Jesus Christ something is damned wrong with this world."
It's the same old battle of Good Vs Evil but it's moved to a new frontline. Time to attack the enemy!
There's the solution, right there; Discharge these troops and refuse to induct any more Christians. This would then alleviate any need for Christian Chaplins.(Sarcasm off)
**Military chaplains told to shy from Jesus**
Excuse me, this is discrimination!
That is not a "prayer" then - so why call it such.
BTTT
Its downright shameful that this is even a story.
"You know, it's hard to believe this is happening in America."
Well, I know I make people uncomfortable when I say this, but there's such a thing as the worldwide organized hard left (WOHL), the successor to International Communism. Their current priority goal is simple: weaken and/or destroy the US. They are attacking our nation at every in every part of its foundation---one important part, of course, being religion.
Freedom of religion in China is quite illusory. Catholicism is completely banned because it is viewed as adherence to a competitive hierarchy. They have even set up their own "fake Catholic church" that is just like a regular Catholic Church, except that has no connection to the Catholic hierarchy.
nor is there much real freedom of any sort in Russia today, although it is obviously less strictly controlled than under communism.
So much for the "peace dividend."
"There are more people living under Communism today, than there were before the Iron Curtain fell in the 1980's."
How so?
Population numbers-wise.
Count up all the people in China, Viet Nam, North Korea, Laos, et al, under communism today.
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