Subject: Senator Warner imposes "theological
sensitivity requirements" on chaplains?
Date: Sat, 16 Sep 2006 05:55:27 -0700 (PDT)
Friends and Activists,
Today's Worldnet Daily (pasted below, and attached as pdf)
confirms our horror, that Senator Warner is drafting legislation
that is OPPOSED to praying in Jesus name, mandating
"theological sensitivity requirements" on all military
chaplains. Read below, then call 5 times to all
5 offices, then forward this email WIDELY.
Senator John Warner:
Norfolk office:
(757) 441-3079
(757) 441-6250 FAX
Roanoke office:
(540) 857-2676
(540) 857-2800 FAX
Washington Office:
(202) 224-2023
(202) 224-6295 FAX
Midlothian Office:
(804) 739-0247
(804) 739-3478 FAX
Abingdon Office:
(276) 628-8158
(276) 628-1036 FAX
NOW IS THE TIME TO TAKE ACTION!
YOU can help save the chaplains...
In Jesus name,
Chaplain Klingenschmitt
719-360-5132 cell
---------------------------
Congress tackles chaplains'
right to pray
Klingenschmitt says
senator's proposal would 'add insult to my injury'
Posted: September 16, 2006
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com
In the wake of a Navy chaplain's punishment related to a public
event in which he prayed "in Jesus' name," Congress is
debating several versions of a bill to address
the religious liberties of military ministers.
As
WND reported, a jury of U.S. Naval officers Thursday
recommended a reprimand and a $250 fine per month for a year for
Lt. Gordon James Klingenschmitt, a Christian chaplain who was
convicted of disobeying an order not to wear his military
uniform for media appearances.
Klingenschmitt insists the White House appearance at which he
prayed "in Jesus' name" was a bona fide religious
event and he had written permission from his commander to wear
his uniform at such events.
The chaplain continues to press the issue on a public-policy
level, consulting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill as they
consider language that is part of the Defense Authorization
Bill.
R-Calif., that would allow chaplains to pray according
to their faith.
The bill is in a conference committee in which the House
and Senate are working out differences.
The House bill reads: "Each Chaplain shall have
the prerogative to pray according to the dictates of
the chaplain's own conscience, except as must be
limited by military necessity, with any such
limitation being imposed in the least restrictive
manner feasible."
In the Senate, Sen.
John Warner, R-Va., is advocating language
that has Klingenschmitt concerned.
The proposal reads: "In situations
other than theological services or sectarian
ceremonies when a prayer is offered, the
policy shall require chaplains to be
sensitive to and respect the diversity of
faiths represented."
The Navy chaplain calls Warner's version
worse than hate speech
laws, contending it empowers
the Pentagon to make bad policies that
will censor chaplains' prayers and enforce
"pluralism" as a new government
religion.
"Pluralism is the opposite of
diversity," Klingenschmitt told
WND. "Pluralism requires we all
pray 'sensitive' prayers to one
government-god, but diversity means we
can take turns and each pray according
to our own diverse beliefs."
Klingenschmitt said the proposal
would add "insult to my
injury."
"If Senator
Warner imposes theological
sensitivity requirements, all
chaplains could be punished
for the content of their
sermons," he said.
Amanda Banks, federal
policy analyst for Focus
on the Family Action
– a public policy group
tied to James Dobson's
Focus on the Family –
said Warner's proposal
would violate the First
Amendment rights of
chaplains.
"The
alternate language seeks
to establish a right not
to be offended, rather
than protecting freedom
of speech," she
said. "It rejects
religious liberty and
would likely prevent a
chaplain from praying
'in Jesus' name' outside
of a church
service."
Klingenschmitt
favors a proposal by
Sen.
Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.,
to simply add the
words "and
pray" to the
existing statute.
10 USC 6031
would then read:
"An officer
in the chaplain
corps may
conduct public
worship and pray
according to the
manner and forms
of the church of
which he is a
member."
The Navy
chaplain
said this
would return
the law to
the way it
had been
until 1860.
In the
course of
his case,
Klingenschmitt
said, the
secretary of
the Navy
redefined
"public
worship"
as only
during
"divine
services"
inside a
chapel on
Sundays.
Earlier
this
week
President
Bush's
spokesman,
Tony
Snow,
responded
to a WND
question
about the
issue,
saying,
"The
president
believes
the
chaplains
ought to
be able to
be free to
express to
their
religious
beliefs,
and he
further
believes
in
allowing
the
military
to handle
its own
issues."
Klingenschmitt
contends
the
Navy
secretary
is
"deliberately
censoring
the
content
of our
prayers."
In
his
court-martial,
he
said,
a
Navy
judge
enforced
that
policy
by
declaring
worshipping
in
public
is
not
the
same
as
public
worship.
The
judge,
refusing
Klingenschmitt's
motion
earlier
this
month
to
drop
the
case,
concluded
chaplains
are
protected
only
inside
the
chapel
on
Sunday
morning.
If
ordered
not
to
worship
in
public,
and
they
disobey,
chaplains
can
be
punished
at
a
criminal
court
martial.
"There
is
no
more
fundamental
right
than
the
inalienable
right
to
worship
our
creator,
and
I
pray
in
Jesus
name,"
Klingenschmitt
said.
"For
any
government
official
to
require
non-sectarian
prayers
is
for
him
to
enforce
his
government
religion
upon
me,
to
censor,
exclude
and
punish
me
for
my
participation"
Several
dozen
other
chaplains
also
have
joined
in
a
civilian
lawsuit
that
alleges
the
Navy
hierarchy
allows
only
those
Christian
ministers
who
advocate
only
non-sectarian
blandishments
to
be
promoted.
Those
with
evangelical
beliefs,
they
say,
are
routinely
drummed
from
the
Navy.
-------------------
2
more
ways
to
help
(after
you
call
all
5
numbers
to
Senator
Warner):
Please
sign
petition
for
military
chaplains:
To
donate
to
the
"Chaplains
legal
defense
fund"
to
fight
these
bad
policies,
click
here:
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