Blog For Arizona

Michael: Lawmakers Demand Bush Protect Evangelizing Chaplains

A group of lawmakers, including AZ's Trent Franks, presented Bush with a petition of 150K signatures, demanding that Pentagon rules regarding military chaplains' duties not prevent evangelizing the troops.

Though couched in terms of relgious freedom, these lawmakers are asking for the Pentagon take a hands-off approach to chaplains evangelizing for Chrisitian sects using their position. Chaplains aren't just preachers, they are public servants and officers in our military. They should be constrained in their behavior. They aren't there to bring souls to Christ. They are there to serve the spiritual needs of ALL the troops, despite their religious or sectarian adherance. As such, it is appropriate, and required for troop morale to constrain military chaplains from abusing their privileged and state-sponsored position to coersively recruit for the Lord.

The abuses at the Colorado Springs Academy clearly demonstrate that some Christians are endeavoring to use the obeidience and subordination of military discipline to coersively convert soldiers to their religion. We shouldn't allow the already perilously close relationship between church and state in the persons of our military chaplians to be abused by aggressive evangelists of any religion. This is not an anti-Christian restriction, it is protecting our troops from oppressive and abusive practices of any religion.

posted by Michael Bryan @ 12/15/2005 02:32:00 AM