Lawmakers reach out to President Bush on behalf of Christian chaplains

by Michael G. Mickey

(10-25-05)

It's okay for them to pray to God in a generic sense, but Christian military chaplains shouldn't be praying in the name of Jesus. In fact, they shouldn't even be mentioniong His precious name at all! Believe it or not, that's what they're being told, if we are to believe a Washington Times article - and I most certainly do.

Dated 10-20-05, the article states North Carolina Rep. Walter B. Jones, a Republican, is circulating a letter he plans to send to the president in the hope he will sign an executive order protecting chaplains who speak according to the traditions of the religion they're associated with. If a Christian chaplain is not allowed to do so, how is he, for example, going to address the spiritual needs of a Christian soldier? Christians, after all, worship their Savior! His name is going to have to come up. If it doesn't, nothing of benefit to either of them is going to take place as a result of any interaction between them.

And what about the battlefield? Would we ask our Christian chaplains to hold the hand of a dying soldier in need of salvation the chaplain knows can only come through the person of Jesus Christ, commanding him not to witness the Gospel to him moments before he enters into eternity?

Jones' letter, according to the Times article, cites "a letter from one Army chaplain who said it was made clear in his chaplain training course that it is offensive and against Army policy to publicly pray in the name of Jesus, and he later was rebuked for doing so."

"Much to my great shame, there have been times when I did not pray in my Savior's name," the chaplain wrote, according to the article.

Excerpt from the Washington Times article:

There has been much focus recently on proposed Air Force guidelines that some say unfairly would restrict Air Force chaplains' prayers, but lawmakers yesterday said the problem extends beyond that branch.

"We're seeing the same pattern ... and it's a pattern of hostility to freedom of speech," said Rep. Todd Akin, Missouri Republican. "The chaplains have complained, and it's been increasing and more widespread and not only limited to the Air Force."

With all due respect to Rep. Akin, what we're seeing here, at least in this instance, isn't a pattern of hostility against freedom of speech. What we're seeing here is an attack on the cross of Calvary and the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ!

If there's anything that should, in my mind, prove to skeptics there is a God and an opposing force working against Him, it's found within issues like this. At a time in mankind's history when we're expected to be highly-evolved when it comes to tolerance and acceptance of opposing viewpoints and spiritual convictions, only one symbol of faith (the cross) and one name (Jesus Christ) continues to be the subject of attack after attack after attack. What I find particularly laughable about it is the basis of the attacks is to prevent Christians from hurting someone else's feelings who may not be Christian! Shouldn't those individuals, on the other side of the coin, be expected to be tolerant of the name of Christ much as the Christian chaplains are expected to be tolerant of chaplains and soldiers who hold different religious beliefs than their own?

Hopefully, President Bush, who has openly admitted that Jesus Christ "changed his heart", will act on this matter as I'm sure he would if Muslim chaplains, for example, were being told they couldn't mention Muhammad or Allah, especially in light of how honored he was to have them over for a Ramadan celebration at the White House recently.

Will President Bush give the 35 lawmakers (potentially more by now) who have signed the letter, which will be sent to his office soon, the executive order they hope to see issued, protecting Christian chaplains who openly speak the name of Jesus Christ? I certainly hope so. It's the least he could do in light of all he's done to harm the nation of Israel by supporting the Quartet's cursed roadmap to peace which directly opposes the will of Almighty God!

Issue the order, Mr. President. Do it in Jesus' name!

"Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come*" is the name of Jesus Christ! Blessed be the name of the Lord!

*Ephesians 1:21

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