Navy chaplain faces discharge for intolerance

[prisonchaplain]

Carlimac, you may be right--that it is coming to that.  What a shame!  I wonder how many veterans visit these pages have stories of chaplains who helped them through their time of service?  I know that when I served as a missionary in Korea, one of the chaplains at the base in Taegu was LDS.  They said he was good about delivering homilies that would encourage LDS and non-LDS alike.  It's just sad that the vast majority who gain comfort and strength and morale will lose out, because a few do not want to hear counsel they disagree with.  It should not have to be this way.

[Traveler]

I did a little research of my own on this subject.  It would appear that the complaints were actually not from any of the troops being counseled but that the complaints are from a subordinate recently assigned to work under the chaplain.  Apparently the subordinate is homosexual and it appears that they have generated all the complaints. 

 

I had thought that reasonable individuals would resolve this issue but I am now thinking otherwise – I am concerned that we are seeing a drastic change in religious tolerance and religious freedom in the military.    From my personal experience in the military – there were few that I served with that respected religion as an initial reaction.  I remember my first night kneeling at my bunk as a 17 year old offering a vocal prayer as I had always done from my youth.  My concern and prayers are for the young men – many away from home for the first time – finding themselves very alone, away from friends and family very vulnerable to sexual predators.  For me – I was small weighed 110 and very inexperienced – and was often encouraged to try homosexuality – sometimes with the threat of violence – sometimes more than threats.   

 

It took many years for me to realize that not all homosexuals are predators – but in today’s climate there is no public rebuke of homosexual predators that encourage the naïve to try things they are not prepared to understand – especially from the gay community.  From my experience I have remained convinced that open homosexuality in the military was not so homosexuals could experience combat as much as praying on the very lonely and vulnerable.  When I served in the military one very common threat was a threat should I ever talk to a chaplain.  I know for a fact military chaplains especially have been targets for a very long time.  I never thought it would come during my lifetime and so easily.  There is far more at stake than the job of a chaplain.