Protecting Military Chaplains

 

As you may know, the ACLJ has been very active in urging President Bush to issue an Executive Order that would protect the First Amendment rights of military chaplains who serve at great risk and sacrifice to provide spiritual guidance and comfort to our brave men and women in the military.

 

Congressman Walter Jones of North Carolina has been spearheading the effort on Capitol Hill.  Now theres a new report of discrimination from Congressman Jones about the treatment of a Christian chaplain in the U.S. Army.

 

Congressman Jones is asking the Secretary of the Army to investigate the case of a chaplain following reports that his denominational service in Iraq was suppressed by the military command because of the chaplains theology.

 

The fact is:  the constitutional rights of all military chaplains including Christian chaplains must be protected.

 

As Congressman Jones so aptly writes in his letter to the Army Secretary: 

 

A chaplain demonstrates his faith through the medium of speech in his worship services, his counseling, and the other functions he performs in his role as both advisor to the commander for religious matters and as a representative of his faith community to the Army.  I believe a chaplain represents the Constitution at work; he practices freedom of religion while facilitating the religious freedom of others, and does so by exercising free speech without establishing an official government religion. . . .Allowing this outrageous suppression to go unaddressed is a repudiation of the very principles upon which our liberties depend and which soldiers defend.

 

We will continue to work to ensure that the constitutional rights of military chaplains are protected, and we will continue to push for an Executive Order from President Bush on this most important issue.

 

Well keep you posted as developments unfold.  You can stay up to date on this and other issues involving the ACLJ through our daily radio broadcast, Jay Sekulow Live!