Protecting the Free Exercise of Religion for Military Chaplains

By 

Jay Sekulow

|
June 25, 2011

3 min read

Religious Liberty

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Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU) will be on the prowl again.  With a new Congress in Washington, AU and others will set their sights - once again - on the prayers of Christian chaplains in our military.  And quite frankly, Anyone concerned about freedom should be concerned when chaplains are being told how and how not to pray. 

 

Last year, Americans United targeted the prayers of Christian chaplains, and some branches of the military banned the use of Jesus name in chaplains prayers.  The ACLJ responded strongly and we saw those repressive rules rolled back.  NOW WE FACE THIS ISSUE ONCE AGAIN ... AND WE MUST TAKE ACTION AGAIN - because if we dont, AU can be expected to strike, and strike hard.

 

I hope you understand the critical nature of this case.  The danger is even greater - its yours and mine - because a restriction on freedom of speech, freedom of worship, strikes at the very heart of our constitutional freedoms.  If AU succeeds in banning the name of Jesus in a chaplains prayer, whats the next step?  You can bet that AU and similar groups will be emboldened to attack other expressions of faith.

 

Lets be clear on this: We are dealing with an issue that crosses party lines, an issue which has nothing to do with anyones opinion about what is happening in Iraq.  Regardless of how someone feels about the war, our servicemen and women should not be victimized.  The mission of a chaplain is to meet the spiritual needs of members of the military.  To think that a chaplain should not fulfill his or her duty because a Christian prayer is somehow unconstitutional ... well, its ridiculous.

 

We are staying on this critical issue, working with the White House and Congress to ensure that legislation is passed, or strong regulations are put in place, to protect our chaplains right to pray as they see fit.  This is a battle that we cannot afford to lose! 

 

The ACLJ has started a nationwide campaign with our PETITION TO PROTECT MILITARY PRAYER to President George W. Bush; and we are asking concerned citizens to add their voices in support of our chaplains by signing on to help us fight and win this battle ONCE AND FOR ALL!   We want to send a strong and unified message to our Commander-in-Chief, encouraging him to protect the right of chaplains to pray freely in Jesus name.  We invite you to encourage your friends and family to click here to sign our online petition as well.