A near firestorm was raised on Monday when Time‘s Amy Sullivan reported (and a variety of sources repeated) that the Obama family had decided that Camp David’s Evergreen Chapel would be its “home church.”  The White House staff contradicted the Time article, saying that the Obamas are still looking for a “church home.”  The Time contributor is “standing by” her story, saying that the fact that the Obamas are intending to attend the Chapel while at Camp David justifies her report.

More interesting, however, was the intense scrutiny given to the Chaplain currently associated with Camp David.

Camp David is officially known as “Naval Support Facility Thurmont,” and it is a run as a military facility.  As such, it has a military chapel with a Naval Chaplain.

Navy Chaplain (Lt) Carey Cash is reported to be the current Chaplain at Camp David.  Sullivan called him “the polar opposite of Jeremiah Wright,” noting that he was a Southern Baptist.  The Military Religious Freedom Foundation has blasted Cash’s connections with Campus Crusade for Christ’s Military Ministry.  Campus Crusade also carries Cash’s book, A Table in the Presence.  The book describes his experiences in the opening days of ground combat in Operation Iraqi Freedom, including how he led Marines to Christ and baptized them in Hussein’s newly-liberated palaces.

Michael Weinstein and his MRFF have frequently criticized Campus Crusade’s ministry to the military, including calling it a “blight on America” and an “example of extreme bigotry.”  Weinstein has also named Campus Crusade in a lawsuit against the Department of Defense.

In this case, the MRFF has insinuated that Obama’s decision to attend the Camp David Chapel (he reportedly “enjoys the pastor there”) is an endorsement of the Chaplain’s views.  As is customary, the MRFF is calling for the Chaplain’s ouster.  Rather than supporting the Chaplain, the MRFF has said that Obama should be “ridding” the military of “such Chaplains and organizations.”

Also noted at the Religion Clause.