Navy Chaplain Delivers Presidential Sermons

The Washington Post revisits the background of Navy Chaplain (Lt Cdr) Carey Cash, the Chaplain for the Evergreen Chapel on Camp David, the Presidential retreat.  Previously, Time momentarily called the Chapel the Obama’s “home church,” which lit off a firestorm of controversy and denials.  The current article takes the more cryptic form in describing the situation as “The Pastor Who Has Obama’s Attention.”

Much of the article describes Cash’s background, including his time in combat in Iraq and his book, A Table in the Presence.  It includes a short description of what the author calls “Cash’s controversial views on Christian proselytizing in the military and on Islam.”

Chaplain Cash’s religious views have previously been targeted by The Military Religious Freedom Foundation.  The MRFF objects to the ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ, with which Cash is associated, and has called on Obama to “[rid] the military” of Chaplain Cash and those like him:

As commander in chief, President Obama, rather than giving his tacit endorsement to a chaplain who subscribes to the goals of CCC’s Military Ministry by choosing to attend his services, should be ridding the military of such chaplains and organizations.

The White House was apparently unmoved by the demand.  By all accounts, Obama likes the Chapel and the Chaplain, and has said

[Cash] delivers as powerful a sermon as I’ve heard in a while. I really think he’s excellent.

The President and his family have also attended a local Washington, DC, church.