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As previously noted, US Army Chaplain (Capt) Pratima Dharm has reportedly become the US military’s first Hindu Chaplain. One point of curiosity was the Chaplain’s badge; she had reportedly worn the Christian cross “until this year.”
In an article at the Huffington Post, US Air Force LtCol Ravi Chaudhary explains his role in helping Dharm represent Hinduism as opposed to Christianity (which, incidentally, she doesn’t reject under the “inclusive” Hindu spirituality). (Chaudhary, a Hindu US Air Force C-17 pilot, was highlighted here just a few months ago; he currently serves in the Pentagon.) He notes the discussion of the “religious identifier” Dharm was to wear — a particularly interesting endeavor, since Hinduism doesn’t really have exclusive religious symbology: Read more…
Linked below:
Below is an update on ongoing issues with respect to the planned repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
Included below:
The Associated Press reported that a conference on the role of spirituality in the armed forces occurred at the University of California in Berkeley.
Dr. Pauletta Otis, a professor of security studies at the Marine Command and Staff College, reportedly said there was good reason for “secrecy” regarding individual religious beliefs within the military, and the military should maintain a ”don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on religion: Read more…
The Department of Defense’s report on how to implement the proposed repeal of the law banning homosexuals from military service will reportedly be “released in full” next week, on November 30th — one day prior to the original date for which the report was supposed to be delivered to the Secretary of Defense.
The fact that the military’s entire emphasis has been how to react Read more…
US District Court Judge Virginia Phillips has ruled the policy known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” violates the First and Fifth Amendments to the US Constitution and has issued an injunction prohibiting its enforcement. According to reports, Judge Phillips made the following military analyses:
Phillips [said] the policy doesn’t help military readiness and instead has a “direct and deleterious effect” on the armed services by hurting recruiting when the country is at war and requiring the discharge of service members with critical skills and training.
Phillips’ ruling referred to both the US law banning Read more…
In response to the controversy over the “Ground Zero Mosque” in New York City, a spate of articles has taken to highlighting the “non-controversy” over Islamic prayers occurring in the Pentagon Chapel, just feet from the impact point of one of the other airliners hijacked in 2001:
The Pentagon chapel is part of a memorial to the 184 people killed in 2001 when hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 flew into the west side of the Pentagon and plowed through three of the building’s five office rings.
As part of its massive renovation, the Pentagon opened the nondenominational chapel in November 2002. The chapel hosts a daily prayer group and weekly worship service for Muslims, and provides similar services for Jews, Hindus, Mormons, Protestants, Catholics and Episcopalians. Read more…
Norbertine Father Martin Benzoni is a unique Chaplain serving the US military: he isn’t in the military. He currently serves in El Segundo as the
first ever part-time civilian Catholic chaplain or contractor assigned there. The decision to hire contractors was made at the Pentagon level in order to cover the unique needs in the military…due to a priest shortage the Pentagon decided to sign contracts with the chaplains at all military facilities.
As noted, Benzoni is not the only contract Chaplain. Interestingly, the contract is between the priest’s religious order and the Air Force. For those not familiar with military contracting, this means that Benzoni is not even a federal employee. He could be moved by his Abbot and replaced with another priest; the contract merely requires the order to fulfill the requirement of having a priest there. In addition, according to the news article he cannot be deployed (though other contractors can be).
As promised, Franklin Graham prayed outside of the Pentagon yesterday before joining other National Day of Prayer events in the Capitol area.
At least one organization that opposed Graham’s invitation applauded the “religious freedom” that allowed Graham to pray on the sidewalk:
Rev. Franklin Graham may not have had all the bunting and military brass of an official Pentagon event backing him, but he managed to pray today anyway, and in what I consider a more suitable venue: impromptu on the sidewalk. There, any American of any faith can pray, without needing an invitation, without appearing to speak for the government, and without compromising their prophetic voice. Religious freedom is alive and well in America.
They are not the only ones to presume that Graham’s presence would be “speaking for the government,” and they are also not the only ones to forget the “religious freedom” of the men and women in the military Read more…
Despite being “disinvited” from the Pentagon’s National Day of Prayer events, Franklin Graham has said he will still go to the Pentagon to pray.
If President Obama fails to intervene to allow controversial evangelist Franklin Graham to lead a National Day of Prayer event Thursday inside the Pentagon, “it will be a slap in the face of all Christians,” Graham said Tuesday.
And invited or not, he’ll stand in front of the Pentagon and pray, Graham said in an interview…
Graham says after he prays at the Pentagon, he’ll join the [NDoP] group on Capitol Hill.
Thirty-six members of Congress have reportedly taken the military to task over the treatment of Graham.
In an interesting turn of events, during his North Carolina vacation President Obama visited Billy Graham and his son, Franklin Graham — after a week that saw the Pentagon rescind an invitation to the younger Graham over his religious views. Though the visit was initiated after the Pentagon’s announcement, it is likely Obama’s intent was to visit the elder Graham. The Obamas received a gift, and the two gentlemen prayed for each other:
At the end, Graham presented Obama with two Bibles — one for him and the other for first lady Michelle Obama, Ross said. The two men then prayed together, with Obama first praying for Graham and then Graham “concluded with a prayer for the president, his family and his administration,” according to Ross.
Update: Franklin Graham apparently got the ear of the President – and a seemingly supportive (or diplomatic) reply — over the recent incident:
In reference to the invitation being rescinded, Franklin Graham told The Associated Press that he told the president that activists were trying to remove all religion from the military, and he said Obama pledged to look into it.
The “disinvitation” of Franklin Graham from the Pentagon’s National Day of Prayer has continued to raise the ire of a variety of public figures. Read more…
It is now common knowledge that Franklin Graham’s invitation to speak at the prayer day hosted by the Pentagon Chaplaincy was “rescinded.”
Army spokesman Col. Tom Collins confirmed today, that at the Army’s request, the Pentagon Chaplain’s Office had contacted Graham to withdraw the invitation extended to him to be the main speaker at the Pentagon’s observance of the National Day of Prayer.
As a result, the National Day of Prayer Task Force is also not participating in the Pentagon event. Graham responded:
I regret that the Army felt it was necessary to rescind their invitation to the National Day of Prayer Task Force to participate in the Pentagon’s special prayer service. I want to express my strong support for the United States military and all our troops. I will continue to pray that God will give them guidance, wisdom and protection as they serve this great country.
(Some have claimed the NDoP itself is unConstitutional, consistent with Read more…
A FoxNews article highlights the criticism of the US military for an invitation to Franklin Graham for a May 6 day of prayer.
A military spokesman had an interesting statement:
“We are an all-inclusive military. We hold observances throughout the year. This one happens to be a Christian-themed event,” [Army Col. Tom] Collins said.
This is a somewhat unique statement, because many people seem to be assuming a military chapel event has to be “inclusive.” However, the Colonel Read more…
Since the demise of its last lawsuit seeking an end to public religious expression in the military, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation has been searching for a cause. (Michael Weinstein promised to file an appeal, though it appears he has not done so.) After the Trijicon scandal was quickly defused, Weinstein made a furtive effort to revive it a few months later–with little public reaction. He also tried to attach his organization to the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” media frenzy without much success. Weinstein is struggling for relevancy even among his own supporters; a recent fundraiser garnered few contributors.
In his latest bid for publicity, Weinstein demanded Read more…
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