An interview with US Navy Chaplain (LtCmdr) Wes Modder at Breitbart revealed a few more details about the Navy’s decision to remove him and attempt to discharge him from the military over complaints about his beliefs.

It seems the Lt(JG) complainant, at points described as a “chaplain’s assistant,” was in fact a new officer filling a temporary job while waiting for his next assignment. With apparent time on his hands — and an agenda — it seems the new officer decided he would go out of his way to make his mark on the Navy.

From Breitbart:

It turns out the young officer seemed to be running his own private investigation into Modder’s Christian beliefs and how they may conflict with his interpretation of proper tolerance for LGBT individuals.

To be clear, there were (reportedly) no complaints in more than 19 years of Modder’s service, most of which was as a chaplain. This Lt(JG) showed up to kill time before his assignment, and suddenly the chaplain is unfit not only for duty in the command, but duty in the US Navy at all.

The Department of Defense said chaplains would not have to modify their religious counseling even after “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was repealed. That means the vast majority of military chaplains are explicitly permitted to express their theological opposition to homosexuality even as they serve as military officers. Yet the charges against Chaplain Modder include such claims as “he told a student homosexuality was wrong” — clearly a protected expression of theological belief.

By Sunday nearly 60,000 people had signed an FRC petition asking the Navy to rescind the action against Chaplain Modder. The Chaplain also received statements of support from Mike Huckabee, Franklink Graham, US Rep (and Air Force Chaplain) Doug Collins, Senator Ted Cruz, Rick Santorum, and Tony Perkins.

The apparent egregious nature of the actions against Chaplain Modder have given the story significant legs in the media.  Someone in the Navy JAG chain is getting his head handed to him right now as they try to get their story straight.

Also at the Christian Post and Military.com.

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