Tag Archives: Religion

National Day of Prayer, 7 May 09

Updated: Obama’s proclamation can be read here.  Text below the fold. 

This year’s National Day of Prayer is Thursday, 7 May 2009.  As discussed every year at about this time, the President proclaims a National Day of Prayer on the first Thursday in May in accordance with Public Law 100-307 (history).

Much ado was made of President Obama’s failure thus far to make the proclamation, in addition to questions that circulated over whether he would continue the tradition of hosting an observance at the White House.  (Former proclamations by President Bush, which normally preceded the day by several weeks, have been removed from the White House website.) It has now been reported that Obama will make the proclamation, as required by law, but not host a White House observance of the day.

Last year Michael Weinstein’s Military Religious Freedom Foundation threatened to add military associations with the National Day of Prayer task force (a private group) to his DoD lawsuit, though he never followed through on his threat. Read more

Updated: More al Jazeera Chaplain Video

In an apparent response to the claims that it took things out of context, al Jazeera has posted a seven minute unedited video clip of the “Bible study group” in which the local language Bibles were shown.  The original video, discussed here, was severely edited and has caused an internet uproar calling for court martial for the Chaplains and discharge for all the military members involved.

The fuller video is somewhat vindicating, and demonstrates that the al Jazeera clip did, in fact, take the Chaplain’s and soldiers’ words out of context. The Chaplain, accused in some places of illegal action, gives very good, very legal advice, and talks about the “hearts and minds” of the Afghani and Muslim culture.  He very specifically, and very emphatically, says violating General Order number one is not the “sword they want to fall on.” Read more

US Military Chaplains on al Jazeera

As noted at the Huffington Post, al Jazeera has posted a news article and segment (video on YouTube) showing military Chaplains in the Middle East with Bibles in the local language and preaching “conversion.”

While seemingly inflammatory on its face (as evidenced by the outrage in subsequent comments on the websites), the newsreel is actually an “exercise in context.”  For example, it highlights this quote, also re-posted in both the al Jazeera and Huffington Post articles:

[T]he chaplains appear to have found a way around the regulation known as General Order Number One.

“Do we know what it means to proselytise?” Captain Emmit Furner, a military chaplain, says to the gathering.

“It is General Order Number One,” an unidentified soldier replies.

But [another soldier] says “you can’t proselytise but you can give gifts.”

The voiceover then continues, and the Huffington article goes on to emphasize the crime of conversion in Afghanistan.

Both ignore the significance of the very next statement by the Chaplain, which is almost obscured by the al Jazeera narrator. Read more

AF Offers Chaplaincy Scholarships

According to an AF news release, the Air Force is offering scholarships to Chaplain candidates from “underrepresented” faiths:

The program will help fill manning shortfalls in faiths underrepresented in the Air Force. For example, 14 percent of the 534 active duty chaplains in the Air Force are Roman Catholic, yet they provide services for 25 percent of Airmen, as well as their families, said Chaplain (Maj. Gen.) Cecil Richardson, the Air Force chief of chaplains.

Military National Prayer Breakfasts

According to a variety of sources, the National Prayer Breakfast is an annual Washington, DC, event for Congressional and Executive leaders that has been ongoing for decades.  President Obama spoke at this year’s event in February.

The tradition has spread across the country, with a variety of other locations holding similar breakfasts, luncheons, or other gatherings.  Members of the Chaplain corps often sponsor Prayer Breakfasts at military installations.  Prayers and speeches are often presented by Christian, Muslim, and Jewish Chaplains, as well as notable personalities.  Though they are non-denominational and inclusive, they are not without controversy.

The 10th Mountain Division held theirs in early March, with noted speaker Bobby Welch invited to address the group.  Welch is a Vietnam Veteran Read more

Sikh Coalition Campaigns for Military Service

Updated: CNN now carries the story. 

The Sikh Coalition has announced a “campaign” to convince the US Army to allow members of the Sikh faith to serve in uniform.  Two medical students, one a dentist, one a doctor, were reportedly recruited by the Army only to be told later that they would not be able to wear their religious apparel while in uniform.

According to the site, the Sikh faith requires that they carry their “articles of faith,” which include “unshorn” hair, a turban, a metal bracelet, a kind of shorts, and a kirpan (or “Sikh sword”).  In general, these accoutrements have been found to be inconsistent with military uniform regulations; therefore, Sikhs would have to give up these articles of faith while in uniform Read more

DoJ Moves to Dismiss Chalker/MRFF Lawsuit

The Obama Administration’s Department of Justice has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit brought by Specialist Dustin Chalker and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.  The lawsuit (discussed previously and available here) alleged that Chalker was forced to attend formations that had Christian prayers.  It asked that the Courts direct that the DoD not require Chalker to attend formations at which a prayer was given.

The motion to dismiss contains a variety of strong points (some of which have been mentioned on this site previously).  In particular Read more

MRFF Calls for Chief Chaplain’s Court Martial

According to a variety of reports, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation has called for the dismissal of Chaplain (Major General) Douglas Carver, the US Army’s Chief Chaplain.  As noted earlier, Chaplain Carver had called for a day of prayer and fasting among his Chaplaincy corps on April 8th, which coincided with the beginning of Passover celebrations in the Jewish community.

Weinstein claimed he’d received a “tsunami” of complaints against the Day of Prayer, though his MRFF is the only organization to protest.  Weinstein, who is Jewish, said

The fact that this would fall on this same day is not just wrong or bad, but unforgivable, and Carver should be severely disciplined.

By contrast, some responses, by those of both the Jewish and other faiths, expressed support for the Chaplain, noting that Jewish fasts are entirely appropriate on this day.   One post appears to have been written by Chaplain (Col) Jacob Goldstein, the US Army’s “Senior Jewish Chaplain,” Read more

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