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Chaplains minister to people of all faiths
Date published: 2/9/2009
This is in response to the bill introduced by Del. Charles Carrico regarding volunteer chaplains being able to pray in the manner pertaining to their own denomination ["House supports chaplain prayers," Feb. 5]. I am a devout Christian, a firm believer in First Amendment religious freedoms, and a retired Navy officer. I've been blessed countless times over the years That takes work, talent, and a blessing from God. The alternative is that we will have courts enforcing the rights of the audience not to be preached to, and the elimination of prayer altogether. Think back to chaplains administering the last rites of whatever faith to a dying serviceman on a battlefield. All chaplains were trained in the past to tailor these prayers to the faith of the wounded, not attempt a last-minute conversion. A Catholic chaplain is not there to minister just to Catholics; a Jewish chaplain is not there to minister just to Jews. It is a demonstration of Christianity to be able to minister to a person of another faith in the tradition of the one being ministered. I find that those who insist on praying "their way" do not consider the Muslim or Jew in the audience. Perhaps, more importantly, they would object if they were in the audience with an invocation being delivered by a clergyman who invoked the name of Allah or Yahweh. I don't claim to hold all the answers, but a chaplain must remember that he or she must serve his congregation's or audience's needs, not just his own. Michael A. Gorman Spotsylvania
Date published: 2/9/2009
Individuals and Prayer
(posted by
SueBee
, Feb. 9, 2009 4:31 pm)
Why can't individuals say their own prayer to whatever god/God they believe is going to hear them? Why do I need a chaplain or preacher telling god/God what I want or need? I have never understood these things.
correction:
(posted by
Theophilus
, Feb. 9, 2009 6:55 am)
Christianity and Christian ministry does not have to be compromised in order to minister to someone from a different worldview or religion. Help the gutless wonders who think otherwise.
Talent or compromise?
(posted by
Theophilus
, Feb. 9, 2009 6:50 am)
I have served in the military chaplaincy myself. As a Christian I never compromised my Christian faith, and was still able to minister to a person of like faith, no faith, or another faith. I did not and would not compromise the faith that was delivered once for all to the saints. Help that minister to buckles under the pressure from the secular city and looses his or her spiritual backbone and compromises Christian ministry to anyone who is hurting without identifying with another faith. Help them!
dooltaz: your type of thinking leads to
(posted by
Tamerlane
, Feb. 9, 2009 6:12 am)
autos da fe and religious war. Others are just as ardent in their faith as you, but do not attempt to impost it. You are a social and religious atavist. You need a state with a king and a state religion. Better to killem or burnem than let em burn in H*ll, eh? Google The Constituion, then do a word check for religion.
As a Christian I disagree.
(posted by
dooltaz
, Feb. 9, 2009 4:14 am)
You sound more like a humanist than a bible-believing Christian. It's not about a feeling, it's about the truth.
As for the audience's needs, their greatest need is salvation and assurance of salvation. What is better, making a Muslim feel better about themselves now and end up in Hell forever, or sharing the truth in love that they may have the opportunity to be saved.
Do you believe the bible?
http://lifeinprisonministry.blogspot.com/2009/02/christian-chaplains-wimping-out.html
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