Navy and Chaplains Still at Odds

Praying according to one's understanding of God is the essence of religious practice. The Navy having succumbed to political correctness was trying to enforce a generic expression on the part of its chaplains. Lieutenant Klingenschmitt when on a public fast in front of the White House to bring the situation to light hoping to regain the ability to pray according to his religion without sanction.

Now he and other chaplains are claiming discrimination in promotion because of the issue.

Lieutenant Klingenschmitt won his individual battle but said it cost him any chance for a promotion.

He is joining a larger effort that seeks to allow chaplains to worship and pray according to their own faith traditions, rather than following generic and pluralistic prayer texts.

More than 65 chaplains have joined a class-action lawsuit against the Navy alleging religious discrimination, saying they were passed over for promotion because their faith practices did not conform to the Navy's pluralism policies.

Seventy five members of Congress, led by U.S. Rep. Walter Jones (R., N.C.), have signed a letter to President Bush asking him to sign an executive order allowing military chaplains to pray according to their faith traditions.

"The Navy is telling me I have to practice pluralism instead of the Christian faith, and they tell me my sermons and prayers have to be pluralistic and encompass all faiths," Lieutenant Klingenschmitt said. "That would violate my vows to my civilian bishop who wants me to practice my Christian faith. I wear a cross on my uniform, not a 'P' for pluralism."

For any agent of the state to dictate the practices of the participants of any religion is an establishment of a state religion. The Navy's effort to accomplish this as a recommendation rather than an official policy does not relieve it of its intent. What the Navy is trying to accomplish is a chaplain corp that has an appearance of godliness but denies the power.