Bill would lift limits on chaplains’ language

Bill would lift limits on chaplains’ language
By Leo Shane III, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Wednesday, July 23, 2008



WASHINGTON — Supporters of new legislation that would allow military chaplains to pray "in Jesus’ name" insist it’s needed to protect religious freedom in the ranks, arguing that service officials are still pressuring Christian ministers to tone down their language.

The bill, introduced last week by Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., mandates that if chaplains are asked to lead a prayer in a public setting outside their official religious duties, they will have "the prerogative to close the prayer according to the dictates of the chaplain’s own conscience."

Officials from Jones’ office said the measure came after continued complaints from chaplains that commanding officers were pressuring them into using nondenominational language in public settings, forcing them to choose between their beliefs and their military duty.

Jones introduced a similar bill two years ago, as lawmakers and military officials sparred over Navy and Air Force policies dictating secular, nondenominational prayers for chaplains outside of their worship services.

Those policies were repealed in the 2007 Defense Authorization Bill, but supporters failed to get enough backing to also include language specifically protecting chaplains who disobey superior officers by using nonapproved language in public settings, such as memorial or change-of-command ceremonies.
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