Suicide Prevention Chaplain Gets Support From Lawmakers

When this story first broke, I posted "Holy Crap" Christian Chaplain Told He Can't Share Faith? simply stunned by how low some people will sink to "protect" religious rights for their own freedom but never once consider it doesn't give them the right to take away in the process.

It is disgusting when some believe they can force their beliefs on others and equally so when someone believes they can force their non-belief on everyone else.

Most experts say the best way to treat combat PTSD is a triple play, mind, body and spirit since the veteran will struggle with surviving as well as judging their own actions. It is actually harder for believers to seek help afterwards than for non-believers. Why? Because unfortunately there are many who consider PTSD judgement from God topped off with if the veterans struggles with thoughts or attempts to commit suicide, wow, that is a huge sin in their eyes, as long as they don't have to see how they are in fact judging the veteran, which is also a huge sin in Christ's book.

Anyway, people in general believe in God and most believe in Christ. They may not agree on dogma or doctrine and a large percentage no longer attend church services but the majority tell me they believe.

They walk away from an event or a deployment believing that either God saved them or judged them and did it all to them. They believe their pain is God's will simply because they do not understand God anymore than they understand PTSD.

If everyone they know professing to be religious give the appearance of being fine, the veterans needing help will be more reluctant to ask for help. Then you can toss in the cluster of FUBAR they are fed with "resilience training" and you get the idea none of it bodes well for openness or, as Stephen Colbert coined, "truthiness."

So fast forward to when a Chaplain dared to not just talk about having PTSD, but when it was like to have a crisis in faith and then be restored.

To the soldiers sitting there listening to him they would have taken away a deeper understanding that it is ok to feel what they do and ok to ask for help as well as having someone stand there and offer hope that they were not condemned to remain grieving instead of experiencing healing.

I am glad lawmakers have taken this on because freedom of religion must include the right to also choose to worship as well as to not.

This Army Chaplain Was Trying to Help Prevent Suicide. Now 24 Lawmakers Are Defending Him.
IJ Review
BY MIKE MILLER
MILITARY, RELIGION
February 20, 2015

Army chaplain Capt. Joe Lawhorn conducted a suicide-prevention training session at the University of Georgia in November. As a chaplain, he made references to the Bible. He was disciplined by the Army for doing so.

Now 24 lawmakers are trying to help him fight back.

Senators Mike Lee (R-UT), Ted Cruz (R-TX), James Inhofe (R-OK), Tom Cotton (R-AR) David Vitter (R-LA), Roy Blunt (R-MO), and James Lankford (R-OK), along with 17 House members, co-signed a letter to Army Secretary John McHugh. They wrote, in part:

We believe this administrative action sets a dangerous precedent for Army suicide prevention initiatives, the role of Army chaplains, and most importantly, the ability for service members to exercise and express religious beliefs, as protected under the First Amendment and reinforced by current law and [Department of Defense] regulations.

“We fully expect the Army to take the steps necessary in protecting the religious freedom of all soldiers while affirming the vital role of chaplains in ensuring the well-being of our soldiers. During the training session, Lawhorn recounted his bouts with depression while serving as an Army Ranger, and how reading the Bible helped him cope with his struggles.
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