Another PR Coup for Christianity: Hunger Striking Navy Chaplain

[BurtWorm]

Just another fundamentalist demonstrating his version of a firm grip on reality...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/09/AR2006010901812_pf.html

Fasting Chaplain Declares Victory
Navy Denies That He Couldn't Pray In Jesus's Name

By Alan Cooperman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 10, 2006; A13

A Navy chaplain who had been on an 18-day hunger strike resumed eating Saturday and reported for duty yesterday at the base chapel in Norfolk, saying he had finally wrung from the Navy the right to pray publicly in the name of Jesus.

But a spokesman for the Navy maintained that the chaplain, Lt. Gordon James Klingenschmitt, had been tilting at windmills all along. The Navy has no regulation against praying to Jesus and "has always encouraged every chaplain to pray according to his own individual faith during worship services," said the spokesman, Lt. William Marks.

...

On Dec. 22, two days after he stopped eating, the Navy notified Klingenschmitt that he could stay on "indefinitely" in the chaplain corps. But Klingenschmitt vowed that he would not eat "until the president gives me back my uniform and let's me pray in the name of Jesus."

Sixteen days later -- and 14 pounds lighter -- Klingenschmitt declared victory after the commanding officer of the Norfolk Naval Station, where he is now assigned, said in writing that he could wear his uniform if he was conducting a "bona fide worship service" in front of the White House. His first bite was a Communion wafer....

[BOSSHOG]

1. The Lieutenant is a fool

and the Navy is foolish for keeping him. His job is not to pray in the name of Jesus, his job is to minister to the spiritual needs of his Sailors. He's a fucking failure as an Officer and as a Priest. I would love to have input into his next fitness report. The junior officer needs to spend a half hour in the CPO Goat Locker. He is grandstanding to the detriment of his flock. Christian conservative garbage has no place in my Navy.

[MADem]

2. Right on, BOSSHOG

I see you're familiar with the SECNAV, OPNAV and DOD guidance as well! The praying is a totally PERSONAL sideshow, the actual JOB is to provide for the facilitation of religious expression for ALL FAITHS, and provide pastoral counselling IF REQUESTED. That means the chap needs to get on the horn and find the nearest rabbi for the Jewish kid, the nearest priest for the Catholic kid, supervise the lay leaders, and work more than one goddamn day a week.

This 'pray in the name of Jesus' shit has been going on for over a decade, and it needs to be STOPPED. If they have to shitcan invocations and benedictions at command ceremonies, so friken be it.

I was especially appalled that at the outset of this fiasco in Iraq, some asshole chap went over there with a portable swimming pool, and only let kids that he baptised swim in it--this was back when everyone was sleeping in a hole in the sand, and they didn't even have the porta-showers set up, and Baby Wipes were being black marketed for ten bucks a pack....bastards!

[FreedomAngel82]

7. Oh my gosh

I didn't know that. I remember reading something about a pool but not that.
Christians are supposed to be, gee oh I don't know, Christ-like and Jesus wasn't selfish like these bastards are. :mad: I can't believe it sometimes but it's true. :mad:

[MADem]

14. Happened a few years back, the crappy chappy got disciplined

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/special/iraq/1856956.html

Here's a link for your files...I like to back my assertions up when I can! This happened a few years ago, so there's no fresh outrage to deal with--it's just more of the same shit:

Monday's Miami Herald article described how Llano required the soldiers to first listen to an 1 1/2-hour sermon in his dirt-floor tent. The actual baptism took an hour as Llano read from the Bible.

Llano, who described himself in the article as a Southern Baptist evangelist, was quoted as saying: "You have to be aggressive to help people find themselves in God."
Wester said, "As I've read the article and discussed with other chaplains, the implication of the story is this was a kind of situation of coercion or bribery."

The story generated outrage online -- one person who posted a message on one Web site described the article as "disturbing." Another unidentified person posted a letter addressed to Gunhus that cited the Army's requirement that chaplains be "sensitive to religious pluralism and be able to provide for the free exercise of religion."

"It is my hope and my request that you will take immediate action to put an end to Chaplain Llano's tactics and remind him of his obligation," the e-mail stated. ...

[BOSSHOG]

10. Back in the 80's

I was stationed at the shipyard in Philadelphia. A new Chaplain checked onboard in Navy Uniform and I asked him if he was Catholic. He said "son I'll be whatever you want me to be." No prosletyzing, no preaching, just a professional doing his job. The L-T needs his ass kicked. He is of absolutely no use to any Sailors assigned to his base.

[MADem]

15. That was a good'un

Damn few of them around anymore, sadly.

[FreedomAngel82]

6. Right

That's what I always thought too. He's being purely selfish.

[meegbear]

3. Here's a writeup on his appearance on Hannity and Colmes

FOX News Continues Its Crusade To Force The World To Be More Christian

Developing: One of last night’s (1/5/06) guests on Hannity & Colmes was a Navy chaplain, Gordon James Klingenschmitt, who is on a hunger strike until, as FOX News puts it, “President Bush signs an executive order allowing military chaplains to pray according to their beliefs.” What that really means, as Alan Colmes brought out, is that the Navy wants him to be non-denominational in his public remarks. But on FOX News, non-denominational is demonized as anti-Christian.

A Navy spokesperson said that rules governing Navy chaplains do not limit what they can say during religious ceremonies but do specify that chaplains should “focus on practices the faiths have in common” when speaking at secular and public events.

But that’s not good enough for Klingenschmitt, who demanded that he be able to pray the way he wants (i.e. to Jesus) nor for Sean Hanctimonious who declared (without offering any proof) that Klingenschmitt was perfectly within his rights. No spokesperson for the Navy was on the show.

An article on the Navy’s Stars and Stripes indicates that Klingenschmitt may be a bit of a nut (another in the stable of questionable spokespeople on FNC).

He believes his superiors are working toward discharging him from the service and the chaplain’s corps, and has filed a lawsuit against the Navy to keep his post. His contract runs out Dec. 31, and he said officials will not provide the necessary paperwork for him to continue in the chaplain’s role.

Navy spokesman Lt. William Marks said Klingenschmitt is still an active-duty sailor in good standing, has no disciplinary action pending, and has not received any punishment for language used in public forums. He would not comment on the paperwork accusation.

Both Hannity and Colmes tried to pin Klingenschmitt down as to how far he would really, truly take his hunger strike, but he refused to commit.

http://www.newshounds.us/2006/01/06/fox_news_continues_its_crusade_to_force_the_world_to_be_more_christian.php

[northzax]

12. this sounds to me a lot like

someone got a poor fitness review and was going to be let go at the end of his contract. And so he made a big deal about nothing to attract attention to his cause and keep his job.

Someone transfer this bozo to Tikrit already, I think the troops over there need a little ministerin'.

[MADem]

16. His problem is not necessarily with the Navy, it is with his

...ecclesiastical endorsing agency. The dumb fuck just doesn't know it yet. I will bet you a donut the senior fundie chaplain on active duty has already called his endorsing agency and told them to "call that boy home." And they'll do it, too, otherwise the "non-liturgical prod ratio" (nonliturgical protestant chaplains of all denominations on active duty) will skew, and fewer of his sect will be asked to join up. They don't like it when their numbers are shaved, because the military is such a captive audience.

And you can be sure the doc who does his next physical might find call to recommend a psych eval, too. Without even taking it any further, "convenience of the government" discharges are what they are--convenient for the government. And there ain't shit he can do--he serves at the pleasure of his earthly lord and savior, George W. Nitwit--and if that dunce don't want the boy around, he's outta there.

[FreedomAngel82]

4. So what about the Jews and pagans?

Do they have the right? I remember reading a letter in the Stars and Stripes from a guy who said he was pagan and he worried a lot about how some Christians in the military are treating other people of faith which goes against the second commandment Jesus taught: love thy neighbor as thy self.

[MADem]

17. I believe pagans can have lay leaders, but since they do not have

an "endorsing agency" that requires a certain level of formal education and has a hierarchical structure, they cannot have chaplains. A lay leader is a volunteer, part time position that cannot interfere with one's regular duties.

Jews serve as chaplains routinely--there are a bit more than two dozen active, and maybe 50 or so reservists. I honestly do not know one who made flag or general rank, but I knew an 0-6 quite well. There are a few muslims as well, maybe a dozen or so active, slightly fewer in the reserves, and those numbers are slowly increasing (they started out with three or four).

[progressivebydesign]

5. He sounds pretty unstable... n/t

[FreedomAngel82]

8. He does

[Bake]

9. It's the magic words ...

Every prayer must end, "in Jesus' name, amen." Or else God won't hear it.

:sarcasm:

Bake

[warrens]

11. Victimhood

They lust after it so much they make shit up, like the War on Christmas. Buncha arrogant pieces of shit.

[northzax]

13. here's his website

I see he went to the Freerepublic school of web design. I did better than this in 1997.

www.persuade.tv