Bless America, God. In the name of Jesus Christ, will ask your forgiveness and guidance. Amen.
Posted on 11/15/2005 5:43:24 PM PST by conserv371
A pattern of hostility to free speech - specifically the rights of Christians to pray - is on the rise in our country.
We saw it in our nation’s public schools ... where prayer was officially banned. We have seen it in our workplaces.
Now, our United States military seems to have “jumped on the bandwagon” ... with Air Force leadership recently releasing proposed guidelines that will restrict how Air Force chaplains can pray.
If approved, these guidelines may well be implemented throughout the entire Armed Forces.
This is an outrage that we cannot allow! Already, it is documented that chaplains are “feeling the heat” to restrict their prayers and mask their faith.
Christian chaplains are being told NOT to pray in the name of Jesus!
For many Christian chaplains, praying in the name of Jesus is a fundamental part of their beliefs. To suppress this form of expression would be a violation of their constitutional rights and religious freedoms.
Furthermore, to censor Christian chaplains is a disservice to the thousands of Christian soldiers in the military who look to their chaplains for comfort, inspiration, and support ... just as military soldiers of other faiths look to their chaplains.
Again, we cannot allow these proposed guidelines to be passed. We cannot sit idly by while our honored Christian military chaplains are singled out and silenced.
I have assembled a senior legal team at the ACLJ, including a 20-year military veteran who worked at the Pentagon. We are drafting a legal analysis and comments to be used in this process.
Thankfully, a group of Congressmen has joined together to call on the President to protect by Executive Order the constitutional right of military chaplains to pray according to their faith.
In response to this outrageous and blatant religious intolerance and infringement of free speech rights, the ACLJ has embarked on a nationwide campaign to PROTECT PRAYER and the constitutional rights of military chaplains.
In our Armed Forces, all faiths must be respected. Christian chaplains must be permitted to pray in the name of Jesus.
The ACLJ is working to generate a massive grassroots effort, to let the President know that we will not stand for this type of blatant religious intolerance in our nation’s military. President Bush must step in to protect religious freedom.
In I John 2 the antichrist is defined as anyone who has rejected Jesus as the savior and there are many antichrists. However, your meaning is well taken. Time to read the Mt. Olivet discourse in Matthew 24 again.
The Air Force is under the Commander in Chief (who probably hasn't been involved in these discussions) and the Secretary of Defense. So give credit where it is due.
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
***
It seems clear this is playing right into the hands of the false "Christian" teachers that say that no matter who you pray to that we are all praying to the same God. (A lie) They will claim that the name of Jesus does NOT need to be called upon for salvation but that there are many ways to God!
see #48
I posted a link to a Washington Post article above. What kind of documentation do you want?
"Those are current guidelines not the recently PROPOSED GUIDELINES!!!"
Ane the proposed ones are.... where exactly?
And that's just for starters. From Matthew:
1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 1:19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. 1:20 But when he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name JESUS; for it is he that shall save his people from their sins. 1:22 Now all this is come to pass, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying,
1:23 Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son,
And they shall call his name Immanuel;
which is, being interpreted, God with us. 1:24 And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took unto him his wife; 1:25 and knew her not till she had brought forth a son: and he called his name JESUS.
So where would this directive actually come from? The article does not give the source. (Or did I miss something?)
Bless America, God. In the name of Jesus Christ, will ask your forgiveness and guidance. Amen.
Seems the US Military doesn't give a fat rat's bladder about any "seperation of church and state" issues.
It has been in the works for over 20 years. I first heard of this from a chaplain friend of ours.
It has been in the works for over 20 years. I first heard of this from a chaplain friend of ours.
ping to #43
Nice going DS.
Our family received Jay Sekulow's newsletter includes "Some chaplains have been criticized and even reprimanded for using Bible verses and invoking the name of Jesus in memorial services." I will try to find more out.
OK. If the Washington Post isn't good enough for you, here's the original from the official Air Force site:
http://www.usafa.af.mil/superintendent/pa/religious.cfm
Scroll down to 3. B. (1) - (4) and 3. C. (1) - (3) and, specific to the AFA, 3. F. (5)
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