The State church is patterned after the liberal denominations.
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True, and add that, should one TSPM (government) church "preacher" slip through their training system still believing in the literal Second Coming of Jesus Christ, and try to preach this from a TSPM pulpit, the authorities will clamp down on him/her as if he/she had directly attacked the Chinese Communist Party.
Communists cannot tolerate any doctrine that teaches, directly or indirectly, the legitimacy and authority of any opposing government, including our Lord's coming Kingdom on Earth.
Of course, they kind of confuse the reign of Antichrist, which is democratically elected; the man of sin, son of perdition will come in through either (UNO) international election, or by international capitulation and consensus, and will be exalted by man, as was King Saul.
In preaching on the Second Coming of Christ, biblically, the short, temporary reign of the son of perdition would be introduced into the topic. The Chinese Communists are actually quite aware of this, and this doctrine is specifically attacked in the "Bible" colleges and seminaries in China. Imagine that, after all, the Chinese Communist Party losing power in China for the Beast of the Apocalypse ?!
The Son of Man, the King of Israel, Jesus Christ, will not come to power by democratic election nor consensus, but by direct violent intervention and conquest, by the Sword that proceeds out of His mouth, and His armies from Heaven; He will put down all rule and authority.
It is easy to see, then, why this kind of preaching is banned in the TSPM churches.
And, by the way, it is only a matter of time (short time) before the IRS begins a direct attack upon 501(c)(3) churches that emphasize Millennarian doctrine.
Interesting how that "the powers that be" understand that Millennarian (especially Pre-Millennarian) doctrine tends to produce resistance to socialism and totalitarianism, ideologies which have advanced more effectively in the United States since Ronald Reagan's "Tear Down That Wall" speech than ever before.
As a retired Army chaplain, there are some facts that must be considered by those not part of the chaplain system. These facts are generally not known, and they must be known to make a fair decision.
1. The chaplaincy is grouped into some basic faith groups: Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, and now Muslim. There is a minor grouping, sometimes, for Anglican (Episcopal), Orthodox, Mormon, and Other non-Christian religions.
2. A chaplain must serve all denominations/faith groups in his/her military unit when it comes to what we call “general religious support.” This would be ensuring that, for example, a Jewish soldier has access to kosher rations, and other such things.
3. A chaplain serves only his “broader” denomination (see opening paragraph) when it comes “direct support.” Direct support is performing direct religious ministry such as baptism, communion, etc. A Methodist chaplain, for example, cannot perform communion for a Catholic soldier. A Catholic chaplain cannot conduct Passover for Jewish soldiers. Direct support ministry must be performed by a member of that soldier’s denomination/faith group. This makes sense.
4. Most installations have one or more of what is known as a “General Protestant” worship service. These services include a variety of “protestant” denominations gathered in one place for worship.
5. When in the field deployed, the chaplain will conduct services and will have soldiers of a huge variety of denominations gather around him to have a brief time of worship. This is a general setting.
The problem with those facts above is that one of the groupings is called “Protestant.” There is, in reality, no such thing as a denomination called “Protestant.” You have 2 entirely different creatures when you have a baptist and a methodist. (Or any other “protestant” denomination.)
Therefore, when a “Protestant” chaplain agrees to be the preacher at a “General Protestant” service, he/she is agreeing to honor the differences of the various “protestant” denominations in that particular congregation. In such a case, a chaplain would be out of line, given the situation, to attack Calvinism, Pentecostalism, Immersionism, or any other doctrinal distinctive of denominations not his own.
Likewise, it would be out-of-line for a chaplain to intentionally promote in his preaching a doctrinal distinctive unique to his own denomination. (Amillennialism versus premillennialism, for example)
If a chaplain does NOT wish to abide by such a restriction, there is no rule and no harm in saying that he/she does NOT want to lead a “General Protestant” congregation. He/she is generally free to participate or start a denominationally specific worship service. This, of course, would depend on the deployment schedule of his unit. A chaplain with the 82d Airborne who is gone a lot might not want to start a service and then be absent on deployment for a large portion of the time.
In the field deployed, however, a chaplain is operating in a “general” environment. He/she has agreed to this by virtue of even accepting a position as a military chaplain. There is an expectation, and a fair one, that a chaplain in such a setting NOT undermine other protestant denominations. At the same time, there’s a recognition that what is going to come out of a man is what’s inside him and a lot of that is unconsciously denominationally specific. The point is that one should not intentionally be trying to attack or undermine other “protestant” denominations.
If in my preaching, for example, I am assuming “once saved always saved”, as I speak on a Christian’s relationship with God, then that is fine. On the other hand, if I intentionally preach OSAS as the truth and the only truth other positions be damned, then I’ve overstepped.
Like it or not, there are some fair limitations one imposes on oneself when entering the military chaplaincy. We treat other protestant soldiers as we would want another chaplain to be treating soldiers of our own denomination. I don’t want them undermined in the doctrine. Therefore, I shouldn’t be undermining other soldiers.
And, that is one reason that the literal interpretation of Biblical END TIMES prophecies as fitting no other era but this one is so offensive to the theologically, spiritually infected-by-the-evil-one preterist, am-mil, post-mil etc. perspectives. There is no room in the universe for anything but the evil one's perspective, in his view.
Thankfully, GOD ALMIGHTY HAS THE POWER AND THE WILL TO INSURE THAT HIS PERSPECTIVE IS THE ONLY ONE STANDING AFTER ARMAGEDDON!
Certainly Dispensationalist congregations and denominations have infections from the evil one, too. Thankfully, most of the time, in most such congregations, such infections are not quite as wholesale and pervasively deadly as the denial of such Biblical prophetic truths turns out to be in the frozen chosen denominations.
And, while my bird of rare plumage personality and style trigger plenty . . . this fierce set of convictions that comprise my perspective are also a good chunk of the source of the hostility I generate.
Certain personalities and perspectives CANNOT AND WILL NOT tolerate even the idea THAT THERE REALLY IS A GOD ABOUT TO SET A BIG FOOT VERY DRAMATICALLY ON THIS PLANET AGAIN and mess up their rebellious, willful, pretend-independent perspectives and behaviors.