Since Eugene gave us the green light to talk politics....
Below is my op-ed for today's Worldnet Daily, explaining the likely views of
four Presidential candidates (Clinton, Obama, Brownback, Hunter) on a military
chaplain's right to pray publicly "in Jesus name."
Jesus for President?
http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55725
Enjoy!
Chaplain Klingenschmitt
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Jesus for president?
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Posted: May 17, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
By Gordon James Klingenschmitt
OK, I admit, Jesus Christ is not running for president this year. He
promised to return soon enough, to assume public office, but meanwhile, where
do the 2008 presidential candidates stand on a military chaplain's right to
pray publicly "in Jesus' name"? I'm not naming names, but let's start with
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. When the Navy punished me, a chaplain, for
quoting the Bible in the chapel during optionally attended Christian worship, I
faxed a formal whistleblower complaint to my New York senator, asking for help.
Did she protect her evangelical chaplain? No.
I called her office nearly every day, but nobody returned my phone calls for
weeks, until finally, I voice-mailed her press secretary about my interview
with "Jewish Week" newspaper, telling how I was punished for requesting Kosher
meals for my Jewish sailor. "Shall I tell them Senator Clinton doesn't care
about Jewish service members?" I asked. Fearing bad press, Clinton signed a
"letter of inquiry" to the Navy for me that same day.
But later, after Navy officials justified to her how I was also "properly
punished" for praying "in Jesus' name" and how chaplains really should pray
"non-sectarian" prayers in public, my sources witnessed Sen. Clinton taking
bold action against me. Opposing a House bill to let chaplains pray according
to their faith, Clinton personally attended meetings to block our legislation,
preferring to let the Pentagon censor our prayers. Sen. Barrack Hussein
Obama wasn't any better. While campaigning in Iowa last month, Obama was
asked his opinion about Judge Roy Moore, who couldn't display the Ten
Commandments in the courthouse, and about me, a chaplain who was discharged for
praying in uniform. First, Sen. Obama falsely claimed he wasn't aware of
"the chaplain situation," when I'd personally faxed my whistleblower complaints
to his office, and his staff acknowledged placing them on his desk. Even
worse, Obama disrespected the Ten Commandments, claiming, "If
you are not a believer, there would be a feeling that you wouldn't be treated
as fairly as a Christian. We want everybody to feel they are treated equally."
Apparently, Obama believes God's Ten Commandments are unfair since they
might hurt people's "feelings" (as if his pro-abortion laws don't hurt the
"feelings" of the unborn). Would President Obama appoint judges who oppose
Roy Moore and would jackhammer the 44 displays of the Ten Commandments from our
U.S. Supreme Court? He still won't debate Judge Moore on the subject, yet
Barrack Hussein Obama campaigns like a good Christian, soft-pedaling his Muslim
upbringing. Conversely, Sen. Sam Brownback votes like he says he believes.
When I first came to Washington, D.C., Sen. Brownback welcomed me to speak
at his weekly Values Action Team meeting, where I enlisted dozens of pro-family
groups and senators to vote for allowing prayers in Jesus' name. Brownback
personally wrote President Bush to help
chaplains, and when our legislation came to the Senate, Sam Brownback again
reminded Values Action Team members to stand up for religious liberty. (But
he'd never brag about this; he's too humble.) If elected, I've no doubt
President Brownback would immediately sign an executive order protecting all
chaplains' right to pray according to their faith. Presidential candidate
Duncan Hunter also went to bat for chaplains. Leading 75 members of
Congress with Walter B. Jones, Rep. Hunter (then chairman of the House Armed
Services Committee) personally wrote and passed a House bill to let chaplains
pray according to their faith. But when his bill got blocked by liberal
senators, did he quit? No. Fighting to the last, Duncan Hunter helped
negotiate a compromise with the Pentagon, forcing them to rescind their bad
Navy prayer policy, even letting Air Force chaplains pray publicly "in Jesus'
name." As commander in chief, I've no doubt Duncan Hunter would force the
Pentagon to respect the 1860 law and once again let chaplains pray freely.
Will our next commander in chief protect chaplains? Although Jesus isn't
running for president, I remember his warning to discern true prophets from
false: "By their fruit ye shall know them." The fruit of these candidates
Clinton, Obama, Brownback, Hunter may be clearly seen by their stand for (or
against) public prayer in Jesus' name.
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Gordon James Klingenschmitt is a former Navy chaplain who sacrificed his
career to help change national policy, allowing military chaplains to publicly
pray "in Jesus name" even in uniform. He continues his fight to be
reinstated. Klingenschmitt is available to speak and can be reached via email
at: [EMAIL PROTECTED] He encourages readers to sign his petition to Secretary
of Defense Robert Gates:
https://secure.responseenterprises.com/DF_InJesusName/petition.php?a=
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