Gordon James Klingenschmitt, who now heads up the “Pray In Jesus Name Project,” was called on the carpet several years ago for praying in the name of his Savior while in uniform in front of the White House (see earlier story).

“I was vindicated by Congress. They reversed the bad policy for which I was punished, but it was not grandfathered back to my case,” he reports. “So, I lost a million-dollar pension. I lost a 16-year military career. I was honorably discharged.”

But it is Klingenschmitt’s issue with the U.S. Navy’s disregard for religious liberty that is now before the DC Court of Claims.

“The Navy illegally punished my sermons,” he contends. “As a chaplain, I was punished for quoting the Bible in chapel during optional Christian worship, and my commander said, ‘You can’t say Jesus is the only way to heaven (John 14:6) because that might offend somebody.'”

The former chaplain insists he was punished by the Navy because he “complained to Congress about the violation of [his] First Amendment rights”. Klingenschmitt’s lawsuit alleges three cases of the federal government violating religious rights, including his being punished for exclusively quoting the Bible, his being punished for calling the Navy out for forbidding public prayers “in Jesus’ name,” and for the Navy’s policy that requires “non-sectarian” prayers only.

The former chaplain is asking that he be reinstated with four years of back pay and lost benefits. But mostly, he wants to establish court precedent to protect chaplains in the future.

This article was written by Charlie Butts and originally appear at One News Now …