Archives for 2013

The year was 1951, and Army Chaplain Emil Kapaun (Captain, Roman Catholic) faced a difficult choice:  evacuate from the front lines of the Korean war as ordered, or stay behind to minister to his fallen men.

Heroically, he chose to stay with his men, but fell into enemy hands as a Prisoner of War.   That decision to disobey men and obey God cost his life, but last week he was awarded the nation’s highest military honor, the Congressional Medal of Honor. Wa. Post reports:

“Kapaun did not survive the prisoner camps, dying in Pyoktong in 1951. The man originally from tiny Pilsen, Kansas, has been declared a “servant of God” — often a precursor to sainthood in the Catholic Church…President Obama posthumously awarded Kapaun a Medal of Honor. On hand [were his fellow soldiers] Mike Dowe, 85; Robert Wood, 86; and Herbert Miller, 86.

“People had lost a great deal of their civility,” Wood says of life in the POW compound. “We were stacking the bodies outside where they were frozen like cordwood and here is this one man – in all of this chaos – who has kept . . . principles.”

Watch Dr. Chaps’ 7-minute commentary on Chaplain Kapaun, here–>

“Another remembers seeing the young American priest use a rock and a piece of metal to form a pan and then collect water to wash the hands and faces of the wounded.  A third chokes up when he tells of being injured and having an enemy soldier standing over him, rifle pointed; Kapaun walked up, pushed aside the muzzle and carried off the wounded man.

“The military chaplain did not carry a gun or grenades. He did not storm hills or take beaches. He picked lice off of men too weak to do it themselves and stole grain from the Korean and Chinese guards who took the American soldiers as prisoners of war in late 1950.”

[Dr. Chaps’ comment:  Heroism is self-sacrifice, as embodied by Chaplain Kapaun, inspires countless Chaplains, including myself.  His willingness to sacrifice his own life for the benefit of his men who needed Christ, is obvious to all who hear his story.

Sadly, these heroic chaplains who love Christ may face court-martial (as I did) for talking about Jesus in uniform, if Congress fails to intervene to protect our right to pray in Jesus’ name. Please sign our petition to pass HR 343 to protect military chaplains free speech.]

Select here to sign new petition, defend military chaplains right to pray “in Jesus’ name” and co-sponsor HR 343.  We will fax all 535 Congressmen, Senators (saving you time!)
Or select our free petition here.

We only court-martial “Proselytizing” Christians, backpedals Pentagon

The Obama Administration’s Pentagon spokesman is backpedaling after 130,000 Christians signed petitions similar to this free petition with the Family Research Council, and 40 Congressman demanded the DoD STOP threatening to punish Christian troops who dare talk about Jesus.  Navy LCDR Nate Christensen, who last week suggested court-martials for chaplains or troops who talk about Jesus, is now splitting hairs:

“Service members can share their faith (evangelize), but must not force unwanted, intrusive attempts to convert others of any faith or no faith to one’s beliefs (proselytization),” said Christensen in a self-corrective email.

Say what? He thinks the difference between legal “evangelism” and illegal “proselytizing” is that one is wanted and the other unwanted?  Clearly now the First Amendment protection of the speaker has magically shifted all power to the easily offended listener.

More proof from another DoD spokesman:  “When on duty or in an official capacity, Air Force members are free to express their personal religious beliefs as long as it does not make others uncomfortable,” Lt. Col. Laurel Tingley said in a statement to Fox News. “Proselytizing…goes over that line.”

In other words, the First Amendment no longer protects Christian free speech when listeners claim they were offended. [These hair-splitters are the same domestic enemies of the Constitution that punished me, a Navy Chaplain, for praying in Jesus’ name in uniform and for quoting “exclusive” Bible verses in chapel during optional Christian worship.]

Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-TX) took issue with the Air Force spokesperson’s use of the word ‘uncomfortable.’  He told Fox News, “If that is the standard, then Christianity will be over because there will always be somebody who is uncomfortable no matter what someone’s belief is when it comes to Judeo-Christian beliefs.  It appears it is getting more and more difficult to be a Christian and serve in the military.”  Let’s bury Congress in petitions and fax paper…

Select here to sign new petition, defend military chaplains right to pray “in Jesus’ name” and co-sponsor HR 343.  We will fax all 535 Congressmen, Senators (saving you time!)
Or select our free petition here.

Court-martial Chaplains who talk about Jesus, says Pentagon.  Take action!

A Pentagon spokesman has just said in writing that Christian troops will be punished and court-martialed if they dare to talk about their personal faith in Jesus Christ.

“Religious proselytization is not permitted within the Department of Defense,” LCDR Nate Christensen said in a written statement. He declined to say if any chaplains or service members had been prosecuted for such an offense.

“Court martials and non-judicial punishments are decided on a case-by-case basis and it would be inappropriate to speculate on the outcome in specific cases,” he said.

So let me get this straight.  If a chaplain preaches the gospel of Jesus Christ, whether in counseling or in the chapel, and anybody is offended, the chaplain can be punished in writing?

THIS HAPPENED TO ME.
In 2005 my commander downgraded my evaluation and nearly ended my  chaplain career, in writing.  My C.O. illegally punished me for quoting “exclusive” Bible verses like John 3:36 in the base chapel during optionally attended Christian worship.  The Navy lawyers claimed commanders can punish chaplains for religious speech, and they did, but they broke the law and violated their oath to the Constitution. Please pray for my lawsuit to be victorious.

So let me get this straight.  If a chaplain is ordered to stop praying “in Jesus’ name” outside of Sunday chapel, and the chaplain disobeys by praying in Jesus’ name in uniform and worshipping in public, they can be sent to court-martial for disobeying orders?

THIS HAPPENED TO ME.  In 2006 as a Navy Chaplain I faced misdemeanor court-martial and was found guilty of “worshipping in public” in my uniform, outside of Sunday chapel.  I was later vindicated by Congress, who rescinded the same bad policy for which I was punished. All proof documents are posted here. I won the policy war, but lost my career.

Now if Congress does not intervene, and protect military chaplains and troops’ right to pray “in Jesus’ name” and freedom for all our troops to freely speak of their faith or preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to their peers without coercion but with freedom to convert and voluntarily change religion, whether in counseling or in church or in their barracks, THEN THERE IS NO FREEDOM OF RELIGION IN THE MILITARY, and the Constitution is dead.  The systematic anti-Christian persecution has now begun in earnest.

They order our silence about Jesus Christ, or our punishment by the government.  What a choice!  The domestic enemies of the Constitution are influencing these policies.

Let’s bury Congress with petitions to defend military chaplains’ right to pray publicly “in Jesus’ name.”  Please sign the following petition today, and we will fax it right away.

Select here to sign new petition, defend military chaplains right to pray “in Jesus’ name” and co-sponsor HR 343.  We will fax all 535 Congressmen, Senators (saving you time!)
Or select our free petition here.

The Bible commands us:  “Whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” –Colossians 3:17.  Please forward this email widely to your friends, and share on social media here.