A Muslim chaplain on board a Navy ship is conducting a memorial service for a seaman that has recently passed. The young seaman came to believe in Allah before his death, and asked the Chaplain to perform a Muslim faith memorial with appropriate scripture from the Koran about death and eternal life should he pass. The chaplain is honoring the request of the young seaman, but other sailors in attendance are offended that the service excludes those outside the Muslim faith. The offended sailors make a complaint through the chain of command to the ship’s captain. The captain then disciplines the chaplain in writing several times for conducting a memorial that was not all-inclusive for those who are not Muslim.

The chaplain requests a review of the disciplinary actions only to be told that the complaint is without merit. How would the press react once they caught wind of the situation? I guarantee that every major newspaper and every network nightly news show would slam the Navy, Secretary Rumsfield, and President Bush for weeks until the paperwork on the chaplain disappeared.

Now, take the above story and change the faith of the chaplain and seaman to Christian. What would change? The media wouldn’t challenge the government, nor would they rush to make a public outcry at religious censorship.

Sadly, this is really happening to Chaplain (Lt) Gordon J. Klingenschmitt.

Washington Times – A Navy review has concluded that a complaint from a ship chaplain was “without merit” when he charged that his commanding officer censored and harassed him by discouraging the use of certain Bible quotations.

But Navy Lt. Gordon J. Klingenschmitt said the investigative report actually backs up his complaint, even though the chief investigator sided with the commander.

The Navy’s final decision came in a June 7 memo to the officer from Anita K. Blair, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for military personnel policy. Mrs. Blair said she concurred with the findings of Rear Adm. Frederic R. Ruehe, commander of the Navy’s Mid-Atlantic region, who found Lt. Klingenschmitt’s claims to be “without merit.”

Lt. Klingenschmitt has waged a national campaign to fight what he says are military restrictions on what chaplains preach. He also has turned to Congress, which is debating legislation to ensure religious freedom for chaplains.

The Times article does not mention if the seaman had requested the specific service, but this was talked about on the G Gordon Liddy radio show this afternoon. I distinctly remember hearing the seaman had requested a Christian service.

I had always assumed chaplains were free to preach anything that was backed by their particular faith. I would especially be lead to think this if the deceased had requested that type of service. I have no clue how the ship’s captain and those in the review process could come to their conclusions.
Memorials are a testament to the life of the deceased. I would be very pissed Corporal standing post at the gates of heaven if my request for a Christian memorial were not honored.

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