KatherineS
Well-Known Member
Negative. Under previous guidance quoted below, excepting Mass, etc., if a chaplain offered a public prayer, it was to be non-sectarian, period.
You would be mistaken. If it is an event of a particular faith (i,e Mass, Divine Liturgy, Protestant Bible Study), they prayer is up to the chaplain and his faith. It is a general assembly of all and no faiths, a chaplain is invented to give a non-sectarian prayer.
"CONSISTENT WITH LONG-STANDING MILITARY TRADITION, A BRIEF NON-SECTARIAN PRAYER MAY BE INCLUDED IN NON-ROUTINE MILITARY CEREMONIES OR EVENTS OF SPECIAL IMPORTANCE, SUCH AS A CHANGE-OF-COMMAND, PROMOTION CEREMONIES OR SIGNIFICANT CELEBRATIONS, WHERE THE PURPOSE OF THE PRAYER IS TO ADD A HEIGHTENED SENSE OF SERIOUSNESS OR SOLEMNITY, NOT TO ADVANCE SPECIFIC RELIGIOUS BELIEFS. MILITARY CHAPLAINS ARE TRAINED TO DEAL WITH SUCH EVENTS."
This is a good and appropriate policy.
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