USAF chaplain says religious tolerance is 'serving Satan'

[essentialsaltes]

A U.S. Air Force chaplain who ministers to thousands of men and women at an Ohio base is asserting that Christians in the U.S. Armed Forces “serve Satan” and are “grossly in error” if they support service members' right to practice other faiths.

In an article posted on BarbWire.com three days ago, Captain Sonny Hernandez, an Air Force Reserve chaplain for the 445th Airlift Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, criticized Christian service members who rely on the Constitution “and not Christ.”

He wrote: “Counterfeit Christians in the Armed forces will appeal to the Constitution, and not Christ


Funny, that, since they all swear an oath to support and defend the Constitution. They are sworn to support religious freedom.

 

[Targaryen]

Yeah, but you forget that some that call themselves "christian", feel they are justified to ignore things like this in service of their own narrow viewpoint. It's not that surprising this would eventually occur within the US military

 

[Winken]

"religious tolerance" is, from a secular point of view, "anything goes." From the Christian POV it is heretical. From the non-Christian POV, it is blasphemy.

God bless the Chaplain if he has this understanding.

 

[cloudyday2]

The article from BarbWire gives a fuller understanding of the military chaplain's opinion. It sounds like military chaplains are expected to minister to all members. So a Christian like the chaplain would be expected to give spiritual guidance to Buddhists, Muslims, Wiccans, atheists without telling them their beliefs are mistaken. I can see how that would be difficult for a Christian chaplain.

The solution might be to replace physical chaplains with virtual chaplains. A soldier who needs spiritual advice can use video conferencing to link-up with a virtual chaplain from their own faith.

Here is the article referenced in the OP where the chaplain explains in detail his thinking.

http://barbwire.com/2017/09/12/christian-service-members-avoid-supporting-accommodating-evil/

 

[Ana the Ist]

From the non-Christian POV, it is blasphemy.

As a non-christian, I'm confused by this statement.

 

[mala]

As a non-christian, I'm confused by this statement.

i guess non-christians are weird like that.

 

[Arcangl86]

If Captain Hernadez feels that his Christian beliefs prevent him from supporting the right to freedom of religion guaranteed by the Constitution, he is always free to resign his commission.

 

[keith99]

A U.S. Air Force chaplain who ministers to thousands of men and women at an Ohio base is asserting that Christians in the U.S. Armed Forces “serve Satan” and are “grossly in error” if they support service members' right to practice other faiths.

In an article posted on BarbWire.com three days ago, Captain Sonny Hernandez, an Air Force Reserve chaplain for the 445th Airlift Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, criticized Christian service members who rely on the Constitution “and not Christ.”

He wrote: “Counterfeit Christians in the Armed forces will appeal to the Constitution, and not Christ


Funny, that, since they all swear an oath to support and defend the Constitution. They are sworn to support religious freedom.

And here I thought Jesus expected his followers to keep their word all the time. Foolish me.

 

[RDKirk]

The article from BarbWire gives a fuller understanding of the military chaplain's opinion. It sounds like military chaplains are expected to minister to all members. So a Christian like the chaplain would be expected to give spiritual guidance to Buddhists, Muslims, Wiccans, atheists without telling them their beliefs are mistaken. I can see how that would be difficult for a Christian chaplain.

Not true. There are secular activities chaplains perform for all military members, but they are not expected to give "spiritual guidance" to persons who are not of their faith. Religious soldiers get "spiritual guidance" from chaplains of their own faith.

That's the reason the military has chaplains of different faiths--which the military saw a reason for a lot longer ago than clvilians have been "PC."

 

[Ana the Ist]

After reading through his rather vile opinions in the article...

I can only conclude that not only should he not be a chaplain, he shouldn't be in the military. He cannot possibly uphold his duty to the people of the United States with his views...he's stated as much.

Personally, I think one should be required to abandon their political/religious beliefs once they enter military service.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Not true. There are secular activities chaplains perform for all military members, but they are not expected to give "spiritual guidance" to persons who are not of their faith. Religious soldiers get "spiritual guidance" from chaplains of their own faith.

That's the reason the military has chaplains of different faiths--which the military saw a reason for a lot longer ago than clvilians have been "PC."

Every unit does not have chaplains of every faith. Far from it.

A Catholic chaplain would not be called upon to administer the Eucharist to a Baptist, but chaplains are there to actively help those of other faiths follow their traditions, and offer secular guidance if not necessarily spiritual guidance.

See

According to the Navy Chaplain Corps, a chaplain’s job involves facilitating the religious needs of others in accordance with their right to free exercise of religion; providing for the religious needs of those in their own tradition (including worship, religious education and counseling); caring for all by providing non-faith specific counsel; and advising the commanding officer on issues relating to morals, ethics, spiritual well-being, morale and the impact of religion on culture and operation.


Similarly, the professional chaplains' code of conduct says...

130.1 Members shall treat all persons with dignity and respect.

1. 130.11 Members shall serve all persons without discrimination regardless of religion, faith group, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, age, or disability.
   
   
2. 130.12 Members shall demonstrate respect for the opinions, beliefs and professional endeavors of other members, their colleagues and those with whom they have contact in their professional role as chaplain.
   
   
3. 130.13 Members shall affirm the religious and spiritual freedom of all persons and refrain from imposing doctrinal positions or spiritual practices on persons whom they encounter in their professional role as chaplain.
   
   

 

[RDKirk]

Every unit does not have chaplains of every faith. Far from it.

That's true. I never ran into a Bahai chaplain.

But no other chaplain is required to give Bahai spiritual guidance to a Bahai troop.

I don't know what you think "actively help those of other faiths follow their tradition" actually means--that's just something you made up--but the answer to that is no. It just isn't. No Baptist chaplain ever has to do anything particularly "Jewish" for a Jew.

However, a Baptist minister is constrained against doing anything particularly "Baptist" to a Jew. I knew a feisty Orthodox Jewish rabbi at Offutt who'd turn you upside down if you suggested that he was require to do something explicitly Baptist to a Baptist.

It's true that some religions do not permit their clergy to let a Jew just stand there being Jewish in front of them without doing something about it.

Those clergy just won't be a good fit in the military.

 

[essentialsaltes]

I don't know what you think "actively help those of other faiths follow their tradition" actually means--that's just something you made up--

No, it's along the lines of what I quoted "According to the Navy Chaplain Corps, a chaplain’s job involves facilitating the religious needs of others in accordance with their right to free exercise of religion"

Or elsewhere in the link: "When Chaplain Bender served as the Protestant chaplain for the U.S. naval station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, she was responsible for making sure that Seventh Day Adventists had their religious education materials, the Iglesia ni Christo had a place to meet and the Jewish lay leader remembered when it was Friday."

but the answer to that is no. It just isn't. No Baptist chaplain ever has to do anything particularly "Jewish" for a Jew.

No, but they are to help Jews be Jews.

 

[RDKirk]

No, it's along the lines of what I quoted "According to the Navy Chaplain Corps, a chaplain’s job involves facilitating the religious needs of others in accordance with their right to free exercise of religion"

Or elsewhere in the link: "When Chaplain Bender served as the Protestant chaplain for the U.S. naval station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, she was responsible for making sure that Seventh Day Adventists had their religious education materials, the Iglesia ni Christo had a place to meet and the Jewish lay leader remembered when it was Friday.".

IOW, she was responsible for the chapel building schedule, the supplies, and calendar, you mean. Maybe she should have been annoyed that she'd been given "women's work."

I had a job like that once while I was in the military. Didn't strike me as being a particularly religious task.

 

[essentialsaltes]

IOW, she was responsible for the chapel building schedule, the supplies, and calendar, you mean. Maybe she should have been annoyed that she'd been given "women's work."

I had a job like that once while I was in the military. Didn't strike me as being a particularly religious task.

Fine. Whatever. Can we at least agree that the chaplain in the OP is not...

• Sensitive to religious pluralism and able to provide for the free exercise of religion for all military personnel, their family members and civilians who work for the Army

 

[RDKirk]

Fine. Whatever. Can we at least agree that the chaplain in the OP is not...

• Sensitive to religious pluralism and able to provide for the free exercise of religion for all military personnel, their family members and civilians who work for the Army

We have to make sure we understand who we're actually talking about, because as usual, the news item glosses over things people with actual military knowledge understand.

It says he was a reserve chaplain. That means he is a civilian pastor who spends one weekend a month normally dealing with a very small group of the same people from the same part of the country in a reserve unit. He isn't one of the regular Air Force chaplains for Wright-Patterson, and if he was working with them, then as a "weekend warrior" he wasn't handed any of their heavy continuing duties.

Apparently he wound up in a real military operation dealing with the "big Air Force" for the first time and got his eyes opened.

And I have to say this: In the last few years since 9/11 the military in general and the Air Force in particular has really become infected by extreme, rabid Dominionists in the officer corps. That is a heck of a problem for the military that the top generals had better doggone well solve.

 

[MyOwnSockPuppet]

The subject of military chaplaincy is always a bit of a twitchy one - chaplains often have other duties and responsibilities beyond the religious that can impact on troops beyond their particular denomination, or even religion.

I can't help but feel that the US military has largely made a rod for it's own back with having intolerant idiots like this one (yes, I know he's a reservist but he's still a commissioned officer) effectively being able to pull rank (in fact, if not within the code of conduct that I'm sure largely exists because of past excesses ending in lawsuits) on enlisteds who don't share their religion.
I believe that the RN (and I believe the RAN) have the right idea, for ceremonial (and I believe pay) purposes they count as commissioned officers, but hold no rank of their own. They assume the rank of anyone they talk to (so if they're talking to a Captain they have an OF-5 rank for the duration, but if they're talking to an Able Seaman they have an OR-2 rank).

 

[RDKirk]

The subject of military chaplaincy is always a bit of a twitchy one - chaplains often have other duties and responsibilities beyond the religious that can impact on troops beyond their particular denomination, or even religion.

I can't help but feel that the US military has largely made a rod for it's own back with having intolerant idiots like this one (yes, I know he's a reservist but he's still a commissioned officer) effectively being able to pull rank (in fact, if not within the code of conduct that I'm sure largely exists because of past excesses ending in lawsuits) on enlisteds who don't share their religion.
I believe that the RN (and I believe the RAN) have the right idea, for ceremonial (and I believe pay) purposes they count as commissioned officers, but hold no rank of their own. They assume the rank of anyone they talk to (so if they're talking to a Captain they have an OF-5 rank for the duration, but if they're talking to an Able Seaman they have an OR-2 rank).

I never experienced an chaplain attempting to pull rank on anyone. In general, the US military has accommodated to a structure in which operational hierarchy overlays the rank structure to the extent that it takes both rank and operational hierarchical superiority to "pull rank" with teeth in it.

IOW, effectively, "you outrank me, but I don't work for you--you need to speak to my boss." That's especially true in the Air Force.

A chaplain's rank means enlisted troops have to behave respectfully, but he can't effectively impact their careers except by asserting they've personally disrespected him.

OTOH, there is an important reason for chaplains to have real commissioned rank. I took advantage of it myself. Chaplains hold the unique position of being commissioned officers who also have absolute confidentiality with persons they counsel.

All other military officers--including lawyers, doctors--have an obligation to the commander that overrides any confidentiality they have with a military patient or client. Not so with a chaplain. I've sent troops to our chaplain for counseling for that specific reason, when I've feared that an infraction of a personal nature might be uncovered.

Because my obligation of such suspicions was to report them to a "commissioned officer," making the troop an appointment to see a chaplain relieved me of my obligation, but it also provided a way to avoid the heavy hammer of military command judgment. A chaplain has options.

 

[Arcangl86]

I never experienced an chaplain attempting to pull rank on anyone. In general, the US military has accommodated to a structure in which operational hierarchy overlays the rank structure to the extent that it takes both rank and operational hierarchical superiority to "pull rank" with teeth in it.

IOW, effectively, "you outrank me, but I don't work for you--you need to speak to my boss." That's especially true in the Air Force.

A chaplain's rank means enlisted troops have to behave respectfully, but he can't effectively impact their careers except by asserting they've personally disrespected him.

OTOH, there is an important reason for chaplains to have real commissioned rank. I took advantage of it myself. Chaplains hold the unique position of being commissioned officers who also have absolute confidentiality with persons they counsel.

All other military officers--including lawyers, doctors--have an obligation to the commander that overrides any confidentiality they have with a military patient or client. Not so with a chaplain. I've sent troops to our chaplain for counseling for that specific reason, when I've feared that an infraction of a personal nature might be uncovered.

Because my obligation of such suspicions was to report them to a "commissioned officer," making the troop an appointment to see a chaplain relieved me of my obligation, but it also provided a way to avoid the heavy hammer of military command judgment. A chaplain has options.

Wait. Are you saying that lawyer/client and doctor/patient privilege don't apply in the military?

 

[RDKirk]

Wait. Are you saying that lawyer/client and doctor/patient privilege don't apply in the military?

No, they don't apply in the military.

Let's say your military doctor tests your blood to check because of your complaint of fatigue and discover traces of amphetamine. He's obligated to report it to the commander.

Or say your military lawyer is going over your standing on a charge of sleeping on duty and you let slip you weren't sleeping because you were doing something the lawyer realizes is actually more serious--the lawyer is obligated to report it to the commander.

But the chaplain not under that obligation. I mentioned a feisty Orthodox Jewish chaplain I knew. He took the Air Force to court twice and won both times.

Once was when he talked an Air Force captain out of murder and suicide in STRATCOM headquarters. He reported the event, but he refused to divulge the man's name--he took the man to civilian psychiatric care. He refused to bend to heavy senior pressure and instead took the Air Force to court--and won: Chaplains have absolute confidentiality with anyone they counsel (regardless of the religions of the persons involved).

Another time he took the Air Force to court was when he was told that his anti-abortion sermons to the Jewish congregation in the base chapel were "not Air Force policy." His response was, "You can't tell me what to preach" He won that one, too.