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Chaplains and Religion

Started by Psicorp, August 06, 2006, 04:45:23 AM

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Psicorp

Quote from: alexalvarez on March 15, 2006, 10:03:24 PM
If my old memory is correct, CAP does have a Muslim Chaplain. CAPP 221 states "In December 1993 the first Chaplain from a non-Judeo-Christian faith group entered the US Armed Forces chaplaincy. The Civil Air Patrol chaplain service will have to make similar adaptations as the nation becomes more pluralistic in religious composition." As CAP Chaplain's our "congregations" are quite different. The make up of any unit will be a mixture of many denominations. The Civil Air Patrol Chaplain (just as an AF Chaplain) must  respect the different religious and non-religious beliefs which are present in every squadron. The CAP Chaplain service is to make sure that no particular religious tradition will be established in a particular squadron, nor will the free exercise of anyone's faith be prohibited.

A question, if I may, Sir...

Does this, or the new "guidelines", allow for the Chaplain to conduct prayer at meetings/activities while in formation?   

What concerns me, Sir, is that while a Chaplain may conduct a "non-denominational" service, it is still a Christian specific service (non-denominational vs. inter-faith).  Back when I was an Air Force brat, I held in high regard military Chaplains because they were trained and willing to conduct religious services based upon the needs of the people/individuals they were called upon to serve.  I recall one Catholic Priest (an A.F. Major), that while he was a Priest, he would also conduct the base's weekly Buddhist service.  The new "guidelines" allow Chaplains to forego anything that goes againt their personal beliefs.   Is the Air Force (and C.A.P.) really willing to neglect the religious needs of their members  so as not to offend the sensibilities of religious leaders?   Or is this a step towards allowing evangelical conversion of members and surivors/family during meetings/activities/ Emergency Services missions?    I honestly believe that no religion has a monopoly on "morality" and am finding myself at odds with those who believe that our Moral Leadership/Character Development and the Bible go hand in hand.   Please do not missunderstand me, Sir, I am grateful for the service our Chaplain members provide toward the C.A.P. objectives and I highly respect them for volunteering...but I do find myself questioning the motive behind the new "guidelines".

Jamie Kahler, Capt., CAP
(C/Lt Col, ret.)
CC
GLR-MI-257

CAPChap

There are at least three issues inherent in your posting: (1) diversity among the CAP Chaplain Service; (2) the current guidelines regarding prayer at public (non-worship service) events; and (3) providing for religious practices in a religiously plural environment.

(1) Diversity:  The current numbers of chaplains by major faith group (Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist) are available from NHQ/HC.  The reality of those numbers is that while we do not represent the faith-diversity of the American population, we are fairly representative (with noted exceptions) of the CAP population.  The issue of diversity is one that is regularly discussed by our National, Regional and Wing Chaplain Service leadership.

(2) Prayer Guidelines: On the broader, national level, there has been much confusion regarding the matter of how chaplains may pray in public.  Please do not accept the reports from the major news networks as your only source for information. Seek out and carefully read the source documents. In the case of the Air Force, please take time to read the actual guidelines they have issued, and the background materials (the reports from the Air Force Academy, etc).  In the case of CAP, please take time to download and read the CAP Guidelines, which are posted in the Chaplain Service section of the NHQ website (http://level2.cap.gov/documents/Prayer_Guidelines.pdf) .  After you have read them, direct any questions you have to your Squadron, Wing or Region Chaplain. The wisest course of action for any chaplain praying in public (not at a worship service) is to exercise situational awareness, be sensitive to who is in the audience, and pray appropriate to the situation.  This does not mean that the chaplain must compromise the strength of his/her convictions, but must exercise them graciously at all times.

(3) Ministry in a religiously plural environment: USAF regulations and CAP regulations state that while the Chaplain Service must provide for the religious practices of our population, a chaplain from one faith group cannot be compelled to lead services for another faith group whose tenets run counter to those of that chaplain's faith group.

It is important here to grasp the significance of the language: "faith group."  This is not the same as "denomination."  Under the broader rubric of "Christian" (those chaplains who wear the cross as an insignia) are Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox. Under the rubric of "Jewish" (those chaplains who wear the tablets of the Law and star of David as an insignia) are the various branches of Judaism--Conservative, Orthodox, Reform, etc.  Under the broader rubric of Muslim would be the various branches of Islam. Under the rubric of Buddhist would be the branches of Buddhism.   Earth-based religions do not currently have formal, accredited educational processes and therefore their worship rites are led by accredited lay leaders.

Let me illustrate how this plays out. I am a Chaplain. I wear a cross. Therefore, in the broadest application, I am a Christian Chaplain. Within that, I am a Protestant. Within Protestantism, I am identified with a particular denominational tradition, and within that denomination, I am endorsed to chaplaincy by a specific group.

Finally, let me briefly address your statement "The new "guidelines" allow Chaplains to forego anything that goes against their personal beliefs.   Is the Air Force (and C.A.P.) really willing to neglect the religious needs of their members  so as not to offend the sensibilities of religious leaders?    

The issue is not one of not offending the religious leaders. It is one of providing for the broader needs of our members.  The Chaplain Service of both the USAF and CAP seeks to ensure two things: (1) that a member's constitutional right to free exercise of religion (including that of having no religious affiliation) is not infringed; and (2) to ensure that no one faith group is being favored above another (non-establishment). We must provide for the religious needs of all our personnel.

For example, at a recent activity, we had a Protestant Worship Service and a Catholic Worship Service on site on Sunday morning, because we had personnel on site who could provide for those services. Since we did not have Chaplain Service personnel available to lead services for other major faith groups, we published a list of nearby services for Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist personnel, and were willing to make transportation arrangements for those who desired to participate.  Where we had personnel available, we provided the services. Where we did not have available personnel from a specific faith group, we partnered with available resources from within the local community to ensure that we were providing for the needs of the participants.

You raise important questions in your posting. Unfortunately, there are no simple answers to them. These are extremely complex issues. I encourage your thoughtful inquiry into these issues!