Why doesn't the CAP Chaplain Service provide for Buddhist & Muslim Chaplains? The USAF has insignia for both, but CAP only has insignia for Christian and Jewish Chaplains.
Buddhist Chaplain badge:
(http://www.af.mil/shared/media/ggallery/thumbnails/thumb_afg_030512_030.jpg)
Muslim Chaplain badge:
(http://www.af.mil/shared/media/ggallery/thumbnails/thumb_afg_021203_073.jpg)
Quote from: MIKE on March 06, 2006, 05:41:15 PM
Why doesn't the CAP Chaplain Service provide for Buddhist & Muslim Chaplains? The USAF has insignia for both, but CAP only has insignia for Christian and Jewish Chaplains.
It's a good question. The USAF to my knowledge only had one Buddhist Chaplain and something didn't quite work out there, but they do have Muslim chaplains. I don't know whether CAP has any, but regardless of whether we do now or don't, clergy from those religions are eligible for CAP Chaplain membership and we should anticipate and provide for that.
Sounds like perhaps it is just an oversight on part of NHQ. The Jewish and Christian Chaplain insignia were created because they were needed at the time they were approved. The USAF may have added the Muslim and Buddhist chaplain insignia since CAP last visited the issue years ago. A simple proposal to NHQ to adopt the USAF chaplain insignias for those two groups would probably pass muster at the next board. I don't see why it wouldn't.
I'm guessing that it's for one reason, really.
CAP chaplains, from my three and a half years experience in CAP, have never done anything profoundly religious. Our squadron chaplain talks about moral leadership. Granted, these morals usually apply to Christianity, but to tell the truth, morals are usually pretty static in the mainstream religions.
The only times when I have ever really seen a chaplain do something religious is on Sundays during encampments and other prolonged activities. Even then, it's non-demoninational. Also, I'm getting to the limits of my knowledge on other religions here, but I think that Sunday is primarily a religious day for Christians, not Muslisms or Buddists. Not sure on that, but it would certainly make sense.
That being said, I would take away the cross and star and just make a generic badge for the chaplain as a "Moral Leadership Officer", if it were up to me. But it ain't, so I can't.
Quote from: MIKE on March 06, 2006, 05:41:15 PM
Why doesn't the CAP Chaplain Service provide for Buddhist & Muslim Chaplains? The USAF has insignia for both, but CAP only has insignia for Christian and Jewish Chaplains.
Because there is not enough demand for them. We just don't have that many Buddhist and Muslim members who are also ordained religious leaders.
Even on active duty there is only a very very small handful of Muslim chaplains and I have never ever seen or even heard about a Buddhist chaplain.
I am sure if a Muslim wanted to become a CAP chaplain we would adopt the USAF insignia.
As a Chaplain, I'm pretty sure that there aren't any Buddhist or Muslim Chaplains based either on demand or the lack of qualified candidates to go through the Chaplain Service.
As far as non-denominational matters are concerned, it's tough to minister out of a faith-based context when we're all showing up to a meeting once a week. If I were on base, I'd have office hours and be expected to lead Christian services in the chapel.
Moral Leadership is a required part of the Cadet Program and is to be led either by the Chaplain or Moral Leadership Officer. It's not meant to be Sunday School or catechism. That's for the church to handle. But, it's a doorway to a relationship for the Cadets with their Chaplain. In CAP and in the active military branches, the Chaplain is the only staff officer who can deal with any issue in a confidential manner. The Chaplain is the staff officer who advises the commander on spiritual and issues of morale in the Squadron. If all Chaplains were to become MLOs, you lose the confidential aspect of our work along with the spiritual dimension we're expected to bring when needed.
There are a lot of things the Chaplain is supposed to do but since we're all volunteer -- alas, we've all heard the story, right?
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.