Why Chaplains Should Be Contracted, Not Commissioned: Carlos Bertha, Council on Secular Humanism
Submitted by ftcsadmin2 on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 14:35.
ARMY OF GOD: America’s Armed Forces vs. Their Nontheists
Why Chaplains Should Be Contracted, Not Commissioned
Carlos Bertha
The Air Force Chaplain Corps provides spiritual care and the opportunity . . . [for Air Force members] to exercise their Constitutional right to the free exercise of religion.
—From the U.S. Air Force Chaplain Corps History and Mission (airforce.com)
I have always questioned the presence of, say, a dharma wheel or Jewish tablets adorning a chaplain’s military uniform. How can these displays not be seen as government endorsement of religion? In addition, chaplains have the explicit mission to serve the “religious” and “spiritual” needs of servicemembers. Yet at the same time, they have broad responsibilities to advise the command and to give marital and emotional counseling to servicemembers—while also authentically representing a specific religious denomination. A chaplain’s religious qualifications and obligations may give rise to conflicts of interest, especially in secular situations or when attempting to support a servicemember who is nontheistic.
Read complete original article here: http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=fi&page=bertha_33_3