The president signed into law the defense spending bill last week in the White House with the abominable "hate crimes" legislation included in the bill, what many now call "thought crimes" legislation. This law will eventually lead to the prosecution of clergy who speak out against homosexuality from their pulpits if the experience of similar legislation passed in Canada, Sweden and Great Britain is any guide.
The First Amendment free speech rights of chaplains in the United States military has already been restricted. Military chaplains have been harassed and indeed dismissed from military duty because they pray in the name of Jesus. To remedy this terrible problem, it is imperative that the United States Congress pass Congressman Walter Jones' Military Chaplain Prayer bill.
The North Carolina Republican's bill, H.R. 268, would ensure that military chaplains have the freedom to close a prayer according to the dictates of the chaplain's own conscience. Congressman Jones' bill currently has 21 co-sponsors. For the past several years, military chaplains have been reprimanded for praying the in name of Jesus.
Indeed, a Navy Chaplain, Gordon James Klingenschmitt, an Air Force Academy graduate, was forced out of the United States Navy after he refused to stop praying in the name of Jesus. This is unconscionable in the military of the United States of America and Congressman Jones' bill, when passed into law, will eliminate this problem.
Congressman Jones said about his legislation: "I have been active in trying to protect the rights of those who provide comfort and faith for our service men and women since 2005, when I sent my first letter to President Bush. Even with 70 cosponsors from the House and Senate, we had no success with the previous administration. Now with the new administration, we have another opportunity to pass this very important bill. The government should not be able to tell a military chaplain, of any faith, how to pray or close prayer." It is time for Congress to finally act and pass Congressman Walter Jones' Military Chaplain Prayer bill.
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