So challenge it in court Trauma, Oh, wait, that's already been done, and failed. OK, how do you feel about paying the salary of military chaplains with your tax dollars?
Opinons Please--Church-State division?
by patio34 44 Replies latest social current
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Trauma_Hound
I don't have a problem with that, the reason being is it's not one chaplan of one denomination, there are multiple denominations, including non-christian. And I think soldiers should have some kind of support during they're stay in the military, I mean military bases are really small city's on to themselves, and should the soldier be on his death bed for whatever reason, it should be available to him. Congress has plenty of churches around it, and congress doesn't go into combat.
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YERU2
Trauma Hound,
You're forgeting the issue of the security checks that those serving as Senate and House Chaplains have to go through. Local DC clergy aren't required to submit to this, Senate and House Chaplain's are. Sometimes these guys and gals need to talk about things that are sensitive, moral issues dealing with a bill or resolution, etc. Plus, if a Congressman wants to discuss his alcohol problem the Senate Chaplain is required by law to maintain silence, a civilian is not and must be sued in civil court after any such revelation (whereas the Senate Chaplain can go to jail). There is actually a staff of several chaplains from several different denominations, selected by each House to meet it's needs, not just one. In fact a good friend of mine was the Catholic Chaplain that the Senate recently (last three years) refused to appoint as THE Chaplain. The Congress can select any denomination it so desires.
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Solace
Trauma, "My tax money should not go to supporting any religion period, if they want to pay a chaplain, then they should pay it out of they're pay checks, not mine."
Isnt that the truth.
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patio34
While I still believe that Trauma, Heaven, etc. are correct in that tax $$ should not go to support religious clergy, Yeru makes the best case legally probably. Maybe the compromise could be to have them called "spiritual advisors"? But that's just semantics and doesn't cange the nature.
No one seems to be against having chaplains in the military, but as Elsewhere or someone said on another page, that's a different situation. Congress is merely at work, free to pursue their spiritual interests on their own time. Soldiers are in a military city and completely segregated in that, when they're not at actual war. Then, everything has to be provided for them, including their spiritual interests, where they're not as free to pursue it "on their own time."
In theory it seems to me Mr. Newdow is correct, but in practice it may not be practical nor advisable. We'll see. That's why we have courts to iron this stuff out.
At least it can be openly discussed, not like when we were dubs!
Pat