Six Virginia State Police Chaplains resign over request not to reference Jesus

[TheSarge]

Six of 17 Virginia State Police Chaplains have resigned over a request they not reference Jesus Christ at public events.

Instead, they've been instructed by the Superintendent to offer non-denominational prayers, a decision made following a recent ruling by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Chaplains are trained in ministry and counsel employees and their families.  Troopers volunteer for the program which began nearly 30 years ago.  The policy does not apply to private services like funerals.

The decision was internal, but does have the support of Governor Tim Kaine.

In a statement Wednesday, Grayson County Delegate Bill Carrico called on the Superintendent to abandon, "this attack on Christianity."

Delegate Morgan Griffith says, to "require those troopers to disregard their own faith while serving violates their First Amendment rights and prevents them from serving effectively as chaplains. These men had little choice but to resign."

http://www.wdbj7.com/Global/story.asp?S=9068963&nav=menu368_8

[terry]

It's an interesting problem.   My dh just accepted a job as a chaplain at a local hospital and he was just talking about the fact that as a chaplain he is an employee.   It's different than having your own church.   My dh said if they ask him to do something against his beliefs, he will have to find employment somewhere else. 

I don't think it's a violation of free speech.

[Thor]

The first amendment involves much more than just freedom of speech. 

I DO think that the Leadership of Virginia is violating the First Amendment and their own Constitution.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

and then, here is the clause in the Constitution of Virginia:

That religion, or the duty which we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence; and therefore all men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience; and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love, and charity towards each other.

[Jim]

yet again Tim Kaine demonstrates what a total asshat he really is with this directive.

he's a bad as David Duke and Ray Nagin rolled together...

[terry]

If they are hired as non-denominational chaplains, then their employer has a right to specify what they want them to say or not say when they are acting in their professional capacity.

That's not prohibiting their free excercise of their religion as individuals, they are free to work in that capacity or not.

They aren't saying that no state trooper is allowed to pray to Jesus or talk about Jesus or whatever.   

I guess it's a danger when the state decides to hire chaplains, or a person decides to be a chaplain. 

[MrsSmith]

If they are hired as non-denominational chaplains, then their employer has a right to specify what they want them to say or not say when they are acting in their professional capacity.

That's not prohibiting their free excercise of their religion as individuals, they are free to work in that capacity or not.

They aren't saying that no state trooper is allowed to pray to Jesus or talk about Jesus or whatever.   

I guess it's a danger when the state decides to hire chaplains, or a person decides to be a chaplain. 

If they were hired as non-denominational, then the stipulation would have been made at that time.  This sounds like a case of the state coming in way after that point and changing the ground rules.  Not to mention the obvious fact that all Christian belief is based upon Christ.  What they've been ordered to be is not non-denominational, it's non-Christian.  Pretty soon, they'll have to widened it from God to "your Higher Power" or whatever other claptrap is acceptable to the 15% minority non-Christians in this country.

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

ethnic cleansing

NOUN:

The systematic elimination of an ethnic group or groups from a region or society, as by deportation, forced emigration, or genocide.

[Thor]

I knew several Virginia State Troopers while I was stationed there. The vast majority of them were of some Christian denomination. I can't fathom that there would be more than 1% of them being of any other major religion. My experience in the military was also that the chaplains there practiced a more non-denominational faith and services, but with few exceptions, most were Christian chaplains.