ANALYSIS – As I wrote about yesterday, a courageous former Green Beret turned Army chaplain provoked a backlash from the woke Army when he sent a brigade all-hands email praising the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. (RELATED: Florida Governor Goes to War Against ‘Radical Vigilante Woke Mob’)
First, a couple of woke colonels in the chaplain’s command virtue signaled by complaining about the chaplain’s email, and now the Army is conducting a command inquiry into the chaplain’s religious missive.
It should tread lightly.
Maj. Brian T. Hargis is a chaplain observer coach/trainer assigned to First Army at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. The training unit, which evaluates other units during training events, is composed of full- and part-time troops from the regular Army, National Guard and Army Reserve.
However, it is reported that he is currently making a permanent change of station move unrelated to the email.
Hargis’ email includes several quotes from the Bible and encouraged troops to “pray for the safety of our Supreme Justices (and families) whose lives are in danger from Satanic-influenced evildoers,” as well as for all states to “follow suit with the SC decisions” and ban abortion.
Command spokesperson Steven Harmon told the Army Times in a phone interview that the commander’s inquiry is reviewing the “propriety and legality of that all-users message and the dissemination of such.”
However, even the Air Force’s most recent 2019 woke legal opinion about what chaplains can or cannot say in public prayers at optional events makes no mention of abortion.
It does restrictively hold that “any prayer or invocation offered must not denigrate, proselytize, or betray an impermissible government purpose…[and] the chaplain could not express the views of his or her faith on topics such as homosexuality, transgenderism, or nonreligious personnel.” (RELATED: Biden’s Dangerous New Government Effort to Control Conservative Speech)
The Army Times notes that:
Although chaplains are required to be credentialed leaders in their respective faiths, they occupy a tenuous gray area between the need to provide soldiers the religious support to which they’re entitled and the First Amendment’s restrictions on government officials advancing their personal religious beliefs in an official capacity.
Sadly, the reporter at the Army Times has never read the Constitution, because the First Amendment protects Americans’ right to free speech and free exercise of religion, not restrict it:
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.
The egregious idea conflating anyone at any level of government, including chaplains and teachers, expressing their religious views with a “law respecting the establishment of religion” — while ignoring the clause about not “prohibiting the free exercise thereof” — has been the unconstitutional view that has often turned the First Amendment into a sham.
It is bad enough that a spiritual leader in the military today cannot express his faith’s beliefs on topics such as homosexuality or the scientifically unfounded latest woke trend of ‘transgenderism,’ but not being able to opine on abortion would be an even greater violation of a chaplain’s oath and duty, not to mention his First Amendment right to express his religion.
We need more courageous officers like Major Hargis and less PC cowards. Hargis’ command would be wise to not be too woke in its findings. ALD
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
READ NEXT: Far-Left Group Threatens Another SCOTUS Justice >>
Paul Crespo is the Managing Editor of American Liberty Defense News. As a Marine Corps officer, he led Marines, served aboard ships in the Pacific and jumped from helicopters and airplanes. He was also a military attaché with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) at U.S. embassies worldwide. He later ran for state and federal office, taught political science, wrote for the editorial board of a major newspaper and had his own radio show. A graduate of Georgetown, London and Cambridge universities, he brings decades of experience and insight to the issues that most threaten our American liberty – at home and from abroad. To read more go to: paulcrespo.com.
So if a Chaplin cannot really be a Chaplin why even have them. I bet if he were from another religion this would not be an issue
I bet if he were Atheist or a Muslin taking this position would be just fine. We need to convince the Pentagon to change direction before they ruin what has taken a long time to build…. not just the cost and the readiness to defend the country but the pride of the troops that have worked so hard to live up to the standards that were Our Military!
If they are inquiring about his support of the overturning of Roe vs Wade what an irony. A military should not take sides. A military that is sworn to protect life is ok with killing nearly a million babies a year. Talk about WOKE?
The Chaplain was advocating for the safety of US Officials (SCOTUS justices) and the new policy the SCOTUS established. Where is the error here exactly? Oh, it doesn’t meet the woke tint requirement. Got it.
Bad optics Army, Bad for morale & readiness of troops
Sadly as Americans we have forgotten how the USA was formed. A group of brave souls stood up to the British government in regards to their religious beliefs based on the Holy Bible. They wanted freedom from government interference and acts that did not agree with the teachings and life of Jesus. What has happened? Now our government wants to take these rights away from us? It actually comes down to who the boss is. The boss is God. It is written that the government is upon the shoulders of Jesus. Does anyone know anymore what that means?
I’m glad I served my Country when men were men before all this woke BS and the pussufication of today’s military! You received your orders and accepted and obeyed them without disobedience because your precious little feelings were hurt!
We all respected our Chaplains because they are men of God doing their job! I question the “wokeness” of our new military officers that don’t have the backbone or guts to do what is right!
I agree with your post. I too did my 26 years in the Army when we were led by military leaders , now they have been replaced by politicians. Of course it was 45 years ago that I retired and things have changed, and not for the better. I actually fear for our country because the current batch that’s in charge of our government is slowly but surely destroying our constitutional republic. We most likely will be going to war against each other, and that will cause these United States of America to cease to exist.
As a former proud member of the US Army and Vietnam veteran, i find the major’s and subsequent higher command decisions to muzzle the chaplain corps about expressing opinions which are directly affecting the military members’ families and their faith or lack thereof,completing ridiculous and self condensating.
If ANY member of the military finds a chaplain’s message(s) disturbing, than perhaps the individual(s) needs to re-examine their own “faith” beliefs. A military founded primarily to protect the innocent simply can NOT support nor participate in the MURDER of unborn children. For a supervising officer of ANY rank who fells compelled to challenge virtually any and all religions who believe and teach that abortion is
“an abomination before GOD”, needs to be disciplined himself/herself .
one cannot “moderate” the infallible word of GOD !
The chaplain’s email is problematic on two grounds.
First, people who are employed are restricted when operating in the capacity of or on or using the property of their employer.
Second, a chaplain’s purpose is to minister to the needs of personnel who seek him out. Actively proselytizing his viewpoints onto “all hands”, which could reasonably include people who are opposed to the SCOTUS ruling and others who have no interest in it, is clearly directed at those whose minds he wishes to change.
His intention is clearly to change minds and/or create active support for the ruling. That is not the legitimate purpose of his employment. That email was not ministering to the needs of his “flock” but rather his own need to convert.
Who were the Colonels who want to usurp this military pastor’s constitutional rights, that all our military personnel have taken an oath to defend from all enemies, both foreign and domestic?
If these Colonels can’t understand their own oaths, they need to be drummed out of the US military, for ignorance is no excuse for violating anyone’s rights.
I simply cannot believe that the Army has gone WOKE and QUEER and ANTI-CHRISTIAN. Beam me up, Scotty! There’s no intelligent life at the Pentagon.
It’s the command who needs a command inquiry.