The vice president-elect has a position on what he calls religious liberty, which allows citizens to refuse to do business with people with whom they have a sincere religious objection — but this has also popped up in the military, right? Yes. One estimate indicates that nearly two-thirds of military chaplains identify as evangelistic Christians, and only about 15 percent of service members do. We’ve had a number of instances in which a gay or transgender troop will visit a chaplain and hear, “Well, I can’t talk to you unless you confess your sin and turn straight or be who God made you to be.”
That has happened? Yes! What people fail to understand is that chaplains give up some of their rights as ministers when they become military chaplains, just as soldiers give up some of their free speech to defend free speech. Some chaplains argue: “My first responsibility is to God.” Well, if your...
Dr. Steven J. Lawson | 10/11/2009
