Navy bans chaplain from ministering to family of dead sailor
Navy bans chaplain from ministering to family of dead sailor
Chaplain Wes Modder prays over Navy service members. (Courtesy Liberty Institute)
It really takes a special kind of lowlife to stop a chaplain from ministering to the family and colleagues of a dead sailor.
But thats exactly what happened last week at Naval Nuclear Power Training Command in Goose Creek, S.C., according to attorneys representing Chaplain Wes Modder.
Its become clear to me Navy leadership cannot be trusted to protect religious liberty within the ranks. Its time for our elected officials to intervene before Chaplain Modders commander brings more embarrassment and shame to the Armed Forces.
For this Navy to bar a chaplain from comforting and ministering to sailors and families is a reprehensible violation of religious freedom and common human decency, said Kelly Shackelford, the president of Liberty Institute, a law firm that specializes in religious liberty cases.
Some quick background before I explain what happened:
Chaplain Modder is facing the end of a stellar, 19-year-career in the Navy because he expressed his faith-based views on marriage and human sexuality during private counseling sessions with sailors.
Last December, a gay officer took offense at Christian chaplains take on homosexuality. Modder, who is endorsed by the Assemblies of God, was accused of discrimination and failing to show tolerance and respect, among other things.
Just a few months earlier, Modders commander had called him the best of the best and a consummate professional leader. But now hes on the verge of being kicked out of the military.
Modder was relieved of his duties and temporarily reassigned pending the outcome of an investigation. The Navy has since denied the chaplains request to be reinstated. for religious accommodation.
So that brings us to an incident that occurred last week, when a sailor in Modders previous unit unexpectedly died.
Liberty Institute attorney Michael Berry tells me Modder was about to reach out to the sailors grieving family when he was stopped by a member of the command.
He was slapped with a no contact order the Navys version of a restraining order banning him from providing counsel or ministering to any members of his unit.
This Navy official is using the no contact order as a weapon to punish and humiliate a decorated military chaplain, Berry said. To deny Chaplain Modder of the ability to minister to a grieving family and other sailors is deplorable.
The Navy went so far as to banish Modder from the base on the day of the sailors memorial service.The chaplain said that was adding insult to injury.
One of the most important things chaplains do is to provide comfort and care after a tragic death, Modder said. I am heartbroken for the family, and yet the Navy wont allow me to do my job of helping them grieve and mourn.
Its beyond me why the Navy would treat a Marine and highly decorated chaplain with such derision. This is a man who was deployed multiple times during the War on Terror. This is a man who once led chaplains who ministered to Navy SEALs.
Tens of thousands of Americans have petitioned the Pentagon to reinstate Modder, and a number of high profile-political and religious figures including Mike Huckabee, Sen. Ted Cruz, Franklin Graham and Family Research Council President Tony Perkins have offered their support.
I reached out to the Chief of Chaplains office for comment, but they did not return my call. I can only hope the reason is because they are just as speechless as I am.
Its become clear to me that Navy leadership cannot be trusted to protect religious liberty within the ranks. Its time for our elected officials to intervene, before Chaplain Modders
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2015/03/24/navy-bans-chaplain-from-ministering-to-family-dead-sailor/
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Chaplain Wes Modder prays over Navy service members.(Courtesy Liberty Institute)
It really takes a special kind of lowlife to stop a chaplain from ministering to the family and colleagues of a dead sailor.
But thats exactly what happened last week at Naval Nuclear Power Training Command in Goose Creek, S.C., according to attorneys representing Chaplain Wes Modder.
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it.
But thats exactly what happened last week at Naval Nuclear Power Training Command in Goose Creek, S.C., according to attorneys representing Chaplain Wes Modder.
"according to attorneys representing Chaplain Wes Modder."
Considering the source, I withhold comment until there are some verifiable facts.
I agree. All we really have is his lawyers statement and some "I heard" or "I was told" type statements. There is far too much missing to blame either the Navy or the Chaplin.
Chaplain Modderhad been reassignedduring an active investigation into offensive conduct, as per military protocol. He could not call on the family of the deceased sailor in any official capacity, but he could absolutely call on the family in a personal capacity, had he chosen to do so. Interesting that he chose to call a lawyer, instead.
As a military chaplain,his job isto ministerto all military men and women without judgmentof their religious and/or personal beliefs. If hisown personal beliefs prevent him from doing his job,then perhaps finding a chaplaincy in the private sector would be best.
The officer who reported Modder was gay, not an atheist.
In any event, Chaplain Modder has no choice but to minister to the troops withouthanging his personal"I hate fags!" banner every five minutes. It's entirely up to him whether he remains in the military, or trots his chubby ass over to Westboro Baptist.
I have read and re-read this story several times and the only thing I have come up with is, what are we supposed to be upset about?
If he has been relieved of duty pending theoutcome of aninvestigation for a charge of an accusation of discrimination, so what? The military does that all of the time for all kinds of reasons and all kinds of ranks and jobs. Since he had beensuspended of his Officialduties as a Navy Chaplain, of course he would not be allowed to Officially minister at the Sailor's funeral as an officalrepresentative of the Navy, because he is suspended. SOP.
If a NavyCIS officer was under investigation for committing a crime, of course he wouldn't be allowed to officially carry his weapon and conduct investigations while he or she was being investigated.SOP. He (the Chapin)would, of course be allowed to grieve with the family on a personal level and nothing in this story says he was not allowed to do that. SOP.
Also nothing in this story says that the investigation has been completed, what stage it is at, what it is even officially for (except an undefined accusationof discrimination of some kind)and that they are anywhere near discharging him for any reason whatsoever. While under investigation he is not allowed to conduct the officialduties of an official Naval Chaplain. So what?
Whatare we supposed to be all upset about and why is FOX?? Let the Navy do their job of conducting their investigation AND THEN get all upset if it was because of discrimination toward gays. Until then this is an incomplete story.
The source here is right on target with this story. It is beyond stupid what is happening to that officer.
Just a variation of Fox's "War on Christmas" meme.
You are absolutely right. I exaggerated and was out of line to do so. How's this:
Navy Commander and othermilitary upper-echelonto homophobic chaplain: Follow the federally-mandated policies and regulations behind the task you have been given, or the lawsuit settlement is coming out of your pocket!