[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 18 (Tuesday, February 14, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H242-H243]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        PROTECTING FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS OF MILITARY CHAPLAINS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, prior to the break I came 
on the floor and announced that we had sent a letter in October of this 
past year to the President of the United States signed by 76 Members of 
the House, 3 United States Senators asking the President of the United 
States to use his constitutional authority as Commander-in-Chief to 
guarantee the first amendment rights of our chaplains in the military, 
whether they be Muslim, Jewish or Christian, to pray in their faith and 
their tradition.

[[Page H243]]

  Tonight, I am on the floor to give an example of what is happening in 
our military. I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, in the 3 years that I have 
talked to chaplains from the Navy, from the Marine Corps, from the 
Army, Air Force, that there is a prohibited rule that they should not 
pray in the name of Jesus, if they happen to be of the Christian faith, 
outside of their church.
  Give you two examples. Last year, I spoke to a Navy chaplain in 
Hawaii who had been asked to pray at a remembrance service for Marines 
killed in Afghanistan and Iraq. At the close of his prayer, he closed 
in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. About an hour later, 
he got a phone call from a Marine Major that asked him to please, in 
the future, outside of his church not to pray in the name of Jesus 
Christ.
  He was so upset, Mr. Speaker, that he went to a Jewish rabbi who was 
a friend of his, and he asked the Jewish rabbi, are you offended when I 
pray in the name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ? The Jewish rabbi 
said, absolutely not. This is your faith and your tradition, and you 
should pray as you see fit.
  Mr. Speaker, 3 weeks ago, I spoke to a chaplain in Iraq. His name is 
Jonathan Stertzbach. He happens to be an independent Baptist. He is a 
chaplain, and he was asked by a commander of a unit to pray over the 
grave of a shoulder who professed to be a Christian who had been killed 
in battle. It so happens in the Army that this chaplain had to submit 
his prayer in writing to the senior chaplain. The senior chaplain, Mr. 
Speaker, struck through the words Jesus Christ. The young chaplain 
whose name is Jonathan Stertzbach, I talked to him by telephone, said, 
Congressman, I could not pray if I could not pray as I thought my Lord 
wanted me to pray. It so happens that the company commander, before he 
removed himself, asked him if he was going to be at the service and if 
he was going to pray. And he said, sir, I have asked to be removed 
because my prayer has been struck down. The Major told him, you go to 
the funeral. You are going to pray as you see fit.
  Since that time, it so happens that a newspaper in America called 
Chaplain Stertzbach and he did comment about what happened, and so now 
he has been removed from his chapel in Iraq.
  I have written to the Inspector General, General Stanley Green. I 
have asked him to look into this matter.
  Mr. Speaker, I would be on the floor of the House tonight if this was 
a Jewish rabbi, if it was a Muslim cleric, and protect their rights to 
pray as they see fit. That is what America is all about, is the first 
amendment rights to pray, to speak as we see fit.
  I hope that my colleagues in the House will join the 76 of us who 
have signed this letter and say to the President of the United States, 
protect the first amendment rights.
  We are not talking about having altar calls. We are just talking 
about in certain ceremonies and services that they pray as they think 
their faith and tradition asks them to pray.
  Mr. Speaker, I will ask, as I close, God to please bless our men and 
women in uniform and ask God to please bless the families of our men 
and women in uniform and ask God to please bless America.

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