[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 156 (Monday, October 26, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H11766-H11767]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
H.R. 268--MILITARY CHAPLAINS BILL
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. Madam Speaker, it is a sad day in America when our
chaplains in the military cannot pray according to their faiths and
consciences. Our troops are risking their lives in dangerous countries
to protect the religious freedoms of others, but our own military does
not always permit that our military chaplains can pray according to his
or her faith.
For this reason, I have introduced H.R. 268, which is a bill to
ensure that every military chaplain has the prerogative to close a
prayer outside of a religious service according to the dictates of the
chaplain's own conscience.
I have spoken with many, many chaplains who have served in conflicts
from Vietnam to Desert Storm, and there never was any restriction on
chaplains and on how they prayed until the mid-1990s. This suppression
of religious freedom, the very principle on which this country was
founded, is a pervasive problem that is affecting every branch of our
Armed Forces and that is affecting chaplains of every denomination. As
of 2008, 76 percent of the chaplains were Protestant, 9 percent
Catholic, 1 percent Jewish, and 14.1 percent were of some other faith.
About 5 years ago, I was introduced to the case of Army Captain
Chaplain
[[Page H11767]]
Jonathan Stertzbach, an independent Baptist by training. Chaplain
Stertzbach was called to perform a memorial service for a fallen
soldier. In that division, he had to e-mail his prayer to the
divisional chaplain. In the prayer, the divisional chaplain struck
through the words ``Jesus Christ.'' He sent back the prayer with the
strike-through of ``Jesus Christ'' to Jonathan Stertzbach. Chaplain
Stertzbach went to the company commander, and asked permission not to
pray.
The company commander says, Why not?
He says, Because I've been ordered not to close my prayer as I see
fit, based on my conscience, and knowing that the deceased soldier had
attended his chapel, a Christian chapel.
So the company commander said to Chaplain Stertzbach, You will pray,
and you will pray as you see fit.
He did, and he closed his prayer in the name of his Savior, the Lord
Jesus Christ. From that, the divisional chaplain removed Chaplain
Stertzbach from his chapel.
In 2005, when I heard this story, I wrote a letter to Lieutenant
General Stanley Green, the inspector general of the United States Army,
and I asked for an investigation into this case involving Chaplain
Stertzbach. I am pleased to say, Madam Speaker, that Chaplain
Stertzbach was returned to his chapel. The inspector general found that
he should never have been removed.
Madam Speaker, very briefly, I just want to read the bill, which is
so simple. This is what it says: to ensure that every military chaplain
has the prerogative to close a prayer outside of a religious service
according to the dictates of the chaplain's own conscience.
Madam Speaker, this is a sad day in America. I would be on this floor
for a Jewish rabbi. I would be on this floor for a Muslim who happened
to be a chaplain in the military. I hope that my colleagues on both
sides of the aisle will look at this bill, because all it says is that
you can close your prayer based on your heart, based on the dictates of
your faith outside the church on base, even over the body of a dead
soldier.
{time} 1945
Madam Speaker, as I close, I want to make it clear, because I see my
friend on the floor who is of the Muslim faith, that I would be on this
floor tonight for a Muslim chaplain who was told that he, an imam,
could not close a prayer based on their faith.
Madam Speaker, I close by asking God to please bless our men and
women in uniform. I ask God to please bless the families of our men and
women in our uniform. I ask God in His loving arms to hold the families
who have given a child dying for freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Madam Speaker, I ask God to give wisdom, strength and courage to the
President of the United States. And I ask three times, God, please,
God, please, God, please continue to bless America.
February 6, 2005.
Department of the Army,
The Inspector General, 1700 Army Pentagon, Washington, DC.
Dear LTG Stanley Green: It has come to my attention that in
all branches of the military it is increasingly difficult for
chaplains to pray in adherence to their faith. I have read
reports, received letters, and seen documentation which
verifies that suppression of religious freedom throughout our
Armed Forces is a pervasive problem, affecting military
chaplains from all denominations and religions. Of particular
concern is an incident involving Army Captain Chaplain
Jonathon Stertzbach of the 3-6 FA HHB in Iraq. I am writing
to request that the Army Inspector General investigate
whether Chaplain Stertzbach was illegally removed from his
chapel.
This chaplain who is serving our troops in harm's way in
Iraq was asked by another unit, whose chaplain had to return
home to start chemotherapy after cancer was discovered, to
serve the spiritual needs of the unit's soldiers in weekly
movement to an undisclosed FOB (Forward Operating Base) as
well as his own battalion. During one of the missions,
tragically, one of the soldiers was killed in action. The
unit's Commanding Officer asked this chaplain to perform the
memorial ceremony because he had bravely served the soldiers,
and gone to the risk of convoying to the FOB (Forward
Operating Base) weekly.
Before the memorial ceremony, the chaplain submitted two
prayers and a meditation for the Division Chaplain and his
direct supervising chaplain to review and was approved. The
Brigade Chaplain, having just arrived from Fort Drum,
attempted to remove the chaplain from administering the
prayers of the memorial ceremony because he concluded his
prayer in the name of Jesus Christ in a public forum. The
chaplain, adhering to his conscience and faith tradition,
said he would not strike the words Jesus Christ.
The unit's Commanding Officer intervened, explaining that
Chaplain Stertzbach volunteered to serve a different unit
outside of his assigned unit and placed his life in harm's
way to provide for the needs of the unit's soldiers. The
Commanding Officer instructed that Chaplain Stertzbach would
pray according to his faith tradition and the prayers that he
had already submitted. The Brigade Chaplain told him to
qualify his prayer at the beginning with ``Please pray
according to your faith tradition, as I pray according to
mine'' and then close the prayer with ``in thy name we pray,
and in Jesus' name I pray.'' Chaplain Stertzbach delivered
the memorial meditation and prayers for the fallen hero, but
still followed orders with the `qualifier' remaining in
place.
After the incident, Chaplain Stertzbach's story reached the
media. The Chaplain was directly contacted by the Washington
Times and referenced in a Washington Times January story.
Chaplain Stertzbach's incident was not printed, but he was
quoted as saying the following:
``You need to allow people to pray according to their faith
group. Many faith groups do not pray in general and generic
terms. . . . For Christian groups, the name of Jesus is from
where all the power comes.''
I believe Chaplain Stertzbach answered questions fairly,
accurately, and within his legal rights. Consequently, his
answers to the media and the incident surrounding the
memorial ceremony resulted in Chaplain Stertzbach's removal
from his chapel.
I am concerned that Chaplain Stertzbach was removed without
justification. Again, I am requesting that you investigate
this incident and provide an explanation.
Sincerely,
Walter B. Jones,
Member of Congress.
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