A Charlotte, N.C., police chaplain recently received some ridiculous news after seven years of serving local officers and the community in that capacity.
Though he is also the pastor of a Christian church (keyword: Christian), Terry Sartain and his fellow chaplains are no longer allowed to mention the name of Jesus during public invocations. In fact, given the invocation’s root word, “invoke”, the term refers to actually calling upon a specific deity. I guess the department will scrap any further use of the term because of this development.
The man in charge of the chaplain program reportedly said the decision was a “matter of respecting that people may have different faiths,” though Sartain said he’s never experienced any backlash from those holding alternate religious views.
Sometimes the PC police infiltrate the actual police, which is apparently what has happened in this community – a North Carolina community nonetheless. I know the Charlotte area is not as conservative as some other areas of the state, such as the beautiful Outer Banks on which I lived for several years, but it’s still not San Fransisco or Chicago. This is a place located squarely on the Bible Belt, which supposedly meant something at some point in the past.
“It brings about a very real concern about where we are heading as a nation,” Sartain reportedly replied. I could not have said it better.
To be clear, the department’s police chaplains are still welcome to pray, as long as the prayer is not directed to Jesus. This distinction led Sartain to ask what I feel to be the only natural follow-up question: to whom exactly should he direct his prayer?
The police department’s reply was that he should deliver “secular” prayers. I’m sorry, but that phrase sounds like an oxymoron. I suppose it could be some reference to meditation or thinking happy thoughts, but either way, there’s not much need for an ordained Christian pastor to deliver them.
Sartain, along with the officers in this department and their families, are just the latest victims in the ongoing culture war, leading the pastor to remove his name from consideration for future public invocations.
When an agency no longer allows a pastor to mention the namesake of his faith, he can no more perform his duties than a doctor prohibited from prescribing medicine.
These anti-Christian leftists tout fairness and compromise when making these demands, as though taking away one group’s liberty will somehow positively affect another group. Just as you won’t get rich if a millionaire loses his money, this argument displays a failed understanding of the word “fair.”
Long-held religious institutions, even the Charlotte police chaplain program, must be preserved in order for the moral backbone of this country to exist. Of course, many on the far left wish to change everything about America, including its Judeo-Christian values. They see government as the one true religion, a secular god in itself. Now that I think about it, I guess that’s why they favor secular prayer.
In my understanding of the Bill of Rights, government is prohibited from interfering in my faith. Liberals interpret it to mean the exact opposite.
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Am I the only one who thinks this country has gone off the deep end in trying to be Politically Correct? This is getting to be the height of ridiculous. Atheists, you don’t like us praying, too bad! This is a Christian (regardless of what Obama says) country, The vast majority of Americans are Christian. You, atheists are in the minority. So you lose the vote! You don’t want to pray – don’t – we will continue to pray whether you like it or not. Enough!
Puck folitical correctness! If people don’t like praying/prayers, then they can plug their ears or else don’t go where praying is being done or prayers are not being said. Atheists, ACLU, commies, muslims, marxists, and all others who are trying to tear our country down are total misfits of society!!
I would imagine no one in the district would dare object if it was directed to Mohammed. After all that is what it seems is the religion of choice for the PC People.
POLITICALLY – SCHMIDICLY CORRECTNESS, who gives a HOOT.. Those who are the *** SO CALLED PC Cops ** need to get a life , other than being the so called PC police.
If I remember terms correctly it is “freedom of religion”, not “freedom from religion” principles that founded our country
The First Amendment of the Constitution ratified on Dec. 15, 1791, states in part:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; . . .”
Note that it says that CONGRESS shall make no law establishing a religion (meaning as was done in England setting up the Church of England and everyone had to join it) nor can CONGRESS prohibit the free exercise of our religion. I doubt the Founding Fathers anticipated that anyone would try to stop our free exercise of religion other than Congress with a specific law. This has been taken by our Courts to mean that no one can interfere with our exercise of religion. That is until this century when it appears that those that are non-believers (in any religion) have changed the meaning to be that seeing or hearing someone engage in their religion is offensive.
Oops…I don’t believe that the right to not be offended appears in any part of our Constitution, By-Laws, or any federal or state law. Hillary Clinton followed her Saul Alinsky guidelines by “first change the language to control the politics” when she and Bill were running the White House. The first thing she did was institute “political correctness” by saying it was so that others wouldn’t be offended. Most people are nice, tactful and try not to offend others so they went along with it – even when there was no one around to be offended! It’s time to get off that “political correctness” couch and start speaking the truth! If someone is offended, so be it! I and everyone I know is offended by political correctness so by it’s very definition it’s politically incorrect! This country is made up of individuals of every nationality, language, background, ancestry, and any other category you can come up with. No matter what you say, you may well offend someone – or you yourself may be offended. Grow up! It goes with having a free country!
We have a right to our religion. We have a right to speak our opinion. We have a right to speak out against our government. Let’s start exercising those rights! If one lone individual can take away our religion by being offended, maybe the voice of a multitude can take it back!
Chaplins and all preachers should refuse to preach and or speak when any Police officer is shot or police officer gets married or wants their child Baptised, or to be at police officers funeral or their family’s funeral and i bet they change their mind quick! Maybe the police officers there should be barred from all local churches too!