Congressional Chaplain

Lawmakers Worried About Religious Freedom After Chaplain Ouster

I do not see a positive end to the current political tussle over the congressional chaplain.

At this point, given that the position is just a political football, I don’t see value in having a congressional chaplain at all.

I also don’t trust media reporting of the issue. I truly doubt this started over a single prayer offered by the current chaplain 6 months ago.

I agree with you on not having a Congressional Chaplain, but because I am against prayer in public/government places. If Representatives need to pray they can go into their office, close the door and pray all they want.

I would like to correct an error in reporting that I have seen widely made.

Speaker Ryan did not FIRE the Chaplain.

He cannot unilaterally fire the Chaplain.

Only a vote of the full House of Representatives can remove the Chaplain or any other Officer of the House.

Speaker Ryan asked for and got the Chaplain’s resignation is how it should have been worded.

1 Like

Well, I disagree with that reasoning. Since before we had our Constitution, and before we had Articles of Confederation, we’ve had a chaplain in our various iterations of congress. Heaven forbid that we have “prayer in public” all of a sudden.

I only agree with your sentiment peripherally. When chaplaincy becomes a political hammer – especially when the chaplain tailors his prayer to favor one side or the other of a political issue – then it’s being abused. To me, chaplaincy should invoke God’s guidance on governance. It should remind the people who are governing that they are merely dust in the end, that they are not gods themselves, that their decisions impact human beings, that the politicians should be open to God’s guidance.

That is precisely what got the chaplain in trouble

1 Like