McDonnell ends ban on State Police chaplains from saying "Jesus Christ" in public prayers...

Gov. Bob McDonnell ended a ban on State Police troopers referring to "Jesus Christ" in public prayers, arguing that praying in a non-denominational way restricts faith.

In the fall of 2008, the State Police superintendent issued the directive amid concerns that the prayers led by State Police chaplains could be misconstrued as a government endorsement of a specific religion - namely Christianity.

The directive came on the heels of a federal court ruling, here's a snippet from the Washington Post story at the time - when 6 chaplains resigned their positions in protest.

In a statement, Col. W. Steven Flaherty, the State Police superintendent, said he asked chaplains to offer nondenominational prayers at department-sanctioned public events but that the request does not apply to private ceremonies or individual counseling.

Flaherty said his decision was in response to a recent federal appeals court ruling that a Fredericksburg City Council member may not pray "in Jesus's name" during council meetings because the opening invocation is government speech.

Former Gov. Timothy M. Kaine supported the decision.

Conservative Republican lawmakers fumed when Kaine enacted the ban arguing that Kaine was effectively limited freedom of speech. But efforts to legislate a change proved unsuccessful in the General Assembly, so the rule stayed on the books until this week when McDonnell's office reportedly informed chaplains that they could again refer to Jesus in prayers.

McDonnell's spokesman Tucker Martin had this to say to the Washington Post.

"The Governor does not believe the state should tell chaplains of any faith how to pray,'' Martin said. "Religious officials of all faiths should be allowed to pray according to the dictates of their own conscience, and in accordance with their faith traditions, while being respectful of the faith traditions of others.

"Prior to a change two years ago, the State Police permitted those participating in the volunteer State Police chaplain program, established in 1979, to pray in accordance with their own faith. The Governor believes that longstanding bipartisan policy is the appropriate one. This policy puts the State Police chaplains in the same position as those in the United States Military, Virginia National Guard and other law enforcement agencies."

The Family Foundation head Victoria Cobb is ecstatic:

“We are obviously thrilled that Governor McDonnell has fulfilled his campaign promise to restore the religious liberty rights of state police chaplains. His action reverses the discriminatory policy of the previous administration and ensures that chaplains can remain true to their faith at public events. The gags must now come off.

“There was no legitimate reason for the policy change in the first place. This was an act of discrimination by the Kaine administration, plain and simple. No court anywhere requires the Kaine policy. Governor McDonnell is completely within is authority and has the Constitution on his side.

“I don’t think the vast majority of Virginians are offended when someone expresses their faith publically, regardless of what that faith is. We are a pluralistic society that respects people of many faiths. Respect does not require one to silence their faith in public. That’s censorship.”

Del. David Englin, who is Jewish, is concerned that Virginia will be less inclusive - and potentially less constitutional - then the U.S. military.  

"As a Jew, I am proud of Virginia's history of religious inclusiveness, which started with Thomas Jefferson, who wrote the Statute of Religious Freedom, and George Washington, who promised the Jews of Newport, Rhode Island, an American government "which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance."

As an Air Force veteran raised on U.S. military bases overseas, I have experienced firsthand the unifying power of military chaplains, who defend the First Amendment by ministering in their own particular faith traditions to their denominational flocks while providing inclusive, nondenominational blessings at official government functions. Even beyond that, military chaplains pride themselves on ensuring people under their charge of all faiths -- or no faith -- are able to exercise their beliefs. As an Air Force officer, I attended Passover seders and other Jewish observances organized by Methodist, Baptist, and Catholic chaplains.

Rather than look to this proven, constitutional model, Bob McDonnell has chosen a policy that allows agents of the government to foist their religious beliefs on others, satisfying the Religious Right while turning his back on the diversity and pluralism that has made our country great." 

Comments

[Cherisse]

Seems to me that Jesus Himself considered prayer to be a private event anyway (Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16). In fact, according to Matthew 6:6 He instructs His followers to “...go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you." So if I read my Bible correctly sanctioning an official state prayer is not something Jesus would do anyway, I'm just sayin'...

[Life-is-a-gift]

"All hail the power of Jesus' name!" Thank you Governor McDonnell! You have done so much good in your first few months- I can not wait to see more positive changes. God bless you.

[Dean]

Ah Jesus Christ! Get a life.

Fragile things are these things call God. A ounce of science, a wiff of reason will kill them.