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| Secretary of War/X |
The chaplain brings God to the fight, offering something bigger for the soldier to hold on to. It is something an atheist can’t offer.
Retired Army Chaplain Brad Lewis (Col.-R) got emotional this week when he heard War Sec. Pete Hegseth’s order to return the Chaplain Corps to religious ministry. Hegseth said the Chaplain Corps role has been “degraded” in recent decades, and he gave the example of the 2025 “Army Spiritual Fitness Guide” that mentions “God” once, but “playfulness” nine times in 112 pages. Although most people in the military, 82 percent, are religious according to the guide, God has been nearly replaced by secular humanism. Hegseth eliminated the use of the guide this week and announced he is simplifying the faith coding system.
“I felt like I was vindicated. So I was just kind of going, ‘Well, praise the Lord. At last,’” Lewis told The Federalist. “And then, of course, that’s all tempered with, ‘I hope this actually happens,’ because we’ve been let down so many times by the system.” Within hours, Lewis had been on the phone with many other retired senior chaplains who were also pleased with Hegseth’s announcement.
The Chaplain Corps, formed by George Washington in 1775 to be the “spiritual and moral backbone” of the military, Hegseth said. But chaplains say religion has been replaced by “spiritual fitness,” and they are often called on to be therapists more than religious leaders. Subtle culture changes have made it uncomfortable to speak of God’s word.
A current chaplain told The Federalist that he recently ended a memorial prayer, “In Jesus’ name,” and was verbally reprimanded for not keeping the prayer generic.
“That should not be what our chaplains face when they pray in accordance with their faith tradition.” He recalled a Muslim chaplain who prayed generically, not mentioning “Allah.” But the troops know their chaplain is Christian, Jew, or Muslim, so when they don’t name their God, the prayer rings hollow, and it makes the troops feel less safe speaking of their faith. Chaplains must work with all faiths, but that does not mean they should turn off their own faith. If they do, how can they say that faith guides their life or matters in a soldier’s life?
Lewis recalled a Christian chaplain who gave the annual suicide prevention talk and shared that he struggled with depression.
“He said, ‘I had some issues. My faith is what pulled me out of that. My relationship with Jesus.’ That’s all he said. He didn’t say, ‘You need to be saved. You need Jesus.’ He said, ‘This helped me immensely, and so if you have a faith, practice it. It’s good for you.’ He essentially lost his career for that,” Lewis said. --->READ MORE HERE
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| John C. Clark, Associated Press |
Defense secretary takes to X, arguing that the role of military chaplains ‘has been degraded in an atmosphere of political correctness’
In his first year as Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth has moved against several components of the U.S. Armed Forces, claiming they’ve been diminished by political correctness.
Now Hegseth is speaking out about one of the oldest communities in the American military — the chaplain corps.
In a video posted Tuesday evening on his X account, Hegseth said the “weakening” of the chaplain corps is “a real problem” facing the armed services.
George Washington, noted the defense secretary, established the military’s chaplain corps in 1775 — one of his first actions as general of the Continental Army.
Washington, said Hegseth, understood the importance of chaplains in the ranks when he wrote: “The blessing and protection of heaven are at all times necessary — but especially so in times of public distress and danger.”
For two centuries, the military’s chaplain corps performed its role as the spiritual leader for American men and women in uniform.
“But sadly, as part of the ongoing war on warriors, in recent decades its role has been degraded in an atmosphere of political correctness and secular humanism. Chaplains have been minimized — viewed by many as therapists, instead of ministers,” said Hegseth.
“Faith and virtue were traded for self-help and self-care.” --->READ MORE HEREFollow link below to a relevant story:
+++++Hegseth calls for overhaul of military Chaplain Corps, eliminates 'New Age' 'spiritual fitness guide'+++++
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