I was troubled to read this morning about the ex-Military Chaplain who after a "religious experience" that he had in Iraq, the witnessing of the bombing of the Golden Mosque which caused a huge surge in violence among Iraqis; led him to rethink fundamental beliefs, inspiring him to want to convert from being a Pentecostal Chaplain (which he was held in very high regard) to being a Wiccan Chaplain (which the military has managed to prevent happening multiple times over the years with others who have attempted to create such a position in the Chaplaincy).

Needless to say, he ended up losing everything because of his attempt to do this. Here is the story.

The closest that Pagans and Wiccans have ever come to religious tolerance in the Military was with Marci Drewry, who enlisted in the United States Army in 1981. While Drewry was unable to accomplish the task of becoming a recognized Wiccan Chaplain, due to her lack of experience and education, she did claim the position of Distinctive Faith Group Leader, which is the go between for soldiers and Chaplains.

Why is this important you may ask?

This is now, I've just come to realize; the second real religious discrimination situation that is on an unconstitutional level in this country, that not enough people are aware about.

*I must point out that I was raised by Methodists, Baptists and Nazarene's, all of whom I still love and respect for their committment to faith. However, when religions discriminate against one another; what hope do we have left?

Continuing,

1) Dan Larsen, meets all of the qualifications to be a Chaplain; however due to a technicality he was stripped of his former position in an effort to discriminate against and restrain him from his First Amendment rights.

2) If I were to respond to a request from an active soldier in the military who is seeking an unbiased interfaith minister such as my self to talk to about his sexual orientation that is in question, it would be out of the question. I could not counsel that soldier, which is a direct violation of the First Amendment. Secondly, there are many ULC members in the military who are subject to discriminative laws which deny the truth that our LGBT brothers and sisters were intended by God/Nature/Bing Bang.

SUSPECT CLASSIFICATION SAYS, if it has a history of looking like a duck, walking like a duck and sounding like a duck it must be a duck.

SO, if this former Pentecostal Chaplain receives a subconscious message telling him that maybe all of his years of questioning the divisions of religion are wrong and that he needs to rethink it, why would we remove such a smart, kind-hearted individual from his call to be a Chaplain, beit Pentecostal or otherwise.

Similarly, why should a homosexual or homosexual individual living a lie not have the right to come out, under the First Amendment, speak their truth about their identity and seek whatever means of counsel they would need, beit from a Universal Life Church Monastery Ministers such as you or I? Why is it that our own Government has the right, the audacity to subject individuals to such psychologically damaging situations?

Oh yeah, that's right...they still can't reach a consensus on water-boarding.


Peace and God Bless, sorry for the rant.

There is no need to apologize. What you have posted is true enough and I am happy to see you are aware of religious discrimination within the US boundaries. The same type discrimination can be seen regarding those of the Muslim faith in the US. "Be not afraid, but stand and speak."....God's Peace....To`na Wanagi

People get uncomfortable around those that have changed their religion, especilly when their previous religion they have achived so much and become well respected. Some people have relied on them for gudinece etc so perhaps they feel cheated, that what they were told was a lie etc.