Christianity,  Politics

SBC Chaplains face a crisis over same-sex marriage

Albert Mohler has a must-read article about the crisis facing evangelical chaplains in the military. The issue has come to a head, and now some are calling for Southern Baptist chaplains to resign their commissions if they will not embrace same-sex marriage. Mohler writes,

Make no mistake, the moral revolution driven by those who demand the total normalization of homosexuality and same-sex relationships will not stop with the crisis over military chaplains. But at this moment, the chaplains are on the front lines of the great cultural and moral conflict of our times. This is a moment of crisis for the chaplains; but it is also a moment of crisis for the entire nation. If religious liberty is denied to evangelical Christian chaplains in the military, if they must surrender their convictions or their commissions, then religious liberty is lost in America, and the chaplains will be but the first casualties of this loss.

Southern Baptist chaplains have been singled out in this call for mass resignation, but they will not be alone. Thousands of Roman Catholic chaplains are committed by their church to the same moral convictions. Chaplains representing other evangelical churches and denominations will find themselves facing the same moment of decision. Muslim and Jewish chaplains who cannot endorse homosexuality and same-sex marriage will face the same challenge.

In reality, it is the entire nation that now faces this crisis. Is America ready to demand that military chaplains choose between serving God and serving their country? We will soon know the answer to that question.

Mohler’s closing line is aimed at those so-called “Christians” that would force Southern Baptist chaplains out of the military. He writes,

Southern Baptist chaplains cannot surrender their commitment to Christ in order to maintain their commitment to ministry within the Armed Services. Furthermore, Southern Baptists will take their instruction from their own churches, not from those churches and denominations who are wearing out their knees bowing to Baal.

Read the rest here.

12 Comments

  • buddyglass

    Mohler’s overreacting. The U.S. Armed Forces haven’t yet, to my knowledge, put SBC chaplains in an untenable position. Tom Carpenter thinks they are, but a chaplain needn’t be concerned with what Tom Carpenter thinks unless the military branch in which he serves happens to agree with Tom Carpenter.

  • James Stanton

    “In reality, it is the entire nation that now faces this crisis. Is America ready to demand that military chaplains choose between serving God and serving their country?”

    This is absurd. Mohler is echoing a call for like-minded chaplains to make a political point by banding together for the purpose of mass resignation. The mission of the chaplain is primarily to serve the individuals of the units to which he or she is assigned. There is not currently a threat to this mission. No one is being forced to conduct a homosexual marriage or endorse homosexuality.

    I would urge Mohler and others to avoid sowing division and discouraging chaplains from doing their very necessary duty in serving our men and women in uniform. The culture war over homosexual rights that affects a tiny minority of people is not worth an abdication from this responsibility.

    • James Stanton

      The military was also ahead of the rest of the United States towards racial integration. That form of social engineering was ordered by the executive as opposed to Congress.

      • Wayne Roberts

        Racial segregation was biblically wrong. Integration was the right thing to do. However, the social engineering taking place in the past 20 years or so in the military, is nothing more than pushing the liberal political agenda. There have been recent stories about USAF personnel at Lackland AFB and USAF Academy with their Christian beliefs, running into “maintaining good order and discipline” being interpreted in a way I don’t think was intended in the UCMJ.

  • Ian Shaw

    We don’t live in a theistic monarchy. Why should we be so surprised when we see pagans acting like pagans?

    Yes, we all see how the dominos are falling, but honestly, this shouldn’t surprise us.

  • James Bradshaw

    It is currently legal for Jews to marry Christians and for heterosexual men to have six consecutive wives.

    Has any military chaplain ever been forced to perform religious rituals for these couples? Has anyone ever tried to force them to do so? Even if they had, would they be forced to comply?

    Gay marriage imposes no threat that these other *legal* civil arrangements do not also impose.

    I wish people like Mohler would realize how ridiculous he sounds.

    • Daryl Little

      You would also do well to hear how blind you sound. Or would sound if you didn’t know exactly what you are saying and if you wouldn’t welcome the dismissal of chaplains who stand for Biblical morality.

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