Canadian military tells chaplains not to talk about religion in public

From the point of view of a lover of liberty, the entire idea of military chaplaincy has many rather strange facets.

Here at TPOL, we tend to think a lot of Bob Heinlein’s idea of chaplaincy as a voluntary extra duty of an NCO or officer, rather than a separate corps of officers with a staff and institutionalism in so many ways. The current version of chaplaincy in the US Armed Forces is built on a denominational model and has been pushed quite a ways in a Woke direction – though nowhere near as far as the Canadian military. But it does restrict military personnel (and often, their families) in many ways, especially when deployed to what support they can have. If indeed, any support is truly needed or wanted beyond recognition of people’s rights to practice their religion, and to have communion with those of like faith.

But as always, the biggest problem is government interference, which is (in our opinion) both wrong morally and a violation of the Constitution. And part of that problem is the idea that any public expression of faith should be banned, and any support of any religious concept is unconstitutional. As clearly, the Canadian Parliament has decided.

On July 29, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) issued a new guidance on “spiritual reflections in military settings,” defined as “inclusive public addresses” that foster “meaning, purpose, and spiritual well-being.” They are not to “use religious specific language, including references to God, etc.,” but rather “reflect upon lessons learned, beliefs, values, and experiences to inspire gratitude, remembrance, hope, and integrity,” grounded in “respect for freedom of conscience and religious expression, while upholding the dignity and value of diverse spiritual traditions.” It contains exceptions for funerals, voluntary religious gatherings, private counseling, and indigenous practices.  This is rightly seen as a new policy banning prayer and invoking God at military events, condemning it as a form of religious coercion.

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms affirms that “everyone” has “fundamental freedoms” of “conscience and religion”; “thought, belief, opinion and expression”; “peaceful assembly”; and “association,” all of which are imperiled by restrictions on religious gathering and expression.

But clearly, in good “Animal Farm” application, in today’s Canada, some pigs are more equal than others. And as commentators have pointed out, this is not just the opposite of pretending that the state (government) is neutral. Indeed, this is far from the first attempt to suppress religious expression within the CAF, or in Canadian civilian society.

Bizarrely, in 2024 the CAF banned prayer at all Remembrance Day, despite the obvious religious overtones of the commemorations. This action prompt outcry from citizens, military members, and political figures. (Remembrance Day is what Canadians (and most of the British Commonwealth) call the 11th of November, originally Armistice Day and now Veteran’s Day in the States. It is more like Memorial Day as the emphasis is on those who have died in military service, and therefore there is a strong religious aspect.

This followed a previous attempt by the CAF in 2023. And both the Federal and various Provincial governments have also sought to prohibit free expression of religion, to the point of forbidding certain language. Canadian civilians (subjects of the Crown) can be and are arrested, tried, convicted, and punished for publicly quoting Bible verses. This is most commonly those which are condemning of homosexuality, but apparently includes other “offensive” passages. At least offensive in the eyes of some people who also squawk loudly.

Several people have noted that apparently this most recent attempt does not apply to “First Nations” religious expression (provided that it is “traditional” religion, not some form of Christianity. Nor does the ban apply to Muslims and Muslim prayers (or so it is reported). As we often point out, some pigs are more equal than other pigs.

Today’s quote: Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it. (Thomas Paine)

Are we willing to do that, or just free-riders?

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