Chaplain's Protest Puts Spotlight on Prayer and the Military

Ch. Klingenschmitt began his fast four days before Christmas, hoping to persuade President Bush to sign an executive order allowing military chaplains to pray according to their individual religious traditions. That order failed to materialize despite a petition by The American Center for Law and Justice that featured 173,000 signatures requesting the order along with 73 members of Congress, led by Congressman Walter Jones (NC), who sent their own letter to the president. Klingenschmitt's battle with the Navy began in early 2005 after a series of conflicts took place with his superior officers the previous year during his assignment on the cruiser USS Anzio, stationed in Norfolk, Va. Klingenschmitt says he was punished for theological disagreements with his superiors that included his objections to requiring sailors to participate in services during Fleet Week at a church that condones homosexuality; his advocacy for a Jewish sailor who wanted kosher meals, and sermons he preached that some viewed as intolerant and unacceptable within the role of a chaplain.