Yep. You read it right. Not much time, nor fortunately, much need to elaborate. See below.
Read it and weep, in today's
GovExec.com. The Defense reauthorization bill is being held up because:
By Wednesday evening, House Armed Services Chairman Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., and Senate Armed Services Chairman John Warner, R-Va., remained in negotiations over language in the House-passed defense authorization bill that would allow military chaplains to pray in the name of Jesus Christ.
What the military says about this:
The original House language states that chaplains can pray "according to the dictates of the chaplain's own conscience, except as limited by military necessity, with any such limitation being imposed in the least restrictive manner feasible."
The Pentagon has voiced strong opposition to the provision, stating that it would "operate against" the military's "insistence on inclusive prayer" at interfaith events.
What Thomas Jefferson said about it, two hundred plus years ago:
Is uniformity attainable? Millions of innocent men, women, and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined, imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch towards uniformity. What has been the effect of coercion? To make one half the world fools and the other half hypocrites. To support roguery and error all over the earth. (Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1782; from George Seldes, ed., The Great Quotations, Secaucus, New Jersey: Citadel Press, 1983, p. 363.)
Here's the kicker:
The issue pits members of the Congressional Prayer Caucus and other House conservatives against Warner, who opposes enacting legislation governing military chaplains until both chambers have had an opportunity to discuss the matter. The Senate's defense authorization bill did not include similar language.
(emphasis supplied)
"Congressional Prayer Caucus"?! Wha the who and the hunh ?!
Talk about onward Christian soldiers ...
Is this just about as dumb as it gets? I can't stand it. I just can't stand it.