Last week I reported on the very welcome new social media guidance for Army chaplains, put out by the Army Chief of Chaplains office. This new guidance, which came in the wake of a string of victories for the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) in getting commanders to remove proselytizing COVID-19 chaplain videos from their command Facebook pages, instructed chaplains to do exactly what MRFF, on behalf of its clients, had been asking them to do, which is to keep their religious videos on their chapel pages, and not post them on their unit’s command pages. In fact, the new social media guidance went even further than what MRFF was demanding, saying that content promoting a “specific religion” shouldn’t even be directly posted on chapel pages, but should only be linked to or provided via private platforms for those who make a choice to engage.
But one chaplain at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Col. Jimmy Nichols, aided and abetted by his command, is continuing to proselytize on the Fort Sill command page, and MRFF’s clients at the installation want it to stop.
Sections 3 through 6 of the new guidance state (emphasis added):
“3. General encouragement can be placed on a unit webpage, but specific religious support content should be on a dedicated UMT, RSO, or Chapel webpage.
“4. UMT, RSO, and Chapel home pages should be “one click away” from the associated unit page – and religious support content other than those hyperlinks should never be displayed on any unit page.
“5. Any content in support of a specific religion should be “one click away” from the associated UMT, RSO, or Chapel home page – and content in support of a specific religion should never be displayed on a UMT, RSO, or Chapel home page.
“6. When providing content with a limited audience, as you often should, use a more secure platform than a simple webpage – such as a Facebook Group, Microsoft Teams, or Zoom – so that individuals must make a choice to engage the material.”
That last line of section 6 — “individuals must make a choice to engage the material” — sums it all up. Or, rather, individuals must be free to choose not to be proselytized. Keeping religious videos on a chapel page provides that all-important freedom of choice.
But that freedom of choice isn’t good for proselytizing. Those who chose to go to a chapel page are probably already “saved.” Why would Chaplain Nichols want to preach only to the mere 1,000 people who follow his chapel page, when his commander allows him to preach on the Fort Sill command page to over 82,000 followers? It’s those 81,000 people who don’t follow the chapel page who need to be proselytized!
In his latest video, about “how having all the information eases fear,” Chaplain Nichols starts off OK. He talks about how the shark in the movie Jaws wasn’t real, and quotes Mark Twain — all fine for a mixed audience of the religious and non-religious in the Fort Sill community — but then, as if he just can’t help himself, he throws in: “A scripture verse that I find inspiring says, ‘This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.’” (1 John 5:4) And “Who is it that overcomes the world?,” according to the line that follows in the Bible? “Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God,” of course!
You might be asking, ‘What’s the big deal? It’s only one line in a video.’ Well, to MRFF’s 34 clients at Fort Sill, 21 of whom are Christians, it’s not only one line in one video. It’s a pattern and practice from this chaplain, this chaplain’s wife, who is also a chaplain at Fort Sill, and their command, which allows these chaplains to engage in their unwanted proselytizing, as one of MRFF’s clients explains in the following email.
From: MRFF Active Duty U.S. Army Spouse’s E-Mail Address Withheld
Subject: Outrageous Fort Sill Chaplain Col. Nichols
Date: June 3, 2020 at 2:47:09 PM MDT
To: Mikey Weinstein
Mr. Weinstein,
I am currently writing to you at the Military Religious Freedom Foundation on behalf of 34 members of the Fort Sill Community, 21 of whom are of the Christian faith about the improper use of the installation Facebook page to proselytize to Fort Sill Community.
I am an Active Duty Army Spouse that previously contacted the Military Religious Freedom Foundation pertaining to Fort Sill and their use of their installation Facebook page “US Army Fort Sill” to spread religious messages (link) that I felt would be better suited for a Chaplain’s page. Unfortunately, these posts have not been taken down and instead new posts are continuing to occur with the blessing of the Fort Sill Garrison Commander, Col. King and the Fort Sill Garrison Chaplain, Col. Nichols.
On May 28th at 11:54 AM CST The “US Army Fort Sill” page hosted a live town hall from the Religious Services Office on the installation “US Army Fort Sill” Facebook page (link). Shouldn't have this been shared only on the Religious Services Office Facebook page?
On May 27th (link) Col Nichols again gave a #MidWeekThought on the “US Army Fort Sill” Facebook page which was shared from the “Fort Sill Religious Support Office" Facebook page where he references JOHN 14:27 “Let not your heart be troubled. Neither let it be afraid.”
Today, June 3rd at around 1:00PM CDT another post (link) was added by the installation Chaplain Col. Nichols. The message in the most recent video seems to be all faith inclusive until the very end when he references 1 JOHN 5:4 at minute mark 2:06 “This is the victory that overcomes the world. Even our faith” or more properly referenced “For whosoever is born of God overcometh the world. And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”
Why does Col. Nichols share such an interfaith message and then insert a Christian bible verse? Why must it be shared on the installation page? Does Col. Nichols not understand the establishment clause of the Constitution of the United States or does he simply ignore it in order to promote his own Christian proselytizing agenda at the expense of the Fort Sill Community, most of whom he outranks? Why must he continue to violate the Fort Sill Community’s rights and protections that are afforded to them by our constitution?
The first post that I reported was perpetrated by Col. Nichol’s wife who is also a Chaplain. Her religious message was shared on the “US Army Fort Sill” Facebook page exhorting more community prayer. I find this relationship very concerning. Why are two very influential Chaplain’s married to each other and within the same chain of command at an installation?
Even more concerning is that Col. King refuses to stop what is occurring on his installation’s Facebook page and continues to ignore the issues surrounding it.
It is outrageous how the current guidance from the Army Chief of Chaplains guidelines (link) prohibits these things from being shared on the Chaplains facebook pages even (more than I even wished for), but at Fort Sill these messages are currently being shared on the installation page again and again! How is it that the Army Chief of Chaplains, a Major General, can release recommendations that are so blatantly ignored by the Garrison Commander, Col. King and the Garrison Chaplain Col. Nichols!
Who is providing the oversight of these actions? Are they not aware of the new directives or are they purposefully disregarding them in order to proselytize Christianity to military subordinate troops and their families that are simply looking for information about when the community pool may open?
I am imploring the Military Religious Freedom Foundation to take immediate action on this matter and intervene on our behalf. Unfortunately, coming forward myself is not an option as my family, as well as the others, would likely face reprisal and retaliation for coming forward and reporting these matters in some form or fashion. We have upcoming promotions boards, orders to move, etc. that are at risk. The military is our livelihood and we are not in a position to risk not being able to put food on the table to feed our families.
V/R
(MRFF Active Duty U.S. Army Spouse’s name, rank, MOS, title and unit all Withheld)
On June 3, MRFF founder and president Mikey Weinstein sent and email to Fort Sill commander Col. Donald King, demanding that Chaplain Nichols’s proselytizing videos be removed from the Fort Sill command page, and only be posted on the chapel page. As of today, Col. King has taken no action, supporting MRFF’s client’s accusation that “Col. King refuses to stop what is occurring on his installation’s Facebook page and continues to ignore the issues surrounding it.”
The new social media guidance from the Chief of Chaplains is a good step, but it’s only as good as the chaplains it is aimed at and the commanders who should ensure that their chaplains and social media administrators follow it, and here Chaplain Nichols and Col. King are failing in their duty.