Military chaplains told to shy from Jesus

[Missileer]

http://www.washtimes.com/national/20051221-121224-6972r.htm

To pray -- or not to pray -- in Jesus' name is the question plaguing an increasing number of U.S. military chaplains, one of whom began a multiday hunger strike outside the White House yesterday.
"I am a Navy chaplain being fired because I pray in Jesus' name," said Navy Lt. Gordon Klingenschmitt, who will be holding 6 p.m. prayer vigils daily in Lafayette Park.
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The article does say this.

"The Navy allows chaplains to pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Allah or any other deity during chapel services, spokeswoman Lt. Erin Bailey said.
At other public events, "Navy chaplains are encouraged to be sensitive to the needs of all those present," she said, "and may decline an invitation to pray if not able to do so for conscience reasons."

It seems that the problem arises when a chaplain is called upon to provide service to people outside his or her own faith and where there may be service members present that are not of the Chaplain's own faith.
I can picture a Chaplain coming to an infantry unit just before they are to be sent out on a mission. When I was in just such a unit, I was happy to see any Chaplain. They tended to try to be as inclusive as possible by not making any denomination-specific references during their "service". I know there never were enough Chaplains to go around so I never really worried about whether a minister, priest, rabbi, or anything else was able to show up, I just happy to see one at all. When we were not in the field and somewhere where there was a semblence of civilization, we could pick from whatever services were being offered there. The Navy must have special circumstances when on ships. I'm sure they don't have excess Chaplains either so maybe it's just a way to accomodate as many religious needs as possible. It's a very tricky situation but not one that I would have expected a Chaplain to be unprepared or untrained for. I just don't know.