Canadian Military Chaplains Directed Not to Invoke God in Public Prayer Except on Remembrance Day: Report
Liberal members of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government have gone on the defensive after media reports that the nation’s military chaplains had been ordered not to pray.
Minister of National Defence Bill Blair responded to criticism over that directive, arguing in essence that it had been misinterpreted, but a Department of National Defence spokesperson seemed to confirm the media reports when asked by The Epoch Times for comment.
“The Chaplain General’s directive on chaplains’ spiritual reflection in public settings clarifies that on occasions where CAF chaplains are asked to address public ceremonies and functions in which CAF members are required to attend, they will offer words of reflection that respect the diversity of belief of those gathered, including those who do not hold religious or spiritual beliefs,” spokesperson Derek Abma told The Epoch Times.
Abma contrasted that with the idea that “[i]n a chapel, chaplains may always offer prayer consistent with their own spiritual and faith traditions,” which would seem, in context to confirm that chaplains were no longer permitted to offer such prayer outside of chapel or “in the context of pastoral care.”
Writing on X, Blair said “Let’s be very clear” before muddying the waters by apparently contracting his own department’s spokesperson.
Let’s be very clear: @CanadianForces chaplains are not – and will not be – banned from prayer on Remembrance Day, nor at any other time.
The Chaplain General’s directive seeks to ensure that public addresses reflect the spiritual and religious diversity of Canadians. https://t.co/12gj9kmOl6
— Bill Blair (@BillBlair) October 19, 2023
“Let’s be clear,” Blair said. “Canadian Forces chaplains are not — and will not be — banned from prayer on Remembrance Day, nor at any other time.”
“The Chaplain General’s directive seeks to ensure that public addresses reflect the spiritual and religious diversity of Canadians.”
That is not how serving chaplains have understood the directive, according to “an active military chaplain who requested anonymity to avoid reprisals” who spoke to The Epoch Times.
They said that the October 11 directive amounted to a ban on publicly quoting Scripture or evening mentioning God.
To avoid what the directive refers to as “Gender Based Analysis,” references to God as our “Heavenly Father” were also to be avoided, an active duty chaplain told The Epoch Times. (It was not clear from the article whether this was the same chaplain cited above or another one.)
“[I]t is essential for chaplains to adopt a sensitive and inclusive approach when publicly addressing military members,” the directive, signed by the chaplain general, Brigadier-General Guy Belisle, reads, according to The Epoch Times.
Specifically, the directive requires chaplains to “carefully choose words that are inclusive,” according to the outlet.
Chaplains are also now prohibited on public occasions from wearing the traditional scarves bearing symbols identifying their religion, including the Christian cross, Jewish star of David and Muslim crescent.
“Chaplains must consider the potential that some items or symbols may cause discomfort or traumatic feelings when choosing the dress they wear during public occasions,” the directive explains.
The new directive was based largely on recommendations from a January, 2022, report from the Minister of National Defence Advisory Panel on Systemic Racism and Discrimination that The Epoch Times described as “critical of religion in general.”
“It is necessary as well to recognize that, for some Canadians, religion can be a source of suffering and generational trauma,” the report says.
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