Navy vet: Chaplains tried converting me (Jesus Christ, moral, beliefs, proselytize)

[Bishka]

Originally Posted by article

Navy veteran David Miller said that when he checked into the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Iowa City, he didn’t realize he would get a hard sell for Christian fundamentalism along with treatment for his kidney stones.


Miller, 46, an Orthodox Jew, said he was repeatedly proselytized by hospital chaplains and staff in attempts to convert him to Christianity during three hospitalizations over the past two years.


He said he went hungry each time because the hospital wouldn’t serve him kosher food, and the staff refused to contact his rabbi, who could have brought him something to eat.

Link here

What are your thoughts?

[Ciscokid]

Sounds quite disgusting. Leave the poor guy alone.

[Booko]

I've heard rumblings of this sort for a few years now.

How allowing proselytizing of any sort works for morale in the military just beats me.

I can't imagine allowing these sorts of activities would do much for unit cohesion, come to think of it.

What really boggles the mind is how a hospital couldn't manage kosher food.

(I should think they'd have a tougher time with my corn allergy. No hospital could feed me if they tried.)

[!Fluffy!]

whoa, beyond inappropriate that's just ... bizarre.

[jonny]

I would have to know more about the situation to know how I feel. If he had expressed some sort of interest in their religion, I have no problem with them proselytizing to him. If he made it clear he wasn't interested and they persisted, that's another story.

EDIT: Not serving him the food he required is crazy. I didn't read that part the first time.

[Booko]

Originally Posted by jonny

I would have to know more about the situation to know how I feel. If he had expressed some sort of interest in their religion, I have no problem with them proselytizing to him. If he made it clear he wasn't interested and they persisted, that's another story.

Jonny, I would find it stretches credibility that an Orthodox Jew could be hospitalized no less than three (3) times, have people try to convert him on all occasions, and NOT say something.

Here's a relevant snipped from the article:

The hospital’s chaplains and staff, Miller said, have the attitude that you either accept Jesus Christ as your personal savior and you are saved, or you are damned.


He said he has tried to resolve the problems with the hospital’s administration without success.


“I am not trying to get rid of the chaplain corps,” Miller said.


“When I was in the Navy, I was a religious program specialist. I worked with Christian chaplains, and I believe in the value of the chaplain corps, but not using it to bludgeon people, for heaven’s sake.”

[lillitruthseeker]

Its that kind of arrogance on the part of the Chaplains that makes me angry -- where is the respect for this man and his beliefs and for what he sacraficed and did for our country? Thats inconceivable -- I wonder if he is going to bring on a lawsuit?

[Terrywoodenpic]

Chaplains are not appointed to proselytize.

In the British forces they must assist with the needs of all faiths, give them support and help, put them into contact with their own religions priests or pastors or leaders. and help them with family problems.
You can see they have duties outside their direct religious one. which are detailed in Queens regulations and to which they are under oath to keep when they are commissioned.

They would be court marshalled for behaviour like given in the OP.

[ChristineES]

Even as a Christian, I have to say this is wrong. The first time the man said he did not want to convert, the chaplains should have stopped trying to convert him.
A Christian is supposed to witness to nonbelievers, but if the person(they are witnessing to) is not receptive to the word, then they have already have failed and should stop.