Political Quotes

“I thank the chairman for the opportunity to speak on this important issue. Mr. Chairman, let's examine what a chaplain really is. A chaplain is a person who is a minister of the faith, someone who ministers on the basis of a belief in a deity, a higher power, who is associated with or attached to a secular organization. An example, right here in this House, each morning begins, each legislative day, begins with a prayer from our chaplain. Back home, the hospital that I'm associated with, Mennen Medical Center, my good friend, a Baptist pastor, is chaplain of our hospital. And so this goes to the core of the discussion. A chaplain is a person who is a man or woman of the faith, of conscience, of spirituality, who ministers to those with respect to a secular organization. I just heard the gentleman say that, well, we need atheist chaplains--which, to me, is an oxymoron--we need atheist chaplains to minister to the spiritual needs of soldiers. Well, by definition, as an atheist, he doesn't or she doesn't believe in a spiritual world. Makes no sense whatsoever. Mr. Chairman, the courts have affirmed that chaplains are mandated by the Constitution to enable military personnel to exercise faith according to their conscience. Nontheistic chaplains, by definition, cannot assist others in worship.…”