Fox News - Congressman: Chaplains 'Under Attack' From U.S. Military

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by Staff

Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) recently went to bat for an Army chaplain who he claims was wrongly punished for using religion in counseling services.

Chaplain Joseph Lawhorn was issued a Letter of Concern that accused him of advocating for Christianity during a suicide prevention training session at the University of North Georgia last November.

Collins, an Air Force reserve chaplain who served in Iraq and who represents Georgia's 9th congressional district, joined Anna Kooiman on "Fox and Friends Weekend" to share insight on what he sees as a larger movement against religion in the U.S. military.

Collins asserted that the Army's refusal to remove the Letter of Concern from Lawhorn's file is indicative of the military's efforts to intimidate chaplains into not expressing their faith and doing the job they're supposed to be doing.

"I think right now what we're dealing with is people who claim to be tolerant are actually the most intolerant, especially when they have beliefs they truly don't believe in," Collins said. "Chaplains are there for everyone, whether they have faith or no faith, and the chaplains need to be able to operate under their own faith background and also operate within the military. And right now they seem to be under attack for doing just that."

"We're in an environment where our military needs to always be at the top of readiness, and readiness means not only physical well-being but also mental and spiritual well-being. And so that's why it is important that chaplains are able to continue their role in the guidelines that have already been set forth," Collins said.

"What you have now is basically a minority group that says this shouldn't be part of the military."

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