Tuesday, June 19, 2012

CMPD Chaplins Take Another Hit - This Time Jesus Gets The Pink Slip

You should have seen this one coming.

WSOC-TV reports that CMPD Chaplins have been ordered not to invoke the name of Jesus in prayers at public events.

From WSOC: “When I heard this I was sad," said Pastor Terry Sartain, who has been a chaplain with CMPD for seven years. Sartain said he learned of the policy when he got a phone call before a recent promotion ceremony saying he could not use Jesus' name in his invocation. "I asked if I could withdraw, because Jesus is the only thing I have to bless people with," Sartain said.

He was allowed to withdraw from the ceremony and was told it would hurt his standing as a chaplain.

Major John Diggs, who oversees the chaplain program, said the policy is a matter of respecting that people may have different faiths and that it is not aimed at any one religion or denomination.

Some say the policy is long overdue. "It's past time when they should've made a policy," said Jim Gronquist, a former Methodist minister who has been a practicing lawyer and member of the American Civil Liberties Union.

Gronquist said it's important to keep the separation between church and state -- in this case, between specific faiths and the police department. "It's improper to mix up religion with the function of state agents, and as long as they're state agents, they should not be able to do that," Gronquist said.

Controversy is nothing new to the police chaplains. Several resigned two years ago when the department took on a lesbian chaplain. But Terry Sartain did not walk away then and he said he's not going to leave his ministry with the officers, whatever their beliefs.

“They know when I ride with them that I love them for who they are," Sartain said.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

"I am a Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Officer and have been for over 19 years."...............Now I really am ashamed to say that out loud!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

This is the morals that come along with the current leadership.

Anonymous said...

Just when I thought this department had hit rock bottom, Chief Monroe somehow finds a way to pile another layer of crap on this department. Needless to say, I, too, an embarrassed to call myself a police officer for CMPD.

Anonymous said...

This is in place for what reason, because Rodney is a Nation of Islam supporter or a Muslim?

Anonymous said...

There is no such thing as separation of church and state in the US Constitution! It is a made up concept by liberals.

Anonymous said...

Eventually they will say the pledge of alligence is uncontitutional. For those who are here illegally. Just wait.

Anonymous said...

Hoe does that short pint sized turd get away with this stuff?

Anonymous said...

We often wondered just how low they'd sink. Now we know. The question that remains: how do officers (like Mr. Diggs and Ms. Foster) go to sleep at night, claiming to be Christians and knowing what their Bible says about denying Christ? Do they think a career, a promotion, and a pension fund is worth it? Is there no one at all who will strenuously object, even if it costs him/her their career? What about DC Medlock, or DC Story? What about DC Putney who used to have a good reputation amongst the officers? Don't they know that the "no invoking the name of Jesus" policy is NOT the standard, is NOT mandated by law, and even the Senate Chaplain is not restricted? I am both sad and embarrassed for the city of Charlotte.

Anonymous said...

Does anyone wonder which chaplin actually did do the prayer once the "no Jesus" mandate was sent? surprise! the female chaplin who's daddy is friends with the chief and who stirred up all the trouble last year. Males me wonder: was she really rejected by the other chaplins 'cause she was gay? One wonders what her faith is all about? Any chance she was rejected by the other chaplins because she was just way too weird? Maybe the other chaplins thought she'd never be able to minister to the officers and all she'd be able to do is offer whacked out prayers to anonymous gods?

Anonymous said...

Or, there's the FACT that the Mayor, City Manager, Chief were notified in writing of Foster's video stunt and all her biblical email threats, and the fact they and HR did nothing about it (except promote her). And now a certified EEOC complaint based on relegious discrimination (surprise).

They are probably trying to shove the genie back in the bottle. Same excellent leadership as always from this crew.

Anonymous said...

Basically its a BLACK thing!!! Just like with the current President being elected. Its a BLACK thing and now just looked how F'ed up the country is because of his stupid BLACK ASS!!!

Anonymous said...

What does the ACLU demand?

A generic app for the dying?

Will The Secretary of HHS mandate: "Procedure, death, appropriate text"?

ie:

"Higher Power, Please grant this carbon based life form all appropriate benefits not based on age, race, gender, religion, sexual preference, actions, voting history, shoe size or body mass index"?

Give them a break! It takes a lot to anger a chaplain but I think it just happened!

Rea Road Neighborhood Coalition said...

I have given this issue a lot of thought.

And the solution is simple.

I suggest that from now on, those in attendence at CMPD events simply offer the following at the end of any Chaplain led prayer.... "In Jesus' Holy Name, Amen".

A wonderful thing about being a Christian, is strength in numbers.