The Chaplain General of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) has issued a directive for chaplains praying at public ceremonies. They are to use prayers, if offered, in language that is inclusive, “mindful of the Gender Based Analysis” principle. Taken from the directive “Public Prayer at Military Ceremonies”, chaplains are instructed to choose prayers that do not create offense to any other religious beliefs, or non-religious beliefs. “Military chaplains are allowed to pray in public but only if they manage a prayer that makes no reference (or at least ‘careful’ reference) to a (gendered) deity …“. If prayer, by definition, is a conversation with God and chaplains, by governmental edict, can no longer invoke or pray to God, then spiritual counsel or comfort offered to our veterans or acting military personnel becomes void of meaning and the office of chaplain becomes irrelevant. Our traditions simply become lost in our historical past.
The same happened in 1 Kings 12. Jeroboam, by official edict, retained enough of Israel’s religious traditions to keep the familiar but began to shift them away from their worship of the God of their forefathers to other pagan deities. He set up two golden calves, one in Bethel (Bethel means “House of God”, the place where Abraham built an altar to God) and the other in Dan and declared, “Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt”. He built shrines to pagan gods, made priests from the common people and ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month to offer sacrifices to these golden calves. The Bible makes this statement about this feast, “in the month which he had devised in his own heart” (33). No wonder that the next generation arose “who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel” (Judges 2:10). It’s true in those days. It is equally true in our day.
On Remembrance Day, regardless of government edicts, I will honor my grandfather and father, who both served in the Canadian military, and those veterans and current personnel who serve and protect our freedoms, including the “right to religious freedom”. I will take my place at the Cenotaph and when I sing our national anthem, I will pray these words, “God keep our land, glorious and free.” May all who love life and liberty do the same.
Blessings!
Thanks for the info. I agree that our country is desintegrating by trying to please everyone and forgetting about our true God. History tends to repeat itself… so sad. I too pray to our God for those who have served our country as well as those like our grandson who is in the military and heading to Latvia very soon.
In these troubled times, how much more do our grandchildren need our prayers, especially as your grandson leaves for Latvia. Trust you are staying well.