4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Way the Chaplaincy is SUPPOSED to Be, December 20, 2008
This review is from: No Atheists In Foxholes: Reflections and Prayers From the Front (Hardcover)
I entered the Navy Chaplaincy in 1975, and served at OCS, with Marines in California, and on sea duty. When I went to Chaplain School, I was taught that as Chaplains we had one duty: To provide for our people. In some cases, such as general military counseling (I hate the Navy, I am having financial problems, etc), almost every Chaplain can do this; it is part of our seminary training, and living with our people in the same situations gives us that ability. But the real challenge was to provide for our people's religious needs. And here it got trickier. Obviously, there are many for whom we CAN provide directly for their needs. For others, our task was to connect the sailor or Marine with a Chaplain of his/her faith, or one close enough to help.
Serving as a Chaplain in the military environment is difficult; not only pastorally, but in terms of one's own faith and dedication. It requires generosity of spirit and a willingness to welcome others with whom you disagree. As a Christian chaplain, when we deployed, I needed to make sure that my Jewish personnel had the items they needed, if possible, for Passover. As a Protestant Chaplain, I needed to make sure my Catholic personnel had what they needed, including finding a Lay Leader, and making sure he had the supplies he needed to lead them. This is what we were trained for in Chaplain School.
In the last ten years, especially, too often this has changed. A new generation of military personnel and too many Chaplains, have latched on to the ideas that their "right" to proselytize all other personnel with their own brand of (usually "evangelical") Christianity takes precedence over everything else. As a result, the ability to pray inclusively, to support the rights of other faiths, and the rights of those of no faith, is being lost all too often. We have Christians, both Chaplains and lay people, often directly against military orders, trying to "witness" or "bring the Good news of Christ" to the Iraqis, for instance. At present the military is in turmoil over this issue.
It is against this environment that Chaplain McLaughlin's book comes as a true glimmer of light. He goes to show that a Chaplain can keep his own integrity, not go against his own faith, and yet be open and welcoming to all those with whom he ministers. He can witness with integrity, and find ways of reaching out to young people, predominantly, who are dealing, perhaps for the first time, with ultimate questions, of life and death, of faith and hopelessness, of boredom and terror, of all the things that go into the lives of the military with whom he serves. This book should be required reading for all those who would enter the discussion concerning the roles of Chaplains and religion itself in the Armed Forces, beginning with the Secretary of Defense, and the leadership of the military, both civilian and uniformed personnel.
The book is well written, and of excellent devotional material. It should be read slowly, reflectively, and many of the prayers can be adopted as our own. Chaplain McLaughlin has done a wonderful job with this! Bravo Zulu, Chaplain!
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Experience teaches!, June 20, 2008
This review is from: No Atheists In Foxholes: Reflections and Prayers From the Front (Hardcover)
This military chaplain and Lutheran pastor has learned
to trust God's ways in the heat of war as he encounters
the faith and terrible struggles of soldiers battling in Iraq.
His blessings in many unique situations and the questions
the turmoil raises serve to call us to examine our own reactions.
Get ready to be disturbed, surprised, thankful, humbled.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must for anyone who wishes to read about God in the Iraq conflict, November 9, 2008
This review is from: No Atheists In Foxholes: Reflections and Prayers From the Front (Hardcover)
Chaplains are pastors who risk their lives to give soldiers a spiritual shoulder to lean on in the crisis-filled area of the battle field. "No Atheists in Foxholes: Prayers and Reflections from the Front" is a collection of thoughts and reflections on the importance of religion in the Iraq conflict that rages on to this day. Telling stories of his times and offering poignant prayers, Chaplain McLaughlin tells a moving story of his times with his marines unit. "No Atheists in Foxholes" is a must for anyone who wishes to read about God in the Iraq conflict.
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