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whose water?
There's not much water available in the Iraqi desert, of course, so most soldiers haven't bathed in a long time. According to this article, there's an army chaplain in Iraq who has a large pool of water for use by the soldiers, but there's a catch: they have to get baptised first.
Unless that chaplain personally collected the water without using any army resources (including protection), I hope they kick him out of there. Because in any other case, it's not his water; it's the army's water. And yes, my reaction would be exactly the same if it were a rabbi who required everyone to pray the daily service first, or a Republican who required you to change your voter registration to his party first, or anyone collecting a fee.
I'm all for having folks along with the army who aren't part of the effort but who do provide support services valued by some members of the unit. But when support staff become parasites, it's time for them to go.
Unless that chaplain personally collected the water without using any army resources (including protection), I hope they kick him out of there. Because in any other case, it's not his water; it's the army's water. And yes, my reaction would be exactly the same if it were a rabbi who required everyone to pray the daily service first, or a Republican who required you to change your voter registration to his party first, or anyone collecting a fee.
I'm all for having folks along with the army who aren't part of the effort but who do provide support services valued by some members of the unit. But when support staff become parasites, it's time for them to go.
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That being said, it's not clear to me exactly what use the GIs are getting - baptism itself would involve getting immersed in water (I'm assuming - it varies by denomination and sometimes specific pastor, but it sounds like this guy is from the immersion tradition), so the baptism itself could be the extent of it. I could also see them getting bumped to the front of the shower line to slow down fouling the baptism water (like having to take a shower before using the pool - I'm not sure whether it would be more water-efficient in the long run to shower first or just replace the baptism pool more often.) Also, a baptism is a once-per-lifetime ritual, so while it leaves less physical evidence than, say, circumcision, it's also not something you can run back and do every day like someone sitting through the sermon at the soup kitchen in order to get a hot meal.
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This isn't dishonorable discharge material, but I definitely think that his boss needs to have a chat with him, come review time, about whether the Army is the right career path for him.
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Protection cannot count as a resource--if that were the case, then all things acquired here in the states would belong to the government, under whose protection we all live.
That said, I have no doubt that the water sources used by the army in Iraq have been taken over for their own use and are not in fact public. The only likely way the chaplain could have gotten duty-free water is if he waited for it to rain, or if the water was unconditionally and explicitly given to him by the army.
Your objections to his imposing arbitrary conditions on access to the water hinge on it not being his water, right? I mean, public bathhouses also charge fees for bathing.
I will have to doubt the guy's intelligence, though--he's set up a framework where people do tricks for treats. If he really wants people to be closer to God, he should be giving the water away free and preaching by actions. Holding the water back until he gets 'paid' with cooperation in baptism just makes him a hypocrite, really. His scheme with raisins is likely to be even worse...
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Ok. Quibble accepted. :-) Though there is a difference between the passive protection here, which we fund through tax dollars, and the active protection (no extra charge to the volunteer protectees) over there. I mean, the soldiers who shoot down the incoming missiles that would have toasted that chaplain don't charge him for the service... But I'm quibbling, too.
Your objections to his imposing arbitrary conditions on access to the water hinge on it not being his water, right?
Correct. He is selling what he does not own. In other contexts we would use words like "thief" and "fence" for this sort of person. I have no problem with people who have legitimately acquired resources using them for their own gain. If Soldier A trades his cookies from home for Soldier B's cigarettes from home, that's fine. And if Soldier C agrees to polish Soldier A's boots every day for some of those cookies, fine and dandy. But if Soldier A swiped those cookies from the KP, it's not legit.
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Christ said to love *all*, meaning *everyone*, not just people you like and believe the same things that you do. In my opinion, if Christ saw what this so called "Man of God" was doing, it would break his heart that it was being done in His name.
My faith calls me to love all and to serve all in love, because that's what the New Testament is telling me is how Christ lived and wants us to live. While i'm not always successful, it sickens me that someone is using such a powerful message of love and acceptance to manipulate others. I am hoping that this minister's higher ups in the Baptist church denounce his actions and pray that he will better understand Christ's message through self-reflection and God's intervention.
It saddens me that someone who supposedly is my "Brother in Faith" is such a dimwitted, manipulative, clueless human being. I can not bring myself to believe that someone that was actually *thinking* would still do this.
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Indeed. The message is supposed to be about love (for all, as you said, and not just a select few), and as I understand it one of the highest goals is to emulate Jesus. (Also to do good works in general, yes?)
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I've been trying to find out if anything was done about this idiot, and i'm coming up with nothing. I can't even find who to talk to with the US Army to find out if they are planning to do anything about it. Does anyone here know this stuff?
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I'm disgusted and appalled!
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"Get a bath for Christ?"
Oh please.
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