A long-time Navy chaplain facing removal from the military is fighting back after being accused of intolerance and insensitivity toward homosexuality and premarital sex.
Lt. Cmdr. Wesley Modder, a pentecostal chaplain, has served in the military for 19 years, which has included stints serving as chaplain to the Navy SEALs. On Feb. 17, he received a “detachment for cause” letter stating that he was “intolerant” and “unable to function in the diverse and pluralistic environment” of his current assignment. He has been removed from the Navy’s promotion list and brought before a board of inquiry, according to Breitbart.
In the detachment letter, Modder’s commander, Capt. Jon Fahs, says Modder berated and accused soldiers of wrongdoing because of their homosexuality and told a female Naval officer she was “shaming herself in the eyes of God” by having premarital sex.
Modder is fighting the accusations and possible discharge. His attorneys, from the Liberty Institute, initially sought a religious exemption, but were denied that request. On Wednesday, they filed a formal complaint against Fahs, asserting he “denied Chaplain Modder’s request for the religious accommodation based on outdated regulations, which were superseded by new Department of Defense policies, and laws passed by Congress in 2014.”
“It is unacceptable that Capt. Fahs would rebel against federal laws and Department of Defense regulations, which clearly protect Chaplain Modder’s right to minister to service members according to his faith,” Mike Berry, director of Military of Affairs for Liberty Institute, told Breitbart.
Berry said Fahs’ actions is affecting every chaplain in the military.
“Capt. Fahs’ denial means the religious liberty of every chaplain in the U.S. military hangs in the balance,” he said.
Seeking protection for Modder, 35 members of Congress signed a letter addressed to Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and the Chief of Chaplains Rear Adm. Margaret Kibben. The letter, sent in March, asks the Navy to “protect military chaplains’ freedom to practice their religion according to the tenets of their faith.”
“Military chaplains fill a crucial religious need that exists uniquely in the realm of military service — a need that is imperative to the well-being and operational readiness of the troops,” the letter reads. “Their religious guidance and self-service are crucial pillars to the health and success of our service members.”
