Bath for Baptisms coersion, the real of the story

donnA · Apr 17, 2003

There was recently a topic discussed here on the Bapist Board about a SBC chaplain in Iraq coerrsing soldiers to be baptized in return for a bath.
I just read this in the Western Recorder, our state weekly SBC baptist news. Since the Western recorer is not on line I can not give a link for you to read it, so I will only be able to tell you what it says.

The army investagated the alligation that SBC chaplain Josh Llano had traded baths for baptisms, and according to Chaplain(Col.) Al Buckner, the allagations are not true. The U.S. Army's office of the Chief of Publoic Affairds says that the chaplian made some of the comments that were printed(Miami Herald), but not all. The army says that the soldiers at camp Bushmaster were not suffering a water shortage, the chaplain was only given water after the soldiers water needs were taken care of, the army says that the soldiers did not need to resort to baptism to get clean. The chaplain in question recetly did 57 baptisims, most were chrsitian soldiers who wanted to be baptised as a reaffirmation of their faith, or who had never been baptised before.. No soldier at camp Bushmaster has complained or commented about beied coersed by the chaplain in any way.
It seems the matter has been settled(after investgation) to suit the U.S. Army(and the SBC NAMB) that the accusations did not happen, are not true.
Before christins start spreading rumors and gossip about other christians don't you think it needs to be checked out first.

I Am Blessed 24 · Apr 17, 2003

Thank you Kate. I never believed it anyway. It just didn't make sense. Baptists, of all people, grill you to make sure your truly heart saved before they dunk you!

Sue

donnA · Apr 18, 2003

I checked the Westren Recorer and they do not mention that they do have a web site, so I assumed they did not. Someone here on the BB who didn't want to be named found it online, boy am I glad, I frequently see articles I'd like to post here. But anyway, heres the link to this story.
Western Recored article

RodH · Apr 18, 2003

This was in the BPNews:

Army refutes report that chaplain offered baptisms for baths in Iraq
Apr 15, 2003
By James Dotson
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)--The Miami Herald's implication that a Southern Baptist chaplain offered baptisms as a way for dirty soldiers to get a bath has been refuted by the Army Chief of Chaplains office, which found in its own inquiry that Lt. Josh Llano had not attempted to coerce conversion or baptism.

The Miami Herald article -- which appeared April 4 and was picked up nationally by Knight Ridder news service -- prompted concern from both Southern Baptist leaders and church-state separation advocates. It described the presence at Camp Bushmaster in the Iraqi desert of "an oasis of sorts" in a 500-gallon baptismal pool. The premise was that in a camp where showers had not been available for a number of days, the chaplain was pitching baptism as a way to get clean physically as well as spiritually.

The Chief of Chaplains office inquiry, however, found that was not the case.

"He did make some of the remarks the reporter attributed to him, but not all to her, and not in the context or with the intent the article appeared to suggest," a statement from the Chief of Chaplains office said. The statement later added, "Such behavior would be wrong, and our chaplains, commanders and soldiers know this and would have corrected the situation had such behavior actually occurred."

The statement also noted that there was no critical shortage of water at the camp that would make filling the baptismal pool inappropriate.

"Soldiers had no need to resort to being baptized to get clean," the statement said.

The original story also stated that baptism candidates "have to go to one of Llano's hour-and-a-half sermons in his dirt-floor tent. Then the baptism takes an hour of quoting from the Bible."

Actually, the "hour-and-a-half sermon" was a regular daily Bible study offered in the camp. And the "hour of quoting from the Bible" was simply a normal baptismal service consisting of prayer, singing, Scripture and remarks by the officiating minister, the Army statement said.

The statement also cited an exemplary service record by Llano, who served in the military 10 years before leaving to enroll at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Texas. After graduation, he re-entered the Army as a chaplain.

"I am confident that Chaplain Llano does not, has not and will not use coercion in the exercise of his official responsibilities," said Col. Al Buckner, director of operations for the Chief of Chaplains office.

Dave Mullis, who coordinates military chaplaincy for the North American Mission Board, said he found the news story completely out of character with what he knew about both Southern Baptist beliefs and practice and military chaplaincy guidelines.

"My first response was that it was not true. But we still want to make sure that any chaplain would not be conducting an ordinance of the church in such a coercive manner.... I am grateful, as reported through the Army Chief of Chaplains office, that the situation described in the article is not accurate."

In a Religion News Service report on the issue, Mark Seibel, managing editor of The Miami Herald, defended the original story by Meg Laughlin, a Herald reporter.

"I don't think the story suggested coercion," he said. "That's just how some people want to read it."

The Chief of Chaplains Office statement said Llano has conducted 57 baptisms at the base camp.

"Most were soldiers who already practiced a Christian religion and wanted to be baptized either as a reaffirmation of their faith or because they had never been baptized previously," the statement said.

"It is quite common for soldiers who do not actively practice religion in peacetime to turn to religion for comfort and solace in times of danger and grief. That is one reason why Army Chaplains are deployed with the troops and go wherever they go, risking their lives in the same way the soldiers do."

Southern Baptists currently have nearly 1,000 military chaplains serving around the world.
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ARTICLE

donnA · Apr 18, 2003

Thanks, I think your article added a little more info.

KenH · Apr 26, 2003

From a NewsMax.com News Alert:

Exposed: Atheists' Lies About U.S. Army Chaplain in Iraq

Do you remember a few weeks ago when anti-religious groups were claiming that a U.S. Army chaplain serving in Iraq refused permission for soldiers to use water for bathing unless they first listened to a sermon and were baptized? It turns out, of course, that they were bearing false witness.

The office of the Chief of Chaplains conducted an informal inquiry and discovered the allegation was false, United Press International reports.

In fact, there wasn't even a shortage of water at that camp. It "was supplied with tens of thousands of gallons of water for soldiers to use," the office said. "All major water needs of the soldiers were met before the water for baptism was made available to the chaplain."

"Significantly," the chaplains' office stated, "no soldier at Camp Bushmaster has complained or commented that he was coerced in any way by the chaplain. In fact, reports are that this chaplain is always selflessly available to soldiers and that they generally respect and like him and are grateful for his presence, even if they are not of his faith."

Here's what is true: This latest deceit by the Anti-religious Left won't get a tenth of the publicity the original smear campaign did.

donnA · Apr 26, 2003

Thank you Ken, now we know where htat really came from.

rsr · Apr 26, 2003

And why does NewsMax, that paragon of objectivity, attribute this to the "atheists?"

BrentKCanada · Apr 27, 2003

(John the Baptist) Luke 3:8 - "Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within youselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham".
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If the Pastor 'forced baptized' these soldiers would be getting a nice clean bath Getting baptized is a sign of a changed life...

1Pet. 3:21 - "The like figure whereunto baptism doth now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:".
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Bath for Baptisms coersion, the real of the story

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