Professional Fox News Christians are constantly whining about how Christians get no respect; yet, they have no problem denigrating atheists at every turn. Not only does Fox not want atheists to be able to erect billboards; but they really don't want them to have their own military "chaplains" which Satan's minions have been requesting for several years. In 2011, Fox propaganda priest Fr. Jonathan Morris opined that those lobbying for atheists chaplains are engaging in politicking that "degrades" the military. In May of this year, the idea of atheist chaplains was derided on Outnumbered and America's Newsroom. This morning Fr. Jonathan Morris' Sunday Fox sermon continued the derision, only this time it was directed at a specific individual.
At the beginning of the patented Fox "Fight for Faith" segment, devout Anglican and Episcopal Church hater Tucker Carlson started the ball rolling with a description of how an atheist, who "doesn't believe in God," wants to be a Navy chaplain. Anna Kooiman recounted how the military rejected Jason Heap's application for the chaplaincy and now, OMG, he is suing. After Clayton Morris quipped that this is a "reversal of the fight for faith" (get it, this guy is fighting for godlessnes), Fr. Morris began his Sunday homily.
Fr. Morris compared Heap's complaint to wanting to be a captain of a ship while not believing that boats can float. Doing his patented caveat, he acknowledged that "you can do many wonderful things," if you're an atheist - but "if you just look at the origin of the word, chaplain...it all goes back to sanctuary, a sanctuary of religion usually attached to a secular institution." He got quite emotive as he described how the Navy has chapels and chaplains "for those with religious belief." In keeping with his 2011 statement, and the belief of his pals in the religious right, he claimed that "obviously there's another agenda here." Carlson validated him by comparing this to a "vegan butcher, it doesn't make any sense at all."
To Carlson's question of what is the other agenda, Fr. Morris surmised that Heath "is obviously saying that 'I don't like this whole chaplaincy thing at all, I don't think our government should be supporting anybody who is supporting religion'." Morris sputtered about how it is "very clear" that in American history, there is agreement that "supporting religious belief is good for the country." He exhorted the military to not "get rid of something that's been good just because you don't happen to like it."
In response to Kooiman's question of whether those who serve atheists could have a name other than chaplain. Fr. Morris spoke about how at Columbia U, where he serves as a religious adviser, there is a humanist support group and "that's a wonderful thing but let's not change language and say 'I want to be a chaplain when I don't believe in God'." He turned his baby blues right into the camera and said that "it doesn't make sense, in this case the military should say 'we're not going to fall into political correctness [another huuuge Fox meme] just because we're afraid of a lawsuit. Fight it." Tucker Carlson followed up with "good advice."
Once again, you don't get the whole story from the sweet faced little padre. First of all, neither Morris not the gang mentioned that Heap is an Oxford educated Humanist. (Atheist sounds more nasty). Heap lawsuit contends that his application for the chaplaincy was rejected because of the Navy doesn't recognize Humanism while requiring accommodation for other religions. Nobody mentioned that the Army now considers Humanism a religion. Nobody mentioned that the Navy has already recognized an atheist lay leader on a ship. And worst of all, Morris' claim that Heap wants to destroy the chaplaincy system is CLEARLY BASELESS - but that will be the take away to those who, especially older Catholics, who unquestionably believe everything that Morris says.
Too bad that Fox & Friends isn't fair & balanced because somebody could have cited Rev. Barry Lynn's comment that "it is absolutely essential” that Humanism be given the same treatment accorded to other religious groups “Not because humanism is a religion but because it serves a very similar function in the lives of so many people, including the chaplains that want to serve in the Navy and people in the Navy who are looking for that kind of guidance." But that might cut into the propaganda buzz about how those nasty atheists are trying to ruin things for Christians.
Talk about an agenda!