Yes they can acording to the constitution which states that there can be no state church established not that the state and church are to be seprate. Seperation of church and state are only mentioned once in a letter written by Thomas Jeferson to the baptist for the grief they were going threw because of the state favoring another denomination. The reality is all but two of our founding fathers were christians. Those two being Jeferson and Franklin. This is a country that has been founded on religious principles. Only through missenterprataion throughmissguided liberal agandas has our nation fallen so low that this becomes an issue.

Your response holds no water. Turn it around and ask yourself the same thing: Is not telling a chaplain that he can not pray to the God of his choice enforcing a certain type of religion upon that chaplain? By trying so hard to seem intellectual, your foolishness is put on display for all to see. Good luck with your intellectualism.

I'll give it a try.

;-)

How to answer so many incorrect responses to my earlier post? Most proved my point about religious people vs. intelligent people. Keep off my blog, please; it requires at least an average mind to understand and appreciate it.

An official of the government (i.e., a trooper) is establishing a religion when s/he prays to a particular god or supports a personal belief in her or his official capacity. One does not have individual rights when acting in an official capacity. In such a case, one is an agent of the state. That's what makes it un-Constitutional.

Use those brains, folks. Instead of letting an imaginary god think for you via some so-called holy book, think for yourself, using your brain and attending to the facts.

Open your wallets,grab that slip of paper that says "Federal Reserve Note" and is signed by the Sec. of the Treasury,and read what it says on the back--IN GOD WE TRUST.Should we have to reprint our money in case it offends?How about the Pledge of Allegiance,is that offensive to you?These are examples of things that people,both military and civilian,fought and died for,IDEAS they felt were worth giving up their lives for.When you censure the leading of prayers, when you dictate the words,you cheapen the idea behind that group prayer,the same way you same people would destroy the idea behind the Pledge and our money--the ideas this country was founded on.

One poster wrote, "As I read the article, it does seem the Chaplains are being denied their FIRST Amendment right to free speech. (You'll notice the amendment doesn't go on to say "except when certain groups don't like you to".)"

You must be kidding. When they are acting in the capacity of employees of the VSP, the VSP has every right to restrict their freedom of speech. They would only have a free speech argument if the VSP were trying to restrict what they say off duty, as private citizens. Since that is not what the VSP is doing, the chaplains have no valid complaint. Personally, I'm glad they quit. If this reasonable restriction was too much for them to live with, we're all better off without them.

We pray that someone will bless and protect these officers as they go about their duties. We ask this in the name of whoever. Amen

VIRGINIA STATUTE FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

[Sec. 1] Whereas Almighty God hath created the mind free; that all attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or burthens, or by civil incapacitations, tend only to beget habits of hypocrisy and meanness, and are a departure from the plan of the Holy author of our religion, who being Lord both of body and mind, yet chose not to propagate it by coercions on either, as it was in his Almighty power to do; that the impious presumption of legislators and rulers, civil as well as ecclesiastical, who being themselves but fallible and uninspired men, have assumed dominion over the faith of others, setting up their own opinions and modes of thinking as the only true and infallible, and as such endeavouring to impose them on others, hath established and maintained false religions over the greatest part of the world, and through all time; that to compel a ma

All you who voted yes do not understand the U.S. Constitution. When you have a government official saying prayers of a particular religion, you have the government promoting a certain faith.

Please...educate us then. Quote where in the Constitution it says that.

check out the Constitution. You know....that document you believe it when it's convenient.

"it's going to be such sweet music to our ears!"

I can't wait to hear that imaginary music.

There is no way to prove it,

That's why it's called Faith...Just b/c you can't see something doesn't mean it isn't there...you can't see the equator from where you live..but it's there...and if a tree fall in the forest and no one is around to hear it..does it make a noise? Yes...of course it does....get real. There's alot in this world that can't be proven...but it's accepted as real...I can't wait to see all those who don't believe have to bow & confess...it's going to be such sweet music to our ears!

All you who voted yes do not understand the U.S. Constitution. When you have a government official saying prayers of a particular religion, you have the government promoting a certain faith. So if you have a Muslim, or Jewish, or Hindu, or Buddhist state trooper would you want him or her up there saying prayers of their respective faiths. Read the Virginia statute for religious freedom written by Thomas Jefferson. The government should not be getting involved in any particular religion. We don't want to become a theocracy like Iran or Afghanistan used to be. The pilgrims left England because the British government at the time wouldn't let them practice their faith. We go down a dangerous road when we get the government involved in religion.

John P, I could not disagree with you more. God is a fantastic force for good that helps balance the force of evil in our time on planet Earth. Archie, you and I have known each other a long time. As you are aware, I study the U.S. Constitution in great detail. In this case your OPINION on this matter appears to be incorrect - in my opinion. Since you are a self proclaimed solitary witch, I can understand your point of view on the topic. To all, it makes no sense for any ordained or otherwise faithful religious spiritual leader to be prevented from speaking what they understand to be the truth. The foolish politically correct quest to emasculate ALL religions by preventing the mention of their God or gods is a misguided attempt by fearful or over reaching bureaucrats to assume greater authority than the God which created them. I am not advocated that a Buddhist Chaplin must evoke the name of Jesus in a g

I shudder to think of the consequences those who deny the one and only God will face when judgement day comes. To even make the statement that God does not exist or that he is unloving or impotent, unworthy of even man, speaks volumes about how much faith you really have. The commitment you must have is unbeliveable, surely you have this whole thing figured out. As a Christian man, if I'm wrong and there is no God, then all I have done is loved and lived a full wonderful life. If you're wrong......you have eternity in Hell to worry about. It's never to late to see the LIGHT! Good luck with your path amigo, my prayers go out to you and your family.

I would be thankful to have a chaplain say a prayer for me in the name of Jesus, because I know what Jesus has already done for me. He has given me a peace that passes all understanding. I don't understand how anyone could do without knowing Jesus

I commend Tim Caine on his ability to seperate his personal beliefs and try to follow our constitution. But I think he needs to take it one step further. This week I attended a business meeting hosted by a large corporation for the purpose of training other companies that partnered with them. They served lunch and I was horrified that a prayer was said prior to eating. No specific mythological diety other than god was referenced so it would have fit the criteria the chaplains are being asked to adhere to but as an American and a nonbelieving rationalist why should I be forced to exposed to this drivel? If someone wants to waste their time with this they are free to do so. I think there are places they can go that are specificaly designed for this purpose. I have seen these places at weddings and funerals. Go there and leave religion out of our government and businesses.

A man who states there is no proof of God is the same man who can not prove that there is not a God. A person without a God need to touch,snell,see,hear and understand in order to believe in a God. For some unknown reason those people are affraid of God so much that they hide behind the theory that there is no God, go tell muslims that there is no God, scare too huh? Along as those people keep telling themselves there is no God, they can do what they want in life because they have no one to answer to later. That's why we see the Hollywood idiots acting the way they do. There is no such thing as "Church and State" it's a made up little word. You don't want to believe? no problem.

It's no wonder people we are going thur very hard times now. He's shaking all that can be shaken, Do we think this is a pre-amble of what my come on earth. People putting ALL there Faith in this Goverment here, and it is comming down. And the Goverment shall be on his Sholder. These men know of the Freedom that is in Christ. Anything other than that is bondage. Have you heard about standing up for what is true.Just because you belive something doesent make it true. But there Foundation is Sure. All the motions and operations of the souls of men, which no mortals know but themselves, God knows better than they do. Their hearts, as well as their times, are all in his hand; he formed the spirit of each man within him. All the powers of the creature depend upon him, and are of no account, of no avail at all, without him. If we make God's favour sure towards us, then we need not fear whatever is against us.

What can't they understand about that?