The American Jewish Congress today rejected as a “contradiction in terms” a statement by the Navy that its support of the year-long evangelical campaign known as Key 73 in “no way implies proselytizing efforts.”
“Key 73 is a proselytizing effort. That is the whole point. Hence, ‘support’ of Key 73 is bound to be viewed as support of proselytization,” the AJ Congress wrote to Capt. James J. Killeen, Deputy Chief of Navy Chaplains. The letter noted further that.” The constitutionality of the chaplaincy service cannot be defended if its functions include proselytization. Its sole acceptable function is supplying the spiritual needs of those American citizens who are serving in the Armed Forces.”
The exchange of letters between AJ Congress and members of the Navy Personnel Bureau followed a memorandum sent on Department of Navy letterhead to “Navy Chaplains and Denominational Endorsing Agents,” last Oct. describing Key 73 as “a great ecumenical evangelical emphasis calling upon Christians to reach out in obedience to the Great Commission.”
Charging that the Navy memo encouraged chaplains “in effect…to engage in religious proselytization,” the AJ Congress called on Secretary of the Navy John H. Chafee to repudiate it. In a letter to Secretary Chafee Jan. 17, Rabbi Yaakov Rosenberg of Philadelphia, chairman of the AJ Congress Commission on Jewish Affairs, wrote that such “missionary activity” is not part of the duties of Naval chaplains. The memorandum’s message, he said, “converts the chaplaincy from a role of service to one of advocacy.”
In reply to Rabbi Rosenberg’s letter Capt. Killeen wrote that the “large percentage of Navy personnel” who hold membership in denominations participating in the campaign created the need “to make available the same kind of involve involvement they would have enjoyed were they worshipping in their churches at home.” Conceding that Key 73 materials would be made available according to the memorandum, Capt. Killeen said that Navy support of Key 73 would be limited to “only those chaplains whose denomination identity permits their participation.”
He added “It is the desire of the Chief of Chaplains to allay any concern in the Jewish community that Key 73 or any other such program would be used by chaplains to either proselytize those of another faith or to reflect in any way on them. In the military we have discovered that every facet of religious life prospers best when we mutually honor the historic and theological differences that separate us.”
The Navy memorandum last Oct. was accompanied by a “professional packet” of Key 73 materials and said: “I strongly urge you to study these materials with devotion and a genuine evangelical concern for your own people. Unless there should be denominational reasons preventing your participating, I commend to you a strong role in this effort to make the person and Gospel of Christ more meaningful to those we serve.”
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