A chaplain who used to provide services to Navy SEALS, Lt. Commander Wes Modder, could be booted from the military for failing to “show tolerance and respect” on issues of faith – or, more specifically, for failing to water down his biblical views of homosexuality.
Modder’s troubles began in December, when his assistant came to his Naval Nuclear Power Training Command office in Goose Creek, S.C., with a couple of Equal Opportunity representatives bearing a five-page grievance against the chaplain, Fox News reported.
The officials said the complaints focused on Modder’s views of “same-sex relationships [and] marriages, homosexuality, different standards of respect for men and women, pre-marital sex and masturbation.” In it, he was accused of failing to show “tolerance and respect” and failing to “function in the diverse and pluralistic environment” of the base.
“On multiple occasions, he discriminated against students who were of different faiths and backgrounds,” wrote Modder’s commanding officer, Capt. John Fahs, in a memorandum Fox News obtained.
But Modder said his assistant had only worked with him about a month and during that time, had constantly questioned him about matters related to homosexuality. Turns out, the assistant was “gay,” and married to another man, Fox News said.
“His five-page letter of complaint was unconscionable,” Modder said. “He said I had a behavioral pattern of being anti-discriminatory of same-sex orientation.”
Modder was immediately removed from his chaplain duties and will face further military hearing in the coming weeks.
“It was insulting and it was devastating,” he said. “I felt discriminated against. How could something like this happen at this stage of my career?”
Modder – who is a highly-decorated military member described by colleagues as the “best of the best” – then hired an attorney, Michael Berry with the Liberty Institute. And Berry’s thoughts? That Modder was being set up and targeted because of his Christian faith.
“We are starting to see cases where chaplains have targets on their backs,” Berry said. “They have to ask themselves, ‘Do I stay true to my faith or do I keep my job?’ They want chaplains to be glorified summer camp counselors and not speak truth and love into people’s lives. There are some anti-religious elements in our military. Anytime somebody wants to live their faith out – there are people who say that is offensive.”
Berry also says that the complaining officer may have actually committed a crime by making “false statements, taking what the chaplain said and twisting or misconstruing it, in an attempt to get the chaplain punished.
“He abused the position he was placed in as a chaplain’s assistant,” Berry said.
