Canadian Government Restricts Military Chaplains from Religious References in Public Settings, Sparking Criticism
The Canadian government has issued new instructions for its armed forces titled “Spiritual Reflections in Military Settings,” which significantly restricts military chaplains. Under these new guidelines, chaplains are prohibited from referring to the tenets of their specific religion, including any mention of God or the divine, during public events where personnel are required to attend. Instead, chaplains are instructed to offer a generic “spiritual reflection.” This policy applies to public settings such as graduation parades, changes of command, awards ceremonies, mess dinners, and Remembrance Day ceremonies. The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) has strongly criticized this instruction, labeling it a “Secularist Gag Order,” arguing that it forces chaplains to be publicly secular. This move follows a previous controversial recommendation in April 2022 by a “Minister’s Advisory Panel on Systemic Racism and Discrimination,” which suggested barring chaplains from denominations that do not ordain women...
