Here is my answer: NO WAY. NONE. ZERO. FORGET IT. I am a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. I’m with him. It is the only way I pray.
Cal Thomas shares that a group of Virginia Police Chaplains have really take this stand:
IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN AND SOMEONE ASKED YOU NOT TO PRAY PUBLICLY IN JESUS’ NAME, YOU PROBABLY WOULD REFUSE. THAT IS PRECISELY WHAT AT LEAST SIX VOLUNTARY VIRGINIA STATE POLICE CHAPLAINS HAVE DONE.
THE REQUEST OF THE CHAPLAINS WAS MADE BY THE STATE POLICE SUPERINTENDENT, COLONEL STEVEN FLAHERTY. THE CHAPLAINS RESIGNED IN PROTEST. I SAY, GOOD FOR THEM.
Read the whole thing here.
Unfortunately, if you are a military chaplain this is now standard procedure — the requirement not to pray at public events in Christ’s name.
I myself would pray would accept the invitaiton to pray without mentioning Christ’s name, but I know that is not acceptable to many Christians, including military chaplains…
i suppose the real sticking point is, who are you praying to? if it’s not to Jesus or through Jesus to the Father, because of Jesus’ sacrifice and mediation, then what are you really doing? that’s why i am encouraged by these chaplains taking a stand, and for those who refuse to join “multi-relgious pray events”, because unless they believe Jesus is God, we’re not praying to the same God.
I recently wrote an article for a newsletter (I write for two organizations) about how military Christians can be faithful to God while also following the military’s mandates on religious faith…if interested, see this link: http://www.amcf-int.org/newsletters/08/amcf08_4.pdf . The article is entitled, “Military Christianity in Today’s Complex World.”