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Army Chaplain allows dusty troops to take bath if they are baptized.

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout: Debate & Discussion' started by glynch, Apr 6, 2003.

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  1. glynch

    glynch Member

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    Army chaplain offers baptisms, baths
    BY MEG LAUGHLIN
    mlaughlin@herald.com

    CAMP BUSHMASTER, Iraq - In this dry desert world near Najaf, where the Army V Corps combat support system sprawls across miles of scabrous dust, there's an oasis of sorts: a 500-gallon pool of pristine, cool water.

    It belongs to Army chaplain Josh Llano of Houston, who sees the water shortage, which has kept thousands of filthy soldiers from bathing for weeks, as an opportunity.

    ''It's simple. They want water. I have it, as long as they agree to get baptized,'' he said.

    And agree they do. Every day, soldiers take the plunge for the Lord and come up clean for the first time in weeks.

    ''They do appear physically and spiritually cleansed,'' Llano said.

    First, though, the soldiers have to go to one of Llano's hour-and-a-half sermons in his dirt-floor tent. Then the baptism takes an hour of quoting from the Bible.

    ''Regardless of their motives,'' Llano said, ``I get the chance to take them closer to the Lord.''

    A blue-eyed 32-year-old with an abundance of energy, Llano goes out every day to drum up grimy soldiers for his pool.

    He talks to truck drivers, tank drivers, computer specialists -- anyone and everyone. He goes out to the combat zone to the fighting soldiers and the combat support soldiers who keep them in supplies.

    ''You have to be aggressive to help people find themselves in God,'' he said.

    He calls himself a ''Southern Baptist evangelist,'' and justifies the war and killing with a verse from the Gospel of Matthew, which he often recites: ``Give unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's.

    ''This means we are called upon by our government to fight and that is giving unto Caesar, as the Bible tells us,'' he said.

    Earlier this week, word went out that portable showers might be installed here soon, but Llano was undaunted.

    ''There is no fruit out here, and I have a stash of raisins, juice boxes and fruit rolls to pull out,'' the chaplain said optimistically.
    http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/special_packages/iraq/5554317.htm
     
    #1 glynch, Apr 6, 2003
  2. Kam

    Kam Member

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    That's Bull ****.


    Straight Up.
     
    #2 Kam, Apr 6, 2003
  3. outlaw

    outlaw Member

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    meanwhile, many Iraqi citizens are without any drinking water. way to get your priorities straight god-boy.
     
    #3 outlaw, Apr 6, 2003
  4. Oski2005

    Oski2005 Member

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    That guys from Houston? Just so ya'll know, I'm ashamed that that guy is from Houston:D


    Seriously, that is pretty messed up.
     
    #4 Oski2005, Apr 6, 2003
  5. Space Ghost

    Space Ghost Member

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    Typical poor persons mentality. Steal from the rich and give to the poor.

    If it really breaks your heart that much, why don't you start buying up all the bottles of water in your community and ship them to iraq.

    Its his water, let him do what he pleases with it. As I have no intention of sending my two bottles of ice cold water to Iraq (nor do 99% of the rest of you), im going to do whatever i want with it.
     
    #5 Space Ghost, Apr 6, 2003
  6. dylan

    dylan Member

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    I wonder where that water is coming from. If he is getting it via his own channels or whatever then I would have no problem with it. If, however, that is ofical US Army water that only he has access to then that sees pretty freaking crappy. Guess all the non-Christians just get screwed. Too bad there isn't an offical Army Rabbi...
     
    #6 dylan, Apr 6, 2003
  7. Dr of Dunk

    Dr of Dunk Clutch Crew

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    I think I could gain some temporary religion for some water. Big deal - I have to get dunked in some water. Good way to cool off. :D

    I'm wonder about those that aren't Christians (probably not too many). I guess they have to get baptized, too, huh? :)
     
    #7 Dr of Dunk, Apr 6, 2003
  8. Heretic

    Heretic Member

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    Rabbi's can be chaplains as well. You just don't find very many practicing Jews in the U.S. Military for some reason.
     
    #8 Heretic, Apr 6, 2003
  9. Special Patrol Group

    Special Patrol Group Member

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    Not exactly Father Mulcahy.

    Hawkeye would have ****ed this guy up. In a non-violent, Marx Brothers sort of way, of course.
     
    #9 Special Patrol Group, Apr 7, 2003
  10. Htownhero

    Htownhero Member

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    I disagree. If the situation were different and people were required to denounce Christ and praise Mohamed as Lord to obtain water would you be so cool with it?
     
    #10 Htownhero, Apr 7, 2003
  11. dn1282

    dn1282 Member

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    why are christians so insistent on getting people to convert or "find the lord"? I'd kick his ass and took a bath regardless of whether he let me or not. Jesus Jebus...:rolleyes:
     
    #11 dn1282, Apr 7, 2003
  12. outlaw

    outlaw Member

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    But is it his water? Did he pay for and lug all 500 gallons of it by himself on his own personal airplane? The army is responsible for the lack of drinking water in some parts of Iraq and yet allow this to continue? It just makes the "humanitarian" reasons for this war sound even more hollow than they already do.
     
    #12 outlaw, Apr 7, 2003
  13. Batman Jones

    Batman Jones Member

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    Jesus would have been repulsed by this bribery in his name.
     
    #13 Batman Jones, Apr 7, 2003
  14. giddyup

    giddyup Member

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    Fellas this is <b>bath</b> water not water in a punch bowl. Once just one is immersed, it's not reallyl drinkable anymore but it still is good for baths.... and baptisms!
     
    #14 giddyup, Apr 7, 2003
  15. Kim

    Kim Member

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    I would be okay with whatever, but that's just me. In a way the Chaplain is wrong, but in a way, he's doing what he believes in, so I guess that's better than sitting on his ass.
     
    #15 Kim, Apr 7, 2003
  16. outlaw

    outlaw Member

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    If you were dying of thirst, would you refuse water just because someone had bathed in it? They could always boil it.

    The point is why authorize this to begin with? What purpose does it serve the military other than waste valuable resources?
     
    #16 outlaw, Apr 7, 2003
  17. treeman

    treeman Member

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    It's his water, and unless his CO tells him otherwise he can do whatever he wants with it. Who cares?

    If someone really wants a bath, then they can just let the chaplain do his little thing and then take a bath. Soldiers in the field probably won't care.
     
    #17 treeman, Apr 7, 2003
  18. giddyup

    giddyup Member

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    They have been trucking drinking water in regularly. The purpose it serves is symbolic. There are no atheists in foxholes... as the saying goes.
     
    #18 giddyup, Apr 7, 2003
  19. Batman Jones

    Batman Jones Member

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    "Who cares?" What about the Muslims or Jews or members of other faiths who are also out there risking their lives as well as going without bathing, who might also be very religious and would prefer not to be baptised in order to take a bath? How would you like it if someone told you you could only bathe if you swore loyalty to a faith other than your own? Would you say, oh, why don't I let the Rabbi or Satanist or whatever "just do his little thing?" I mean, if you want to bathe, no big deal joining a religion you don't believe it right?

    This is appalling.
     
    #19 Batman Jones, Apr 7, 2003
  20. Batman Jones

    Batman Jones Member

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    Right. Only Baptists die for their country, right? Cute saying but you know it's not true. I was raised Jewish and I'd be very damn offended if someone told me I could only bathe if I agreed to be baptised -- WHILE, let's not forget, I was risking my life in the service of my country, which is supposed to be kind of into freedom of religion.
     
    #20 Batman Jones, Apr 7, 2003
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