A San Diego judge has ruled that a chaplain can continue part of his lawsuit against the U.S. Navy because his questions about promotional procedures may indicate religious discrimination.
The ruling, issued June 20, is the latest development in a string of suits by evangelical chaplains who claim they have been discriminated against by naval chaplaincy officials. Nonliturgical chaplains say that Catholic and liturgical Protestants are more likely to be promoted.
In this case, Lt. Cmdr. Patrick M. Sturm, a Navy chaplain based in San Diego, filed suit after being denied promotion three years in a row. After seeking reconsideration by a naval board and filing his suit in federal district court, Sturm was promoted retroactively. The Navy then sought to have the case dismissed.
U.S. District Court Judge Thomas J. Whelan dismissed the part of the suit relating to Sturm's promotions, but decided to consider his claims of stacked selection boards within the Navy.
"The pleadings contain specific and detailed factual allegations which suggest the Navy may be favoring certain religious groups over others," Whelan wrote, "causing an unconstitutional religious preference or an infringement upon plaintiff's rights to religious freedom."
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Each had unique translation philosophies, diction preferences, and intended audiences in mind, frameworks that informed how they approached their all-consuming work.简体中文繁體中文
