Air Force Chaplain: Soldiers Who Defend Non-Christians Help ‘Lead Them To Hell’ (TWEET/VIDEO)



For the better part of three decades, the religious right has insisted that all it wants is a place at the table for social conservatives and others with “traditional values.” But when they think they’re just speaking to their own, they quickly show what they really want–a Christianized version of Iran.

One of those moments came earlier in the month, when an Air Force chaplain loudly declared that Christian soldiers shouldn’t defend the rights of non-Christians to practice their faith. Following a firestorm of criticism, the Air Force has launched an investigation.

On September 12, Captain Sonny Hernandez, a reserve chaplain with the 445th Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio; penned a column for Matt Barber’s Website, BarbWire, that essentially called for Christian soldiers to forget about their oath to defend the Constitution. Hernandez, an ardent Calvinist whose day job is director of Reforming America Ministries, had a sobering message for soldiers who are professing Christians.

“Christian service members who openly profess and support the rights of Muslims, Buddhists, and all other anti-Christian worldviews to practice their religions—because the language in the Constitution permits—are grossly in error, and deceived.”

As Hernandez sees it, soldiers who believe in Jesus have no obligation to defend the “alleged rights of anti-Christians,” since they worship “false gods that will lead them to hell.” Additionally, he claimed that those who support the rights of non-Christians risk putting the Constitution above the Bible, and thus “have no business calling themselves a Christian.” He appeared to liken those who would uphold the Constitutional rights of non-Christians to a person who advised a female soldier to get an abortion. In the latter case, he said, a soldier in that position would have a decision to make–one that would reveal the difference between “who belongs to the Savior, and those who serve Satan.”

By the time Newsweek picked this story up a few days later, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, which works to protect our troops from being bombarded by fundamentalism in the ranks, was already on the case, having asked the Pentagon’s inspector general to investigate Hernandez’ remarks, saying they “blatantly and indisputably” violate both Hernandez’ own oath as well as l longstanding laws against stirring up insubordination in the ranks.

MRFF executive director Mikey Weinstein, himself a former Air Force Judge Advocate, said that Hernandez’ screed is but the latest instance in “an unbridled tidal wave” of growing fundie influence in the military since Donald Trump took office. That tidal wave has caused a dramatic spike in the number of complaints Weinstein and his team have fielded since January.


Chelsea Clinton took Hernandez apart in brutally short style on Twitter.

Hernandez tried to defend himself earlier this week. He told Stars and Stripes that he sees himself as “24/7, 365 days a year an evangelist and a missionary,” and he has a “standing objective” to defend his faith. He admitted that his writings are forceful, but claimed his intentions were “theological,” not aimed against someone. Indeed, he said that Christians should “never mistreat anybody” who doesn’t share their faith.

It would appear, though, that a sermon Hernandez gave at Sovereign Grace Baptist Church in Elizabethtown, Kentucky may be closer to the truth. Watch here.

In this sermon, Hernandez not only peddles the religious right shibboleth that AIDS is God’s punishment for homosexuality, but also spews the old anti-Semitic myth that the Jews were responsible for handing Jesus over to be crucified.

Initially, the Air Force didn’t seem willing to look into the matter further. Air Force Reserves spokesman said that Hernandez was speaking for himself, and was exercising his right to express his own faith. By Friday, however, the Air Force had reversed itself and announced that the Air Force Inspector General was reviewing complaints about Hernandez.


Hopefully those taking part in that review will ask themselves who the real Hernandez is. Is it the man who claims that soldiers shouldn’t stand up for the rights of people whose beliefs will send them to hell, and believes the Jews killed Jesus? Or is it the guy who says Christians shouldn’t mistreat anyone on account of their faith?

(featured image courtesy Reforming America Ministries’ Facebook)

Darrell is a 30-something graduate of the University of North Carolina who considers himself a journalist of the old school. An attempt to turn him into a member of the religious right in college only succeeded in turning him into the religious right's worst nightmare--a charismatic Christian who is an unapologetic liberal. His desire to stand up for those who have been scared into silence only increased when he survived an abusive three-year marriage. You may know him on Daily Kos as Christian Dem in NC. Follow him on Twitter @DarrellLucus or connect with him on Facebook. Click here to buy Darrell a Mello Yello.