Military Chaplain Under Fire For Referencing God During Anti-Depression Class

A U.S. military chaplain is defending himself after he was accused of violating Army protocol by referencing God and Christianity during a mandatory suicide prevention seminar.

 Capt. Joe Lawhorn, a military chaplain for the U.S. Army, was teaching a mandatory anti-depression and anti-suicide seminar at the University of North Georgia back in November when he discussed his own personal struggle with depression.

Lawhorn claims that when speaking about his struggle with depression, he turned toward the teachings of the Bible, specifically the story of Israel's King David.

After teaching the class, the military chaplain received a letter from Col. David Fivecoat, commander of the Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade at Fort Benning, Georgia, that stated the chaplain had violated the Army protocol by referencing God and Christianity to his students.

Lawhorn argues however that he was just doing his job, and had offered attending soldiers both secular and non-secular options when seeking a solution to their depression.

"What I had tried to communicate with my audience is that depression can be conquered, depression can be overcome, and there are a myriad of ways of dealing with depression," Lawhorn told The Daily Signal in a recent interview.

"In this particular case," Lawhorn explained, "I had struggled myself personally with the issue at hand I was teaching."

The Liberty Institute has since sent a letter to Col. Fivecoat in defense of Lawhorn, arguing that the constitution protects the military chaplain when expressing his personal religious beliefs.

"In addition to being permissible, Chaplain Lawhorn's expression of his religious beliefs during his presentation constitutes protected religious expression," the letter read.