Army Faults Report of Baptism for Bathwater

ARLINGTON, Va. -- A U.S. Army inquiry has determined that a Southern Baptist chaplain in Iraq who reportedly was giving baptisms to dirty soldiers has not been using coercion.

“I am confident that Chaplain [Josh] Llano does not, has not and will not use coercion in the exercise of his official responsibilities,” said Col. Al Buckner, a chaplain and director of operations at the Army’s chief of chaplains office at the Pentagon.

A recent Miami Herald story that quoted Llano about providing baths to soldiers who agreed to be baptized prompted a string of critical statements and a promise by the Army to investigate.

“It’s simple: They want water; I have it, as long as they agree to get baptized,” the story quoted the 32-year-old chaplain as saying.

The U.S. Army’s Office of the Chief of Public Affairs said Llano does not recall making such a statement:

“He did make some of the remarks the reporter attributed to him,” the Army said, “but not all to her, and not in the context or with the intent the article appeared to suggest.”

The Army said soldiers at Camp Bushmaster were not suffering from a water shortage, and the chaplain was given water for baptism only after water needs of the soldiers were met.

“Soldiers had no need to resort to being baptized to get clean,” the Army said.

Mark Seibel, the Herald’s managing editor, defended the original story.

“I don’t think the story suggested coercion,” he said. “That’s just how some people want to read it.... We stand by the story as it was written.”

The Army said the chaplain recently conducted 57 baptisms at the base camp, but most were for Christian soldiers who wanted to be baptized as a reaffirmation of their faith or because they had never previously taken part in the rite.

“Significantly, no soldier at Camp Bushmaster has complained or commented that the chaplain coerced anyone in any way,” the Army said.