WASHINGTON — The U.S. military is being buffeted by dueling legal claims over religion, with one set of plaintiffs contending that the Pentagon is suppressing evangelical Christianity and another set arguing just the opposite — that the brass gives the most aggressive evangelicals free rein to proselytize in uniform.

Although Congress intervened this fall, directing the Air Force and Navy to rescind controversial new policies on religion, chaplains on both sides of the issue said the congressional action only muddied the waters.

"Congress took action, but who won? I'm not sure," said retired Navy captain Gary Pollitt of the Military Chaplains Association, a private, nonprofit group representing chaplains in all the services.

In the latest lawsuit, an evangelical Christian chaplain is charging the Navy with violating his First Amendment rights by forbidding him to pray "in the name of Jesus" at public ceremonies.

Chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt's suit alleges that the Navy has effectively established a "civic religion" and is "suppressing (his) Christian faith" by requiring him to offer nonsectarian prayers when speaking to diverse groups of sailors.

He also alleges that his objections to the Navy policy are the real reason that his commanders court-martialed him in September and are now in the process of kicking him out of the Navy. Klingenschmitt was found guilty of disobeying an order by wearing his uniform at a political protest in front of the White House.

"Can the Navy censor a chaplain's prayers, yes or no? That's what my suit is asking," Klingenschmitt said.

A spokesman for the Navy, Lt. j.g. Karl Lettow, said it does not comment on pending litigation.

Meanwhile, a former White House counsel whose lawsuit against the Air Force was dismissed late last month said he intends to re-file a broader suit, or possibly multiple suits, accusing all the armed services of allowing evangelical Christians to pressure members of other faiths.

U.S. District Judge James Parker dismissed the initial suit by Michael "Mikey" Weinstein because it was based on alleged incidents of religious bias at the Air Force Academy, but neither Weinstein nor any of his five co-plaintiffs claimed to have personally suffered from those incidents.