Editorial Debunks Chaplains Opposed to Repeal
An editorial appearing earlier this week in The Appeal Democrat (“Our View: Military Chaplains Should Not Fear Homosexuals”) counters the assertion made last week by a group of retired chaplains that repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” would infringe on religious liberty and expression:
“Congress, the Department of Defense and the federal courts have long grappled with the military's 1993 policy known as ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ which forces homosexuals in the military to hide their sexual orientation. Top military officials support ending it, and it’s likely to end soon. If it ends, some homosexuals in the military will choose to go from leading secret lives to honest and open lives the chaplains consider sinful. Other than the lifting of secrecy, nothing will change for the chaplains.
“Yet a group of retired chaplains has written to President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Robert Gates to say that serving God and the armed forces will become impossible for chaplains if "don't ask, don't tell" goes away. Some churches may pull their chaplains if the policy ends. …
“Furthermore, Christian ministers are supposed to worship and emulate Jesus. Can anyone imagine Jesus telling taxpayers and prostitutes, let alone a gay soldier serving his or her country, to shut up and pretend? Would Jesus threaten to leave a soldier who didn't obey such a command? Not the Jesus most Christians know and love.”
The piece follows up on SLDN’s response to the retired chaplains late last week from Chaplain (Colonel) Paul W. Dodd, U.S. Army (Ret.):
“Some of those who support ‘Don't Ask, Don't Tell’ argue that repeal would impose unreasonable requirements on military chaplains and infringe on their free exercise of their religion. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is a red herring, offered by opponents of repeal.
“The military already recognizes that the bottom line is the religious needs of a religiously diverse population of service members. For a person to be considered for appointment as a military chaplain, a chaplain must agree that he or she is willing to function in a pluralistic environment and is willing to support directly and indirectly the free exercise of religion by all members of the military.
“Military chaplains are required to serve a religiously diverse population, which holds different views on many things, including gender, race, other religions, and sexual orientation. This does not mean, of course, that the military chaplain must abandon his or her personal beliefs. Nor does it mean that the chaplain must modify his or her spiritual message when conducting a denomination-specific service. All chaplains will continue the historic tradition of securing the free exercise of religion for all our troops.”
11-05-10 By Paul DeMiglio, Senior Communications Manager |
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