Retired chaplains warn against 'don't ask' repeal

[Swede]

they should add this to the headling - murder and torture still ok.


Dozens of retired military chaplains say that serving both God and the U.S. armed forces will become impossible for chaplains whose faiths consider homosexuality a sin if the "don't ask, don't tell" policy is thrown out.

If a chaplain preaches against homosexuality, he could conceivably be disciplined as a bigot under the military's nondiscrimination policy, the retired chaplains say. The Pentagon, however, says chaplains' religious beliefs and their need to express them will be respected.

Clergy would be ineligible to serve as chaplains if their churches withdraw their endorsements, as some have threatened to do if "don't ask, don't tell" ends. Critics of allowing openly gay troops fear that clergy will leave the service or be forced to find other jobs in the military that don't involve their faiths.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gNm8FUyS6wrzN_mt7y_SUSeNdE8Q?docId=be354067aa5542d0a64ba035c41497a4

[The Magistrate]

1. Best Argument Yet For Repeal Of The Policy, Sir

Purging fundamentalist sky pilots from the armed forces is long over-due.

[Lasher]

6. That is a mighty fine point there.

I doubt if such an exodus would actually occur, but this was something that needed said.

[BlueIris]

25. Hee. Thank you. nt

[BolivarianHero]

2. WHAT. THE. FUCK?!?!?!

As far as I know, every other military in the "free" world allows LGBT citizens to serve AND offers pastoral counselling to those who desire or need it.

That the fundamentalists would turn this into an issue of religious freedom and claim they have a RIGHT to their job is ludicrous. Serving your country is a privilege, not a right.

[WillParkinson]

3. Wait..wait...wait...

Before you go saying their needs to express them will be respected don't you think you should poll the troops, their family and Mrs. Higgenbottom, the 3rd grade librarian?

[dalaigh lllama]

4. Guess I don't see the problem here

If they're bigots, they should get out of the military. Or maybe we could have a new system for determining if chaplains should be in the military. We could call it don't ask (if they're a bigot); don't tell (if they're a bigot).

[Edweird]

5. So get new chaplains.

[Democat]

7. What if chaplains don't like atheist ?

Should atheist be banned from the military too?

[dgibby]

18. I've served in commands

where your career would be over in a NY minute if the CO thought you were either atheist or agnostic. You wouldn't believe how crazy some of these radical right fundies are. Scary!

[Democat]

26. That's sad for the Americans serving their country who might not be religious.

How does their religious view (or sexuality) have any bearing on what value they bring to the military?

[ZombieHorde]

8. Monotheism is nothing more than the belief all of one's opinions are sanctioned by some god.

If any of these chaplains change their minds, their god will suddenly change its mind at the same moment. What an amazing coincidence!

[Lil Missy]

9. Let them take their toys and leave.

[get the red out]

10. OMG!

They wouldn't be able to preach hate!!!! What an injustice!

[lunatica]

11. I bet they have Unitarian pastors already

This pastor is an idiot.

[Brickbat]

12. Counseling and comforting people who kill in the name of God, flag and country is OK, however.

So, you know, whatever. :shrug:

[riderinthestorm]

13. Chaplains serving in the US Armed Forces are on shaky Constitutional grounds imho

Having the US taxpayer fund religious actions is on shaky ground. Chaplains have been challenged before and I fully expect that if these bigots argue against repealing DADT long enough and hard enough, their very existence in the US military will be brought up and challenged again.

And this time, these bigots deserve to get their asses kicked all the way back into private "service." Fuckers.

[Cid_B]

23. Fuck that...

I've seen Chaplains do a shit ton of good around the service. By an amazing coincidence they were in the same good guy / shit head ratio as the rest of the Army. Weird eh?

Chaplains have a critical role...

[riderinthestorm]

24. Bigored shit head chaplains are going to/and need to be shoved out

of the US Armed Forces. Period. If this particular class of officer is asking for a by so they are allowed to spew and practice bigotry and hate ON MY TAXPAYER dime against GLBT servicemembers, then their "critical role" is over, and needs to be filled with another class of officer that can do their duties without prejudice or hate.

Sorry. I know a lot of servicemembers probably would find that kind of shake-up to be pretty unsettling but chaplains are on shaky legal ground already. I think it's sickening that any DUer would want to perpetuate assholes in the services who are allowed some kind of official leeway to preach hate against others in their unit.

[kevinbgoode]

14. Why would they even need to 'preach' against homosexuality

in the armed forces now? If they are, it seems like they've been the ones encouraging the witch hunts. And WTF makes them think there can't be a "gay" chaplain - how about one who preaches against heterosexuality?

[EC]

15. So what?

Isn't it their job to administer to all that seek God? If they can't do their job, get out...


On edit: Also, the example of a minister preaching against Homosexuality has no business preaching at all in the armed forces...it is bigotry...now and after DADT is gone...and as far as chaplains leaving...all the better, it's time to have one fits all type of chaplin in the military...like the Unitarian Church...

[Radical Activist]

16. Headline: Old religious kooks still bigoted.

Your point is right on. I can't believe this line from the article...

"Many (if not most) chaplains will confront a profoundly difficult moral choice: whether they are to obey God or to obey men," they wrote in the Sept. 16 letter.


Really? How many soldiers did they tell to obey God instead of man by quitting the military and not killing innocent people for the modern-day Babylon! Fucking hypocrites.

[laughingliberal]

21. +1000 nt

[Odin2005]

17. Court Martial his ass!

[VMI Dem]

19. Everyone chill the fuck out.

I'm appealing this.

[Nite Owl]

20. What would Jesus say?

I'd think he'd throw the chaplains out, this isn't religious belief it's bigotry and hypocrisy.

[laughingliberal]

22. And when Truman desegregated the military, what did we do with the chaplains who thought the bible..

sanctioned slavery?

[political_Dem]

27. K and R.

[Skittles]

28. how about the military gets chaplains that aren't bigots?

how about that?

[AtomicKitten]

29. They aren't "serving God."

They are "using God" to endorse their own prejudices in a manner that isn't particularly Christ-like. I'm pretty sure "God" wants them to butt out and STFU.

[tavalon]

30. Perhaps said chaplain should choose not to preach against homosexuality

There are many better topics. If one must preach "against" rather than a more Jesus like "for", perhaps they could preach against torture, rape, murder. Hell, maybe even war. Wouldn't that be some high irony there?

WWJD? STFU.

[riderinthestorm]

31. Monday kick. nt