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The problem is obvious
Despite public and military support for overturning Don't Ask, Don't Tell, the legislation which bans openly gay service members, political, military and religious leaders cite a variety of objections to changing the law.
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) worries that allowing gays to serve openly would impact troop "morale;" Marine Corp Commandant Gen. James Amos says that a policy change may affect "unit cohesion" and "combat effectiveness." Among the religious leaders opposed to overturning Don't Ask, Don't Tell is Catholic Archbishop for the Military Services Timothy J. Broglio, who fears that chaplains would be forced to compromise their principles in accepting "objectively disordered" homosexuality, adding that he "can never condone -even silently -homosexual behavior."
What beliefs are behind banning gays in the military? What's the role of religion in this debate?
What beliefs? At the risk of engaging in repetition here at On Faith, I think we know "what beliefs" are behind banning gays in the military. Is it really such a puzzle that conservative forms of Christian belief are at the center of this debate? That Christian views regarding homosexuality fueled "blue discharges" in previous eras and now fuels opposition to overturning Don't Ask, Don't Tell? Terms like "unit cohesion" or "combat effectiveness" are thrown around by those who are now afraid to give voice to their true feelings, that homosexuality, in the words of the Catholic Archbishop quoted above, is "objectively disordered." The fact that this religiously motivated anti-gay animus is increasingly refuted, most notably by the recently leaked Pentagon study group findings, which found that allowing gay service members would create "only minimal and isolated incidents," doesn't phase opponents who keep moving the goalposts for ending DADT.
It's an open secret that today's military chaplaincy has been all but overtaken by conservative evangelical Christians. The problems within the Air Force and the Air Force Academy have been well-documented, but the Army is little better on that front.
"...there are 54 members of the Independent Fundamental Churches of America in the military, and 22 chaplains from the denomination. That's one chaplain for every 2.5 church members. By contrast, there's one imam per 353.5 Muslims, and one priest for every 1,086 Catholics. And there are no chaplains to serve the 3,214 Wiccans in the military."
What is the fruit of this imblanace? Blatant chaplain-endorsed proslytizing on military bases, and a culture of intimidation and demonization towards any belief system that falls outside the narrow parameters set by this growing Christian force within our military. An upside down world where Quakers are considered a "cult" who don't worship Jesus, and soldiers are penalized for not participating in Christian events.
Once you create a military subculture that accepts only the most theologically rigid and conservative forms of Christianity as normative it is no surprise that those forces are going to do everything in their power to derail the overturning of DADT. Military leadership know that it's only a matter of time before gays are allowed to openly serve, whether that day comes legislatively, judicially, or ultimately through their own initiative, DADT's days are numbered. If anything will impact troop morale during this time of change, it will be the scorched earth tactics of the culture warriors trying to delay the inevitable, poisoning the well by creating the very "unit cohesion" problems they prophesy will come with the repeal of DADT.
I fear that the only solution to the problem may be a complete overhaul of the military's chaplaincy system, one that addresses the serious imbalances that now exist, and a new commitment towards engaging with the diversity inherent in our secular and multi-religious society. There are some small signs that this may be happening, but its not nearly enough. The risk of our current situation isn't merely that gays won't be allowed to serve openly, but that our secular military will become an ideologically driven "Christian" military with an agenda separate from the government that controls it. A look through history shows how dangerous and destabilizing an uncontrollable independent military is. Those who side with the pro-DADT culture warriors now have little idea what's at stake if even this small nod to diversity and the reality of our modern society is denied.
By
Jason_Pitzl-Waters
|
November 16, 2010; 1:32 PM ET
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Posted by: Bios | November 19, 2010 10:47 PM
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Well, I think we can see the quality of the anti-gay views, here.
I'm not sure what JJ's point there has to do with DADT, but one wonders why people seem to think it impresses Pagans when they try to insult other world religions by calling them Pagans.
Georgedixon's random accusations and slurs, of course, show exactly the kind of irrational hatemongering, dishonesty, and bigotry that we're dealing with.
Posted by: APaganplace | November 19, 2010 12:34 PM
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Strange HUMANs.
WE HU{MATEs like to say, "Solution To 'POLLUTION' is Evolution."
According to a small picture on the upper-right hand corner of this blog, is what looks like {A PAGAN} acting Catholic or as Bishop and is wearing what looks like a Mitra/Tiara or a Toque (not taking Toak} as if Crown who Pendulum-like istwirling a Thurible & waiving a smoking Ball of incense w/chain or string & contrary to me Apocalyptic-Faith & in disbelief me only see that the 'God-Player is POLLUTING himself & his Congregation includes his little helpers that stand near him. OYE...!
Talkin bout "CARCINOGENIC"! Pleaza See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_use_of_incense
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incense
EXCERPT: "..Incense smoke contains various contaminants including gaseous pollutants, such as carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) [4–8], and absorbed toxic pollutants (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and toxic metals)" OYE...!
Now i[WE] EKLAHt-i-ON's [APOCALYPTARi-ON's] Know why there is a 'Green-house effect' in the Church's not only planet! AND
On the other side of this "MAIN" page on 'onfaith' at left corner is a large picture of what seems to be a Military Chaplain [A PAGAN] with no skull-cap, only short hair, who's facing a congregation of Soldiers & wearing a camouflage looking Fatigue/patternd Poncho or a Batman/Superman cape-like that has a CROSS outlined in Red at his back mid torso (assuming the front torso is also crossed) but
as i perceive it, he is Ritualizing with hand raised at 5 degree angle, who i imagine is blessing what looks like a "WAFFER" (Symbolic Rabbi Jesus's Flesh) and there is a Fold-out Table in front of Him strewn w/other religo-bjects which i imagine is a bottle of Red-Liquid (Symbolic Rabbi Jesus's Blood) & performing the EUCHARIST.
i[WE] also see another small picture in the Center, a little right, in what seems to be the current POPE (A PAGAN) standing dressed in all White-garb and Yamulka reading from a script or a pre-rehearsed-Pitch resting on a music sheet holder with mouth open & flailing Both Hands in front at a 40 Degree Angel sayin lalala.
POINT:ALL These Folks, dressed in Religio-Garb, includes turban wearing SIKH or Islam,Hindu,JU etc. r ALL P-A-G-A-N!
Fact: On Holyi NEBULA-Built S.pace-S.hip Earth; There is "NO" Such an animal as a Religion?(institutionalized) aka 'Belief or Faith' in America or in the U.N. via Member Nation/States (includes Vatican & CO) that have 'TRUE (opposite MYTH) MONO or Genuine "MONO-THEO" REligion. NAY! SO, This World has ZERO/0 Mono-Theo Religion/Faith/Belief System! It is iMPOSSIBLE" its a DElusion WAKE-UP!
Unlike-US EKLAHt-i-ON's.
Posted by: woodstock-41 | November 18, 2010 10:56 AM
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1) The left cares not at all about access to the military they publicly despise
2) "Gays" in the military is to undercut the institution
...(just like Iraq was the wrong war and Afghanistan was the 'right' war to the left when Bush was in office, today Afghanistan is less loved by the left.....)
3) Homosexuality is as biologically normal as pedophilia or necrophilia.
4) Homosexuality was rightly classed as a mental illness until a 3 to 2 vote by the governing body of American psychiatry in the early 1970's at a convention where no papers on related topics were presented...a "global warming" bit of political science...
Posted by: georgedixon1 | November 18, 2010 10:27 AM
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Why *isn't* this obvious, is the question: it seems the mainstream media is afraid to touch this issue or describe how much the Religious Right has a lock on things...And how much the supposedly 'populist' Republicans are blatantly defying that 'will of the people' they're always on about, when it comes to their homophobic (And anti-Pagan) agendas.
Posted by: APaganplace | November 18, 2010 8:45 AM
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Although I am not religious, I think servicemen and women should have access to religious advisers of their choice. That said, I do think the current chaplains corps is a violation of the constitution. Religious organizations should be free to send clergy to minister to their followers, but those religious organizations should be paying for these people and these people should not be wearing the uniform of the nation and they should not be getting the privileges given to soldiers.
If anything, it seems religious strife could be responsible for more detriment to unit cohesion than openly serving homosexuals.
Posted by: mickle1 | November 18, 2010 1:54 AM
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What Jason (so articulately) said.
Posted by: hecatedemetersdatter | November 17, 2010 9:01 PM
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Very interesting post. I completely agree with the overhaul of the military's chaplaincy system. It calls for an upgrade. There has to be a better system, non-vertical, self-purged and cooperative. In short, a system that leaves little room for typically selfish human psychology to develop.