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Religion and prejudice
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?
The matter of gays serving in the military has been blown out of proportion primarily because the roots lie in naked prejudice and not in religion. We have brought in religion to hide our own ignorance and weaknesses. If anything, religion says people should learn to master their weaknesses and sex being the most passionate of our emotions we should learn to control and curb these feelings instead of letting them run rampant as is happening now. This lesson is not a part of sexual training but disciplined living which is why it covers many other weaknesses that human beings are susceptible to.
In our obsession with sex we have carried the controversy too far. A sexual pervert who has sex with dozens of women is considered more honorable than an honest person who makes public his/her sexual orientation and wants to lead a quiet, respectable life.
It pains me when people use religion to promote hate and prejudice of all kinds and coming from a society (the US) that prides itself as being the most advanced, progressive and civilized this kind of archaic behavior is all the more reprehensible.
Religion should help people understand that God is about love, respect, understanding and acceptance and not about judging, banishing, destroying, or discarding.
By
Arun Gandhi
|
November 22, 2010; 9:57 AM ET
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Posted by: MattMira | December 3, 2010 9:31 AM
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The concept that uncontrolled passions are harmful is an ancient religious concept that spans numerous religions. Mr Ghandi's leap that there is a difference between a serial adulterer as less honorable than a monogamous homosexual is an untenable leap by these ancient religious standards. Both of these conditions according to many religious traditions that share this view of the "passions" are the result of "disordered passions". The cultural stigma applied to one or the other is just that, cultural, and therefor shifting.