Bigots and Homophobes in Chaplain Corps Whine Over DADT Repeal

Frankly, I am about to the point where I think the U.S. military might be best advised to dump the military chaplain corps completely. Other than situations involving combat troops in the field, service members perhaps ought to merely be left to finding religious services and religious counseling off base. And in combat situations, simple make space available in base camps where differing religious groups could rotate priests, pastors, etc. through a facility where they could hold services if they so chose. In short, its time for ALL special privileges afforded religion - especially Christianity - to be a thing of the past. If a denomination wants to provide access to believers of their sect (or more appropriately, their cult), leave it to them to find the delivery mechanism. The U. S. government and U. S. military need to get out of the business of religion and stop facilitating religious based discrimination. As Google News is reporting, all kinds of disingenuous bullshit is being floated by past and present chaplains in an effort to torpedo DADT repeal. As for the denominations threatening to pull their chaplains (not surprisingly the morally bankrupt Catholic Church is one of them), I say call their damn bluff. With most denominations LOSING membership, it they want to cut their own throats, let them do so.
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In short, I'm am SOOOOO tired of the one sided whining about religious freedom by these bastards since it in reality equates to allowing one group, i.e., the Christofascists, to take away the religious freedoms of another, i.e., LGBT service members. One of the ironies that no one seems to address is this: what gay service memember in his/her right mind is going to willing seek counsel from one of these bigoted assholes in the first place? They are whining about a problem that will never exist. Put on your hip boots, because here are some story highlights:
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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.
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"The bottom line is religious freedom," said retired Army Brig. Gen. Douglas Lee, one of 65 former chaplains who signed a letter urging President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Robert Gates to keep "don't ask, don't tell."
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"My heart doesn't bleed for these chaplains," said Mikey Weinstein, president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. "If you don't like it, there's a very simple solution: Fold your uniform, file the paperwork and find something else to do."
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In the Army, the U.S. military's largest branch, the largest denomination is the Southern Baptist Convention, with roughly 450 active chaplains. Next is the Roman Catholic Church, with 270, followed by chaplains from the Full Gospel Pentecostal church; Presbyterian and Reformed churches; and Assemblies of God.
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If a chaplain's church withdraws its endorsement, the military begins processing the chaplain to leave the military. Several denominations have already threatened to take such a step, citing long lists of potential conflicts the chaplains could face with openly gay soldiers.*
The Southern Baptist Convention, the Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church in America, the Presbyterian Church in America, and the Rabbinical Alliance of America have issued statements or written to the Obama administration this year with their concerns that repealing "don't ask, don't tell" could force their chaplains to choose between serving God and serving the military.
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Retired Navy chaplain Capt. John Gundlach, a United Church of Christ pastor, supports repealing the policy and doesn't foresee the problems envisioned by some of his conservative colleagues.
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"They may run into some difficulties in not being able to speak out against those who are gay or lesbian in the military, because that would be counter to good order and discipline," he said. "But chaplains have the right to preach according to their tradition in worship services they hold for those of their own denomination."