Gay Friendly Military Chaplains Push Back

This blog has previously looked at the lies and whining of Christianist members of the Chaplain Corps who have alleged that the repeal of DADT and/or allowing military chaplains threatens their freedom of religion. As is typical of the far right elements of the right wing, the Christianist chaplains are in reality accusing others of what they themselves are doing as their seek to inflict their religious beliefs on all. Thankfully, some non-Neanderthal members of the Chaplain Corps are pushing back and speaking out - something non-Christofascists need to do more often. The Advocate has a lengthy article on the development and a copy of the response submitted in reaction to threatened lawsuit by the extremists at the Alliance Defense Fund. Here are some highlights:
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A progressive military chaplains organization has condemned recent assertions by antigay groups that repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" is quickly eroding religious liberty for service members from conservative faith traditions.
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Capt. John F. Gundlach, a retired Navy chaplain and member of the Forum on the Military Chaplaincy, wrote in a Monday commentary that ADF's pleas are the result of antigay bigotry, not concern for religious liberty.
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"Are ADF and the religious groups they represent as willing to defend the same rights and protections for others they claim for themselves?" Gundlach wrote. "Are they as willing to acknowledge the right of chaplains from gay-friendly denominations to perform gay weddings in military chapels? And are they as willing to speak up for those who suffer discrimination because they are gay? If not, their pleas for special protection from discrimination for themselves are self-serving and unworthy of consideration."
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What are ADF and these groups afraid of? They fear that their chaplains and other military members who are anti-gay because of their religious beliefs will be discriminated against. Lifting up this perceived threat serves as a rallying cry for religious conservatives and the politicians who support them, but it’s really an S.O.S. It’s the Same Old Stuff they have been saying since “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” appeared to be headed for the regulatory scrap heap.
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This S.O.S. may seem real enough to them, but what are the facts? Will religious conservatives in the military no longer be able to practice their religion? Will their chaplains have to refrain from preaching against homosexuality (their term, not mine)? Not at all.
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The one thing that every chaplain is required to do, regardless of their religious perspectives, is care for everyone. If these chaplains can’t minister to gay and lesbian service members themselves, they are obligated to refer them to another chaplain who can.
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So where is the threat to religious freedom? And where could their right to free speech be limited? It will no longer be acceptable to speak about fellow gay and lesbian service members in demeaning ways in the workplace and other public settings. The fact that this has ever been acceptable by anyone anywhere, but especially by chaplains, is regrettable.
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Clearly, ADF and their conservative clients have good reason to send out an S.O.S. — their cause is sinking. As a new generation of Americans join our Armed Forces, a generation that has grown up knowing that LGBT people are no threat to their persons, their marriages, or their religion, the protests of groups like ADF and their clients will seem archaic and totally out of touch. And many will wonder why these groups don’t have a more important religious message to share.