Comments on: The VERY stupidist chaplain excuse for opposing DADT repeal

By: afghanchap

afghanchap — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 17:18:29 +0000

I am sorry there are those that have had a negative experience with chaplains. However, every chaplain signs a statement when they come in that they will minister in a pluralistic environment and that means to all servicemembers in every situation in life. Chaplains are REQUIRED by law to keep confidential things said to them in counseling. Most every chaplain has counseled gay service members and while there may be a few horror stories around, (after all, there are over 3,000 chaplains) the vast majority of stories I believe are positive. The blog post below by “Just a Joe” whose story was told in the Washington Post is more representative of chaplain views.
http://repealnow.org/p/362

By: John

John — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 20:02:11 +0000

I do not know swampfox, but I can tell you that while I was in I never trusted them. Not at all. They were officers first, chaplains second. I always saw too much of a conflict in interests to give any promise of confidentiality any creedence.

By: swampfox

swampfox — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 18:19:07 +0000

I am beginning to wonder how many gay and lesbian soldiers have been turned-in by chaplains who were sought out by gays and lesbians for someone to talk to.

By: Aeval

Aeval — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 07:35:51 +0000

“Frankly, Reverend, either you are a liar, a bigot, or an idiot.”

Can I have that as a multiple choice answer?

Talking about idiots, check this out:

“Joe Rehyansky: Allow Lesbians To Serve In Order To Give ‘Straight Male GIs A Fair Shot At Converting’ Them”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/30/joe-rehyansky-dont-ask-dont-tell_n_789106.html

By: Mark F.

Mark F. — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 05:33:17 +0000

Exactly why are chaplains even employed by the military? If churches wish to provide ministers/priests/rabbis/whatevers to counsel the troops, that’s fine. But why should this be a paid military position? Churches should do it on their dime.

By: Donny D.

Donny D. — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 23:06:34 +0000

RWG said,

“The objection to repeal now is the looming prospect of the US Armed forces training its soldiers, sailors and air forces in acceptance, tolerance and respect for gays and lesbians. That training, most often given to young, impressionable minds, will seep out of the military and into society at large, increasing the acceptance of gay and lesbian Americans.”

Yes, and it would directly influence the most politically and culturally conservative sectors of the population, because that’s who tend to be in the military.

By: John

John — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 21:02:52 +0000

We had a an a-hole for a chaplain when I was in Basic. I can still recall his using the allegations against 1 dead sailor being gay to blame him, and by extension all "perverts", for the 1989 explosion on the battleship Iowa. That I was forced to stand at attention listening to this supposed man of God and a-hole slander the reputation of a fellow sailor killed in what by then was widely suspected to be an accident and not some gay love affair gone wrong, really soured me on clerics being given officer rank. This sailor was killed in an accident like the other victims were, not because he was some suicidal gay freak as the Navy was trying to say until forced to retract that asinine theory. I never had anything else to do with chaplains the rest of my time in the service.

By: L. Junius Brutus

L. Junius Brutus — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 14:14:13 +0000

Del: “It’s amazing how quickly most of these comments jump to juvenile tactics to “respond” to an opposing view. The point Lee was making was that if (for example) a Muslim chaplain was not allowed to preach, teach or counsel a Muslim troop the Islamic doctrine that homosexuality is immoral, then the Muslim troop is short-changed and his constitutional, free exercise right to worship is abridged.”

What brilliant logic! I guess Muslim troops would also be short-charged and their constitutional free exercise right to worship abridged if the chaplain failed to tell them the Islamic doctrine that Muslims are obliged to fight against the unbelievers until they are subdued. Who taught you constitutional law? Sarah Palin?

Chaplains are government employees and they have no free speech rights. If they don’t like it, they can get out.

By: Amicus

Amicus — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 00:44:19 +0000

I believe it was in the poll of spouses/families that the figure of 12% came up for chaplains, as the number of people who would turn to them if a question about the repeal of DADT came up post repeal.

Just sayin’.

By: Hunter

Hunter — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 23:21:28 +0000

del –

Lee is making the kind of argument so favored by the right, the argument by dire consequences. You can predict almost any result from, for example, allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the armed forces, and scare a lot of people, and no one can refute you because there’s no way to do so.

So maybe if he could come up with some evidence supporting this “strong possibility” that chaplains are going to be forbidden to counsel their co-believers on the tenets of their faith — which in this instance seems to amount to “gays are icky” — he might have a little more credibility.

Remember, Elaine Donnelley, who specializes in this kind of argument, got laughed at the last time she was called to testify before a committee on DADT. That’s about the right response.