Gays In The Military: Too Much For Chaplain Corps?

Elaine Donnelly is at it again, trying to scare people into opposing the repeal of DADT, the 1993 policy that prohibits gay and lesbian Americans from serving in the military.

OneNewsNow, the fake news site connected to James Dobson’s Focus on the Family Donald Wildmon’s American Family Association, released an article this morning in which Ms. Donnelly bloviates about the effect of DADT’s repeal on the Chaplain Corps.

“Military chaplains, for the most part, do not favor homosexuality or do not consider it to be a normal alternative lifestyle,” she notes. “If their beliefs are running contrary to the new zero-tolerance policy, that would pretty well destroy the chaplain corps in the military in only a few years because their promotions would be denied. They could be subjected to other forms of discipline.”
 
The chaplain corps, according to Donnelly, would be relegated to a certain type of individual. ”Would we only be able to have chaplains who are completely enthusiastic about the new policy — forced co-habitation with homosexuals regardless of the impact on discipline, regardless of the effect on recruiting-retention?” she wonders. “See what a dilemma we are creating here? None of this is necessary.”

Does she think that the chaplains are unable to manage spiritual guidance only for soldiers who agree with their religious beliefs? Thanks to years of M*A*S*H reruns, I was pretty sure chaplains lent guidance to soldiers outside their own religions, but for the sake of fairness I decided to look for real world back up. (Sorry Father Mulcahy.)

Let’s look at the guiding principles of the United States Navy Chaplain Corps. Pay special attention to the second principle.

• We are faithful to our individual religious traditions and practices.
• We respect the right of others to hold spiritual beliefs and religious practices different from our own.
• We cooperate and collaborate in ministry.
• We are committed to the highest standards of morality and personal integrity.
• We are committed to professionalism in the performance of duty.

These principles confirm that giving spiritual guidance to those outside their individual religious traditions is SOP for the Chaplain Corps. For some reason, Ms. Donnelly is worried that chaplains won’t be able to do that if lesbians and gay men are allowed to serve in the military.

I think she underestimates our servicemen and women. I think the chaplains know how to provide appropriate guidance even if their own church disagrees with a specific situation.

And I think it’s a shame that she’s tried to drag these dedicated men and women of many faiths into this policy disagreement.

(For more on DADT, visit the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.)