Saturday, October 30, 2010

Retired chaplains: Preserve 'don't ask'

Dozens of retired military chaplains are warning President Obama and the Pentagon that military ministers whose faiths consider homosexuality a sin will be placed in an impossible situation if the "don't ask, don't tell" policy is thrown out.

If a chaplain preaches against homosexuality, he could conceivably be disciplined as a bigot under the military's nondiscrimination policy, the retired chaplains say. The Pentagon, however, says chaplains' religious beliefs and their need to express them will be respected.

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. MORE

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