Archbishop for the Military Services USA Timothy Broglio released a statement earlier this month arguing that the federal government should not repeal the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, which prevents gay and lesbian men and women from serving openly in the military. He claims that doing so would compromise the faith and role of Roman Catholic military chaplains. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. His arguments are so spurious and misguided it is hard to find a place to begin in refuting them.
The separation of church and state is not threatened by a change in the DADT policy, despite the archbishop's claims. No Roman Catholic chaplain, nor any other chaplain with negative views of homosexuality, will be required to teach, preach, or counsel anything outside their own beliefs. No gay or lesbian serving in the military would expect to go to such a chaplain and receive a blessing on his or her sexual orientation.
The archbishop restates in his letter what everyone knows: The Roman Catholic Church believes and teaches that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered" and "are contrary to the natural law" and that "Homosexual persons are called to chastity." If you go to a chaplain with those beliefs under a repealed DADT, that's still what you're going to get in the way of counsel. What you won't get under the repeal is a dishonorable discharge to boot!
I wholeheartedly agree with the archbishop that "no restrictions or limitations on the teaching of Catholic morality can be accepted. First Amendment rights regarding the free exercise of religion must be respected." I would fight to the death for those protections. Fortunately, no such restrictions or limitations would be required after DADT is repealed. Period. To suggest otherwise indicates either ignorance of the proposed legislation or a disingenuousness that is not befitting a clergyman.
The archbishop goes on to say that "unions between individuals of the same gender resembling marriage will not be accepted or blessed by Catholic chaplains." Of course not. No chaplain is required to marry or bless any relationship against his or her will--just as no such requirement is made of any clergyperson in American society. This is a red herring--a strenuous objection to a problem that does not exist. DADT is not about relationships or marriage. It is about who is allowed to serve their country in the military.
The archbishop inexplicably goes on to drag alcoholics into the debate: "For years, those struggling with alcoholism have benefitted [sic] from Alcoholics Anonymous. Like homosexuality, there is rarely a cure. There is a control through a process, which is guarded by absolute secrecy. It is an equivalent to 'Don't ask don't tell'. The process has worked well for some time without the charge that it is discriminatory."
I can say as a recovering alcoholic and a gay man that there is no end to the problems with this analogy. No one would argue with the reality of the havoc created by an addiction to alcohol--a toll of pain and trouble visited on the individual, families, and society alike. No such social toll is caused by men and women proudly saying to the world, "I'm gay." Saying that there is no cure for homosexuality, as for alcoholism, is to say that there is something that needs curing. The archbishop is welcome to his opinion, but he must admit that it flies in the face of contrary judgments by every reputable psychiatric association in the world.
The secrecy referred to in AA is an internal protection, providing a safe place to talk about one's drinking. There is no secrecy recommended or required about being an alcoholic--only a secrecy about the identity of those one has met at an AA meeting. In fact, part of the healing process for alcoholics in AA is "coming out" to family and friends about their alcoholism, making restitution for the pain caused others, and a healthy admission of the truth: "Hello. My name is Gene, and I'm an alcoholic."
It is terribly misguided to equate Alcoholics Anonymous--which encourages its adherents to admit that they have no control over their drinking, except by the grace of a higher power--to the sheer, white-knuckled suppression of innate feelings by those who find themselves affectionally oriented to persons of the same gender. And it does justice to neither. Such a suppression of feelings is certainly possible--gay and lesbian people have been doing it for centuries, with enormous and tragic consequences. The question is: Is it right? Is it healthy? Is it what God wants for one of his beloved children? I think not.
I am not saying that the archbishop has no right to his religiously held beliefs. My question is whether the church has the right to impose those beliefs on the state. Separation of church and state works both ways! Just as the archbishop argues that he should not be coerced by the state to change his beliefs (I totally agree!), so must the church not impose its beliefs on the secular state and its military. The church has no right to argue for less-than-equal rights for any American citizen.
Chris Rodda: Attention Unchurched Military Personnel: They're Coming for Your Children
Jeff Sharlet: Christianity in the Military: Are Chaplains Becoming Increasingly Fundamentalist?
And you can't blame others for your own homophobia. That shortcoming is your own fault and only you can work on trying to make yourself a better person.
Matthew 25:
34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
I remember when you were being considered for bishop and I read a statement from another bishop (can't remember who) who stated that he would not comment on whether or not being gay was acceptable to God but that he will back you because, "the Spirit moves in that man and it is not my place' to un-chose what God has chosen to use. It is truly the unmistakable mark of the Holy Spirit that convinces those who know it when they see it. I too have earned the respect of many anti-gay Christians for the same reason. I am a Jesus freak, more so than many of the 'straight' Christians I meet.
God has used you for something truly special, sir. Just the fact that you exist is a blessing and an inspiration to countless souls as they search for mercy and understanding. Thank you for having the gonads to answer God's call...not everyone does.
They are about the same as someone who in the Vietnam era wanted to claim Conscientious Objector status but coulnd't satisfy the draft board that they were truly conscientious.
The fact is, you and I and our soldiers are ALREADY showering or whatnot with queers and straights mixed. We need to learn to respect one another and keep all of our eyes to the floor.
Iceland has UNANIMOUSLY LEGALIZED GAY MARRIAGE 49-0, sounds like some democracies KNOW that all their citizens are ENTITLED to the same exact rights. Wow that means that gays can legally marry in Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and Belgium. And that means all of Europe has to comply with the legal status of those marriages. Taxes sure are going to change, and so will gay families with their millions of children KNOW that equality means exactly that, not second class offerings from the prejudiced ever again.
Wake up America, take back our land from these professional liar orgs, international corporations of religio-fundies tied more closely to Islamic Sharia laws than to our US Constitution which they're trying to overthrow for imposition of a theocracy of corporations and religio-institutions.
http://advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/06/11/Iceland_Legalizes_Gay_Marriage/
The nation of Iceland, which is the only country with an openly gay prime minister, voted unanimously on Friday to legalize same-sex marriage.
The Althingi parliament voted 49-0 to change the wording of its marriage legislation to include same-sex couples.
The only reason we cannot legally marry throughout this country is because of those who feel they have the right to decide who can and cannot marry. I wonder how they would feel if THEIR right to marry was denied.
There are Catholics out here that are willing to open our hearts to serve all God's children without consulting Canon law first.
And he (Jesus) said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15
I don't remember in the word of God where Jesus said to leave anyone out. A man can't serve two masters Bishop, you're going to have to choose one or the other.
A TAOIST PRAYER
Oh, Great Goddess and Great Spirit for they are all a part of CHI, thank you for guiding me thus far on my life's journey.
Guide me this day spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically that I may be in tune with thee and learn the lessons thou has to teach me that I may know the interconnection of all things in thy seamless web of life where everything belongs and nothing is lost and becoming, transformation, regeneration, mutation, evolution and change are the way of all things.
Oh, Great Goddess and Great Spirit for they are all part of CHI, let me always be aware that the web that connects each to me weaves its tapestry throughout my being uniting me with all for separateness is an illusion for all are one.
And let me always rest content in the arms of the unfolding universe and always be aware that we are all prisoners of preconditioning and only through self discipline, meditation and self cultivation can we break free of those prisons so we may find our spiritual path and grow in enlightenment and spirituality.
I have a personal prayer that I wrote for myself that says almost the same thing, just a few 'theological' differences. We are all connected, every plant and animal and human and star. How else does one explain the idea of 'omni-present'? That which is God, the creator and comforter, IS the universe as I see it.
Put another way, I believe that we are like little mites on the hand of God. The universe is the body of God. Just as every cell, every hair, every drop of blood is a part of 'me' so is every physical manifestation we witness a part of God...be it a chair or a child.
Let's eliminate DADT and also make the churches pay taxes since they are acting as political action committees, thus violating the terms of their 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status.