Keep don’t ask don’t tell in place

Many retired chaplains from the military say that serving both the U.S. armed forces and God will become very difficult for chaplains who believe that homosexuality is a sin if the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy used by the military for many years is stopped.

A chaplain could be disciplined under the military’s nondiscrimination policy if they preached against homosexuality, the retired chaplains say. However, the Pentagon says that the religious beliefs of chaplains and their need to express them will be respected.

Some churches threatened to withdraw their endorsements if “don’t ask, don’t tell” ends, which would make chaplains ineligible to serve. Critics of the change fear that clergy will leave the service or be forced to find other jobs in the military.

Army Brig. Gen. Douglas Lee, one of the 65 retired former chaplains who signed the letter urging President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Robert Gates to keep “don’t ask, don’t tell” in place, said that the bottom line concerning the issue is religious freedom.

The military cannot inquire into service member’s sexual orientation and punish them for it as long as they keep it to themselves under the 1993 law.

Opponents of the ban say that a military chaplain’s job is different than ministering to a church group where those attending share the same basic beliefs. The chaplains must respect all faiths and council all service members from devout Muslims to atheists.

The retired chaplains who wrote the letter to Obama and Gates said they chose to speak out because active chaplains could be accused of insubordination if they publicly opposed repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell.”

A spokesman for the Pentagon said that chaplains must have the endorsement of their church or religious organization to serve in their role. Should a chaplain’s church withdraw its endorsement the military would begin to process the chaplain to be dismissed from duty.

Several denominations have already said they would take such a step, citing long list of potential conflicts the chaplains could face with openly gay soldiers.

The Bible is very clear about God’s view of homosexuality; it is a sin. God calls it an abomination. The Christians in our nation should stand behind the military chaplains in their support of leaving “don’t ask, don’t tell” as it is. God wishes us to stand up and fight for our beliefs and not be afraid to tell the world.

Many professing Christians in our nation talk about loving God but they ignore what He says and they excuse homosexuals. Gays believe they can live as they wish but that is not what the good news Christ brought us says when He came and died for our sins. Homosexuals most certainly can be forgiven like all of us can when we repent of our sins and pray to God for forgiveness.

Homosexuals call themselves gays but that is only an attempt to cover up their misery. Gay lifestyles can never produce peace and happiness in their hearts.

The Pentagon has delayed a decision to stop the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that has been in place for seventeen years and that decision was made in all probability because of the position the retired chaplains and other Christians across this nation have taken. Yes, Gays should be allowed to serve in the military but keep “don’t ask, don’t tell” in place.