Chaplains: Troops may fear sharing beliefs on gays

[The Straight Story]

Chaplains: Troops may fear sharing beliefs on gays


SAN DIEGO — Military chaplains are concerned troops could be punished for expressing objections to homosexuality once the "don't ask don't tell" policy is lifted.

Leaders of 21 religious groups that provide chaplains to the U.S. military on Monday sent a letter to the chiefs of chaplains of the Navy, Army, and Air Force. They want Congress or the Pentagon to guarantee troops won't be punished if they openly discuss their objections to homosexuality.

"This is already an assault and a challenge on individual conscience and some soldiers may think it's forcing them to abandon their religious beliefs or being marginalized for holding to those beliefs," said Douglas E. Lee, a retired Army brigadier general and chaplain, whose signature was the first on the letter.

Chaplains who preach at base chapels that homosexuality is a sin will still be entitled to express their beliefs during worship after the military's adopts its new policy allowing openly gay troops, according to training materials given to Marines.

http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20110524/NEWS06/110524012/Chaplains-Troops-may-fear-sharing-beliefs-gays-?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Frontpage%20DontMiss

[xchrom]

1. if their conscience is to bigoted to me and mine -- then it's not a good conscience.

not my damn problem that chaplains want to cover for hatred and bad behavior.

[digonswine]

2. Heaven forbid that these poor fellers feel like they don't have a voice.

[LaydeeBug]

3. Kewl. It's none of anyone's business anyway. nt

[arcane1]

4. "An assault"?? Really???

The "individual conscience" doesn't seem to object to learning how to kill people, but oh heavens, they might have to interact with people they don't like

The horrors of war, I suppose :shrug:

[Downtown Hound]

5. Oh how sad.

Afraid that they might be looked on unfavoribly for being a bunch of bigots.

[demigoddess]

6. they should put their opinion in the same place as their desire

to burn witches/women at the stake. And their desire to ostracize handicapped children, and their desire to call african-americans descendants of Cain. They should just get over it.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!