Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Debate Continues: New Facts Revealed

more images

WASHINGTON (GaeaTimes.com) — Well, not only the Congress but the military chaplains are doing their research on the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell controversy.

The fact remains that the military services undoubtedly notice the amalgamation of faiths, believes, culture and races. Over the ages it has evolved to be an unique identity itself where no person thinks of the diversions left back at home. But things are no longer the same, the Pentagon report released only last week states,

Some of the most intense and sharpest divergence of views about Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell exists among the chaplains.

When spoken to various faces from the armed forces itself we came to know quite a few of their ideas, that is how they place things.

Retired Army Chaplain Brigadier Gen. Douglas Lee who remained a chaplain for more than three decades now, tells,

Chaplains who aren’t able to proclaim what they believe is true about this issue … means that the soldier then, the airman, the sailor, the guardian, the Marine aren’t able to get the full opportunity to hear religious faiths. I fear and many others fear that down the road, knowing the other agenda items that are on the plate of those promoting a homosexual lifestyle, (there) would be a concern that chaplains would be restricted from proclaiming their faith tenets.

Another retired chaplain who served for 20 years, retired Air Force Chaplain Col. Jerry Rhyne states,

For me it was very disheartening, I tried to bring them hope and encouragement to live their life to the fullest and to help them deal with their issues. The scriptures and Gospels tell us we need to love our neighbors as ourselves. If you provide ministry on that basis, you can’t reject somebody on their lifestyle, but you have to love them as a human being. That’s a key element of providing chaplain services to military personnel wherever they are. The issue should not be upon the chaplain’s comfortability but it ought to be on how we provide pastoral care to the service personnel.

According to him its a matter of liberty, freedom, basic rights and over and above everything a matter of justice being delivered.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said,

There is an obligation to care for all. But it also is clear that the chaplains are not going to be asked to teach something they don’t believe in.

No matter what, one thing inspiring-ly unites them, that is their will to serve people,

Chaplains will always help people, always have … always will, no matter who comes their way.