How Can Southern Baptist Military Chaplains Continue to Serve ‘God and Country’?

I’m so tired of hearing about anti-gay “conscience protections”. There was a time that the military provided safe-haven for racists who based their bigotry on deeply held personal and religious beliefs. Then President Truman issued an executive order that abolished racial discrimination and they were no longer allowed to be openly racist. There was a time when misogyny pervaded the military, and although we still do not have full gender equality, at least it isn’t acceptable to be openly sexist. Yet despite the broad public and Congressional support of repealing DADT, a Supreme Court decision repealing DOMA, and policies from the Department of Defense and individual service chiefs implementing open and equal service for gay and lesbian service members, it is still somehow acceptable for people to publicly state their opinions to the contrary and escape any accountability–indeed be granted legal protection–for doing so. I joined the military, not a church. I therefore don’t care what some churches have to say about my sexuality or my marriage. I don’t care what anyone else thinks about my sexuality. I do care when they expect a government-sponsored platform or pulpit from which to evangelize or proselytize their bigotry. As a member of the U.S. Armed Forces, I expect to be treated with dignity, professionalism, and respect. That anyone should even consider granting chaplains (or anyone else) the right to insult me or my family openly and publicly, be it in a chapel or an office, is not acceptable. It’s offensive and totally contrary to our nation’s and military’s values.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Author: Matthew

U.S. Marine Corps officer living in North Carolina. The views expressed here are my own, and are in no way intended to represent the United States Marine Corps, Department of Defense or any of its components.

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