Tuesday, December 28, 2010

The repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is beginning to bear fruit

WorldNetDaily is reporting that half of the Marine Corps may leave over the repeal of DADT.  If only the Obama administration had listened to the Archbishop for the Military Services, His Excellency The Most Rev. Timothy Broglio.  In a recent statement, His Excellency said that:
"In a response to a request from the Chiefs of Chaplains of the Armed Forces I communicated some considerations and concerns regarding the proposal to change the existing legislation regarding persons with a homosexual orientation in the military. In fulfilling my role as the chief shepherd of Catholics in the United States Armed Forces, I have had the opportunity of visiting many installations in the recent past. A number of chaplains and commanding officers have expressed concerns about the effects of a change. There is a request for guidance.

The teaching of the Catholic Church is clearly expressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity,140 tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered."141 They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.

2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.

2359 Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.

Consequently, those with a homosexual orientation can expect respect and treatment worthy of their human dignity. The prohibitions regarding sexual harassment and intimidation refer just as much to homosexuals as to anyone else. However, unions between individuals of the same gender resembling marriage will not be accepted or blessed by Catholic chaplains. Furthermore 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.

This means that Catholic chaplains must show compassion for persons with a homosexual orientation, but can never condone--even silently--homosexual behavior. A change might have a negative effect on the role of the chaplain not only in the pulpit, but also in the classroom, in the barracks, and in the office.

A more fundamental question, however, should be raised. What exactly is the meaning of a change? No one can deny that persons with a homosexual orientation are already in the military. Does the proposed change authorize these individuals to engage in activities considered immoral not only by the Catholic Church, but also by many other religious groups? Will there be changes in the living conditions, especially in the AOR?

There is no doubt that morality and the corresponding good moral decisions have an effect on unit cohesion and the overall morale of the troops and effectiveness of the mission. This Archdiocese exists to serve those who serve and it assists them by advocating moral behavior. The military must find ways to promote that behavior and develop strong prohibitions against any immoral activity that would jeopardize morale, good morals, unit cohesion and every other factor that weakens the mission. So also must a firm effort be made to avoid any injustices that may inadvertently develop because individuals or groups are put in living situations that are an affront to good common sense.

I think that those questions require an adequate response. The effect of a repeal of the current legislation has the potential of being enormous and overwhelming. Nothing should be changed until there is certainty that morale will not suffer. Sacrificing the moral beliefs of individuals or their living conditions to respond to merely political considerations is neither just nor prudent especially for the armed forces at a time of war. Catholics believe that nothing will be done if there is a careful and prudent evaluation of the effects of a change.

For years, those struggling with alcoholism have benefitted 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.

The Archdiocese for the Military Services--the only jurisdiction charged with the pastoral care of all Catholics in the military, VA Administration, and at the service of the Federal Government outside of the boundaries of the United States, which is also charged with endorsing Roman Catholic priests urges the Congress not to repeal the current policy for the Armed Forces."

Meditate very carefully on this part of the Archbishop's statement: "Sacrificing the moral beliefs of individuals or their living conditions to respond to merely political considerations is neither just nor prudent especially for the armed forces at a time of war." 
 
Translation: The Obama White House shouldn't throw the moral beliefs of heterosexual soldiers whose religious beliefs prohibit homosexuality into the garbage bin just to score political points with the radical homosexual lobby.  And these same heterosexual men shouldn't have to share close living quarters with homosexual men since this would make them uncomfortable and negatively impact unit cohesion and morale.

We already know what Obama thinks about the religious beliefs of these soldiers.  He could care less about them.  In fact, he has ridiculed these religious beliefs, describing them as "worn out arguments."  Apparently soldiers who are Christian, Jewish or Muslim and who object to homosexuality on moral grounds are now considered second-class citizens by the Obama White House.
 
 

10 comments:

Ted Loiseau said...

With regard to the religious beliefs of soldiers the Obama administration has a policy. It's called "Don't Know, Don't Care." Or DKDC.

Ellen Wironken said...

I think the image of a tattered U.S. flag is most appropriate. The repeal of DADT is only going to contribute to the ripping apart of the fabric of this once-great nation. What a moral tragedy. Shame on President Obama. Shame on our elected officials.

markomalley said...

You correctly published CCC 2357-2359. However, some apologists for sodomy use those very paragraphs to justify their support for homosexualizing the military. I would suggest that you also include, as clarifying remarks, some comments from the CDF in their 1992 comments, Some considerations concerning the response to legislative proposals on the non-discrimination of homosexual persons:

-----------------
10. “Sexual orientation” does not constitute a quality comparable to race, ethnic background, etc. in respect to non-discrimination. Unlike these, homosexual orientation is an objective disorder (cf. Letter, no. 3) and evokes moral concern.

11. There are areas in which it is not unjust discrimination to take sexual orientation into account, for example, in the placement of children for adoption or foster care, in employment of teachers or athletic coaches, and in military recruitment.

-----------------

The surrender of traditional values to the whims of the sodomites cannot happen without the explicit rejection of 3,500 years of divine revelation on the subject. That, in of itself, has some profound implications for our society.

Stewart said...

So a marine or army grunt etc now has to shower and change in front of men who can openly flaunt their homosexual lifestyle. And that's fair to normal heterosexual men....how? I can definitely see this killing troop morale.

Paul Anthony Melanson said...

Mark, thanks for your comment. In point of fact, I have quoted extensively from Considerations in the past. The statement within this Blog post was actually crafted by Archbishop Timothy Broglio and my commentary follows.

Your statement that, "The surrender of traditional values to the whims of the sodomites cannot happen without the explicit rejection of 3,500 years of divine revelation on the subject. That, in of itself, has some profound implications for our society" is dead on.

Thanks for the comment Mark. God bless!

Paul Anthony Melanson said...

Ellen, thank you much. I couldn't agree more. This horrendous decision will indeed contribute greatly to the disintegration of this nation. Dr. Abram Kardiner, a distinguished anthropologist, psychologist and psychoanalyst, has said that homosexuality becomes epidemic in morally rotting societies on the verge of total collapse.

We're just about there now. The termite society [as Gabriel Marcel called it] cannot sustain itself for long. Once the moral fibre has been eaten away, the structure simply collapses.

End game.

Anonymous said...

When asked on Fox News Sunday about the DADT repeal, Cardinal Wuerl of Washington, DC, replied, "That is a question that has to be worked out politically. And there isn't a specific Catholic Church position."

Paul Anthony Melanson said...

Yes, but not all Bishops can carry the Catechism of the Catholic Church in their back pockets. There's not enough room.

Thanks for the comment.

Paul Anthony Melanson said...

I've nominated Cardinal Wuerl for the Walter Duranty Award at my Facebook page.

Runner up: Nancy Pelosi for her brilliant speech about "The Word."

Why do I have the sudden urge to set my hair on fire?

Paul Anthony Melanson said...

Remember General Bostick's comment?

http://www.freerepublic.com/
focus/bloggers/2592826/posts

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