This week’s question on the Washington Post’s On Faith section asks: “Top U.S. defense
officials say they will repeal the decades-old ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy, which requires gay soldiers to keep their sexual orientation
secret. Homosexuality is often cast as a religious issue. Should religious
views be a factor in military decisions? Should the U.S. military repeal its
‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy?”
All but one answer indicates strong support for repealing
this discriminatory policy, which the Reform Movement has long opposed. The
responses – from leaders of various faith communities – are heartening and
hopeful. Read a few excerpts after the jump, click through to read full responses, and use our easy action alert system to send a pre-written letter to your members of Congress asking them to support repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
- “Competence, excellence in job
performance, and dedication to the service should be what determines a
soldier’s career path, not sexual orientation which has no impact at all upon
how well they perform the tasks set for them.”
– Pamela
K. Taylor, co-founder of Muslims for Progressive Values - “The question for me is not
whether ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ should be repealed, but why it’s
taking so long. If the United States can’t be a leader in civil rights, it
should at least not follow so far behind.”
– Herb
Silverman, Founder and President of the Secular Coalition for America - “Unless policymakers are
prepared to publicly claim that the full inclusion of gay soldiers will cause
God to curse our military, the answer on this one is a no-brainer. Gay people
should be able to serve our nation without fear of ‘detection’ or
shame about who they are.”
– Brad
Hirschfeld, President of CLAL — The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership - “Since the days of our founding
fathers, the United States has been committed to religious tolerance: a
commitment that means we do not judge our fellow Americans based on our own
religion. Keeping that promise is a matter of our nation’s integrity, no matter
what your religion.”
– Rev.
Dr. Janet Edwards, Co-Moderator of More Light Presbyterians - “Any military policy that asks
gay people to understand themselves as ‘stepchildren’ of God is wrong. God is
love, and love does not discriminate. It’s not all that complex, really.”
– Susan
Brooks Thistlethwaite, Professor, Chicago Theological Seminary - “‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ is
a discriminating, life-denying policy. It is both unconstitutional and
un-American since it in fact denies equal protection under the law. To
denigrate the humanity of another human being with both prejudice and ignorance
is hardly Christian either since it violates the purpose of Jesus, at least as
St. John’s Gospel understands that purpose.”
– John
Shelby Spong, Former Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Newark
Of course, support of repeal isn’t universal, as
evidenced by responses from Rev.
Chuck Colson, who says repeal would hinder military effectiveness, but it’s
encouraging to see leaders of so many faiths speaking out in favor of doing
away with this antiquated and discriminatory policy. And don’t forget – you can make your voice heard by writing to Congress now!