DADT repeal and Catholic reaction

In yesterday's America Magazine blog, Michael Sean Winters opined on the repeal deal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, which was negotiated in Washington over the past few days with Secretary Gates' grudging acceptance. Quite a debate ensued, which I of course participated in. You can read the ongoing debate here http://www.americamagazine.org/blog/entry.cfm?blog_id=2&entry_id=2920

The "Unit Cohesion" argument eventual boils down to the ability of some members to have their moral scorn over another's sexuality treated with heightened respect in the areas of freedom of association and religion. Moral scorn is no more deserving of such protection under these rights than shouting fire in a theater should be protected under freedom of speech. The age when the United States should police the morality of its military members or civilian employees is over - as well it should be in a nation founded on the protection of individual rights. I talk about DADT in my book, Musings from the Christian Left in my essay on Iraq here http://xianlp.blogspot.com/2009/10/lessons-from-war-in-iraq-geocities.html and about gay rights here http://xianleft.blogspot.com/2009/10/gay-rights-geocities-rescue.html

Some will say we were founded as a Christian nation (which I spoke about a few days ago here http://xianleft.blogspot.com/2010/05/america-as-christian-nation.html. Actually, the founders of the government were deists and the original settlers were a particular kind of Christian - the anti-Catholic kind. For this reason, I am bemused whenever a Catholic uses the Christian Nation meme, since until 50 years ago it was used against Al Smith and was almost used against John F. Kennedy.

There is something unseemly about any group of people who were once a persectured minority who is no longer persecuted and instead persecutes others. The classical church did it in the 4th Century and now the American Church is doing it. Sad. It reminds me of the parable of the ungrateful servant.