Military Should Keep Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Religious Beliefs
The Associated Press reported that a conference on the role of spirituality in the armed forces occurred at the University of California in Berkeley.
Dr. Pauletta Otis, a professor of security studies at the Marine Command and Staff College, reportedly said there was good reason for “secrecy” regarding individual religious beliefs within the military, and the military should maintain a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on religion:
The United States military should maintain its “don’t ask, don’t tell” strategy with religion, a Marine Corps University professor said…
Speaking to scholars at the gathering, Pauletta Otis said the Pentagon has good reason for its secrecy about U.S. soldiers’ beliefs.
“Not only is this research not available, but we don’t want it available because it would cause divisiveness,” said Otis…
It’s almost as if there’s an intentional reversing of the script…
Are people removed from the military if they mention their faith?
Doesn’t secrecy cause more divisiveness than openness?
What? Do these PhD types live/work in glass house or on another planet? Most military people I know don’t wear their religion on the there shirt sleeves. In fact, most keep their spiritual life and military life separate; not because they are hiding something, but because they want their spiritual life to be a private/personal matter.
Sometimes I get the impression that people who write about divisiveness are the ones that want divisiveness. A conference on the role of spirituality in the armed forces is a stupid waste of time and probably tax payer money. Let the troops decide on their own spiritual roles with their preachers and leave the rest of us alone for “research” sake!