David Pakman said this interview was a stunner, and he wasn’t kidding. Quick recap on disgraced liar and former Navy Chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt: he is a wingnut martyr for the extremist Christian right who received a dishonorable discharge from the Navy for simple insubordination. He, however, lies and claims that he was forced out of the Navy because they wouldn’t allow him to “pray in Jesus’ name.” This has been debunked thoroughly and his allies know it, but fundamentalist mouths don’t mind lying when it serves their purposes. In short, Klingenschmitt fits right in.
David interviewed Klingenschmitt for this week’s David Pakman Show, and it was amazing. It starts with a normal human-to-wingnut discussion of DADT repeal, but then the wingnut goes off the rails, completely and thoroughly. Check it: he advocates EXORCISM as the one true way to “cure” homosexuality, and then goes off on a long tangent about how gay men are lying when we say we’re gay, and that saying we’re gay is the same thing as claiming we are women! This is yet another example of the close correlation between a hatred of gay people and a deep hatred of women, as this sort of statement, from a man who doesn’t strike me as the epitome of “manliness” in the first place, must be taken in the context of their belief that women are inherently inferior. But it’s truly amazing in the year 2011 to hear religious extremists refer to “diseases” being caused by “demons.” Is Klingenschmitt aware of scientific advancement in the past 500 years, or is his Dungeons and Dragons belief system just more important to him than reality?
Also, there is a point where he describes a creepy ceremony he held with a lesbian sailor, but I won’t spoil that fer ya.
The video is below, or if you want, you can download the podcast. I thoroughly enjoyed the first ten minutes of the show, and I think y’all will too.
I sure hope Klingenschmitt got to keep whatever helmets the military issued him, because he obviously needs them.
*LOVE* the Pakman! I really admire his ability to remain considerate and respectful in the face of such idiocy.
Oh my. My ears are bleeding.
Above was posted before I heard the unbelievable contortion of logic in which he posits that DADT enforcement is actually gays telling the truth about themselves, not the repeal. Breathtaking. This man’s delusions are simply breathtaking.
Guuuuuuh. Homophobia, misogyny, belief in demons and exorcism . . . where did Pakman FIND this guy!?
Pakman is great–and this interview is truly amazing. There were times this chaplain said such insane things I thought this must be a put-on. It’s terrifying that this man was allowed to counsel young service members. That a troubled young lesbian went to him only to be called a filthy demon and burst into tears is horrifying–and he tells the story as a way to elevate himself. Appalling that this type of person was allowed to counsel anyone.
Glad they are getting this guy OUT of the military. I found this statement from his former CO that should put to rest any idea that he is being persecuted:
“Recently when the Kentucky legislature honored Klingenschmitt Capt. Norm Holcomb, command chaplain at Naval Station Norfolk himself a “born-again evangelical Christian” sent an e-mail to the Kentucky House presenting the facts about the Klingenschmitt controversy. In it he wrote:
“I was the dishonored ex-chaplain’s supervisor for the past 2 years. I found him to be totally untruthful, unethical and insubordinate. He was and is contemptuous of all authority. He was not court martialed for praying in Jesus’ name. I sent him out in uniform every week to pray at various ceremonies and functions. He always prayed in uniform and in Jesus’ name. He was never told that he could not pray in Jesus’ name. In fact, the issue of prayer had nothing at all to do with his dismissal from the Navy. He disobeyed the lawful order of a senior officer.”
Holcomb added, “We have been relatively quiet regarding our ex-chaplain’s untruthfulness and lack of honor because we are embarrassed that one of our own could display such behavior in the name of our Lord. We wanted to spare all concerned the embarrassment associated with his dishonesty. However, it now seems that it would be wrong for those of us who know the truth to remain silent. I served with him and supervised him (as best as it was possible to supervise a person who refused to submit to lawful authority) and I know about his daily dishonesty and ‘spin’ of the truth.”
ER — do you think that a better comparison than “his dungeons and dragons belief system” might be found? I have played D and D for well over 20 years. It defined my closest social group as a youth, I have been a regional director for the national organization of players and we (Jonathan and I) continue to go to either 2 or 3 conventions per year (though conventions do not showcase the best of the people who play D and D sometimes). All of my partners, including my present one of nearly 2 decades, were met across the gaming table – and I have NEVER encountered actual hatred and prejudice from a gamer except once – and I confronted that immediately and it vanished away. There are a LOT of better metaphors than one that seems to belittle a community that has not and will not do gays any harm.
Regards,
Reyn