For background, read No 'Gay Marriage' Says Military Archdiocese and also read Celebrating Gay Victory over Military: Obama White House as well as Obama, Senate Full Assault on Marriage (DOMA) Begins
UPDATE 3/17/12: H.R. 3828, the Military Religious Freedom Protection Act, pending in a House committee, “guarantees rights of conscience and religious freedom to both chaplains and military personnel.”
-- From "Military Lets Chaplains Perform Gay Marriages" by Julian E. Barnes, Wall Street Journal 10/1/11
In a pair of memos, top Pentagon officials said military chaplains could participate in private same-sex-marriage ceremonies on or off military installations. The ceremonies must not be official Defense Department events and can't be held in violation of local laws. The decision came over the objection of Republican lawmakers.
. . . Clifford Stanley, the undersecretary of defense for personnel, said the ceremonies would be allowed on any military base, except where local law explicitly prohibits such private ceremonies. Six states the District of Columbia currently allow gay marriage.
. . . Republican lawmakers objected, saying such ceremonies would violate the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which restricts federal recognition of same-sex marriages.
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From "More than 2,000 Evangelical, Orthodox Chaplains Join Catholics in Opposing Pentagon Directive on Same-Sex Marriage" by Pete Winn, CNSNews.com 10/5/11
A national group representing more than 2,000 military chaplains from evangelical Christian and Orthodox backgrounds said on Wednesday that the Pentagon has launched a “direct assault” on marriage, and the chaplains they endorse will not be allowed to perform same-sex wedding ceremonies under any circumstances.
Dr. Ron Crews, executive director of the newly formed Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty, said . . . “By dishonestly sanctioning the use of federal facilities for ‘marriage counterfeits’ that federal law and the vast majority of Americans have rejected, the Pentagon has launched a direct assault on the fundamental unit of society – husband and wife.”
“While the memorandum acknowledges a chaplain’s right to not participate in same-sex ‘marriage’ ceremonies – a right not given by the Pentagon, but rather given by the Creator and protected by the chaplain’s faith group,” said Crews.
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From "Akin: DOD allowing chaplains to officiate same-sex marriages is illegal" by John T. Bennett, The Hill 9/30/11
Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.) charged Friday that a Pentagon decision to conduct same-sex marriages on military bases is part of a "liberal agenda" and is illegal.
“The Department of Defense has decided to put the White House’s liberal agenda ahead of following the law," Akin, chairman of the House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee, said in a statement Friday.
"The Defense of Marriage Act makes it clear that for the purposes of the federal government, marriage is defined as between one man and one woman," Akin said. "The use of federal property or federal employees to perform gay marriage ceremonies is a clear contravention of the law."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read Bishops Say Obama Destroying Societal Norm
