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2,000-plus chaplains saying 'no' to Pentagon
by Chad Groening
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=1453178
10/10/2011
Despite a recent Pentagon directive, a coalition of chaplain endorsers that represents more than 2,000 military ministers has pledged not to perform same-sex "wedding" ceremonies under any circumstances.
Members the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty are concerned about the memorandum issued by the Pentagon September 30 that authorizes military chaplains to perform same-sex "marriage" ceremonies and military chapel facilities to be used for "any private ceremony."
Col. Ron Crews (USA-Ret.), who served as a chaplain for 28 years, is executive director of the Alliance. He says his coalition is joining the Catholic Archdiocese for Military Services to say "no" to the directive.
"They made a very strong statement saying that no Catholic chaplains serving in the military will participate in any same-sex ceremonies at any chapels. We appreciate that strong stand," he shares. "So we just wanted to let the Department of Defense know that it's not only the Catholic chaplains, but that some 2,000 chaplains who come from evangelical backgrounds are saying our chaplains will not participate in same-sex ceremonies in the military." Crews says the Alliance is once again calling on Congress to enact a right of conscience clause in the revised code to ensure that no American service members are forced to deny what the Bible says about homosexuality.
Last week a spokesman for the Catholic Archdiocese for Military Services said "no Catholic chaplain is authorized to perform a same-sex wedding under any circumstances," and pointed out that the Pentagon's new policy "appears to ignore the Defense of Marriage Act, which was signed into law 15 years ago and remains in effect." There are approximately 300 Roman Catholic priests certified for active-duty military service.
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