While equality advocates celebrated another small step today toward federal recognition of equal marriage, the Family Research Council and the National Organization for (Heterosexual) Marriage demanded that Congress punish and suppress military chaplains whose faith compels them to affirm equality.
Both organizations, which oppose religious freedom for all, want Congress to pass “conscience” provisions that would suppress pro-equality chaplains, preventing them from celebrating the marriage or union of same-sex couples despite their religious conviction to do so.
FRC and NOM make the absurd contention that preventing chaplains from practicing their faith somehow “protects” them. The yellow NOM graphic which accompanies this post exemplifies NOM’s destroy-religious-freedom-in-order-to-protect-it strategy.
NOM further persists with its false contention that Navy regulations somehow require chaplains to perform any marriage, gay or straight, that they disagree with. No such requirement exists. FRC, meanwhile, cries that “the military should not be exploited to advance this [Obama] administration’s social agenda.” It appears that FRC and NOM are the ones who are exploiting and suppressing free religious expression.
If I’m not mistaken, NOM should really withdraw from assaulting the military I serve, and worry about itself and its impending investigation by the California Fair Political Practices Commission. With any luck, those charlatans will end up in jail.
The problem with “conscience clauses” is that they erroneously assume that the people in question actually have a conscience.
Militant anti-gay pressure groups NOM and FRC continue their attacks on the faith of millions of pro-equality Americans. They need to stop trying to trample on the religious liberty of pro-equality military chaplains and service members. As a Christian gay man, I find homophobia sinful and morally repugnant. I should not have to abide by laws and rules which force me to ignore my faith and accept the pseudo-Christianity of homophobia. Neither should any member of the military. I hope someone sues these evil groups for infringing on the conscience and religious rights of pro-equality Americans in the military.
Despicable.
How dare they presume that their version of belief is the one that would serve humanity best?
I agree with Michael. They should be sued for attempting to infringe upon others’ religious freedom.
Pro-Equality Christians need to stand up, perhaps even fight fire with fire. Seems to be the only thing that these christo-fascists would respond to.