AFA of PA ACTION ALERT

December 10, 2012

Issue

Military Religious Freedom Act Introduced

Details

U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Jim Inhofe (R-OK) have introduced
S 3526,  the Military Religious Freedom Act.  This bill, if passed, would do two things:

(1) prevent military chaplains from being forced to perform a marriage ceremony if the chaplain objects for reasons of conscience and (2) prohibit marriage or marriage-like ceremonies at military facilities that are not a union between one man and one woman.

So far, there are only four other co-sponsors and none are from Pennsylvania.  They are Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO), Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX). 

The first same-sex “marriage” in a military chapel was at Fort Polk, LA this past May.  Most recently, Thanksgiving weekend and the following weekend each saw a same-sex “marriage” performed at West Point.  Additionally, the Department of Defense proclaimed June as “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month.”  The Defense of Marriage Act still stands, but last year Obama’s Department of Defense authorized military chaplains to perform same-sex marriages in accordance with state law.

The bill has been read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Armed Services.

Action Steps

Contact Senator Bob Casey, Jr. and Senator Pat Toomey and ask them to sign on as co-sponsors to  S3526 to protect the right of conscience of military chaplains who oppose same-sex “marriage” and, in accordance with the Defense of Marriage Act, to only recognize marriages between one man and one woman at military facilities.

Contact Senator Casey by calling his DC office at (202) 224-6324 or using the contact form here. 

Contact Senator Toomey by calling his DC office at (202) 224-4254 or using the contact form here.

Also, call their district office nearest you.  Click here for that information.

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