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S. 3526: Military Religious Freedom Act of 2012
My senator, Roger Wicker, has introduced the Military Religious Freedom Act of 2012. A couple of things here:
1.) It's very interesting that it bears the exact same name as the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. I'm sure that's just an accident. Surely, the use of such Orwellian language could not be intentional.
2.) From TheHill.com blog: 'Under current Pentagon rules, military chaplains may decline any involvement in gay marriage ceremonies.' It's obvious that this bill is just more pandering to the theocratic right.
3.) The chaplains already have plenty of 'religious freedom'. They have so much of it, in fact, that they feel the need to force it upon vulnerable young cadets.
A real 'military religious freedom' act would impose penalties upon chaplains (and officers) who used their positions to coerce and pressure the 'unsaved' into their evangelical programs. Maybe Senator Wicker will work to defend the rights of soldiers who don't want christian fundamentalism shoved down their throats?
That, as Sheldon Cooper says, was sarcasm.
The text of the legislation follows.
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9/11/2012--Introduced.
Military Religious Freedom Act of 2012 - Requires the Armed Forces to accommodate the conscience and sincerely held moral principles and religious beliefs of its members concerning the appropriate and inappropriate expression of human sexuality, and prohibits the Armed Forces from using such conscience, principles, or beliefs (beliefs) as the basis of any adverse personnel action, discrimination, or denial of promotion, schooling, training, or assignment.
Prohibits any member from:
(1) directing, ordering, or requiring a chaplain to perform any duty, rite, service, or function that is contrary to his or her beliefs; or
(2) discriminating or taking any adverse personnel action against a chaplain for refusing to comply with a direction, order, or requirement that is against his or her beliefs.
Prohibits a military installation or other property owned, rented, or under the jurisdiction or control of the Department of Defense (DOD) from being used to officiate, solemnize, or perform a marriage or marriage-like ceremony involving anything other than the union of one man with one woman. |
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