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Retired Military Chaplains Hit Rep McKeon On Threat To Defund Military

The Forum on the Military Chaplaincy is far from happy about the actions of House Armed Services Committee chairman Buck McKeon of California. McKeon wants desperately to impose his religious beliefs upon the military and the military’s chaplains. He has even threatened to kill the Defense Appropriations Bill if his ban on chaplains conducting same-sex marriages is not left in that bill.

Retired US Army Chaplain Colonel Paul Dodd stated “Many chaplains – Episcopal, Lutheran, United Church of Christ, and Unitarian Universalist Chaplains, among others – would be prevented from performing weddings or commitment ceremonies allowed by their denominations if Chairman McKeon gets his way. We stand for the rights of chaplains from all faiths to conduct services in accordance with that faith.”

Some conservative denominations have claimed that allowing lesbians and gays to serve impinges upon their religious freedoms to preach against homosexuality despite the fact that the Pentagon has been clear about this not being the case. Former Marine Captain Tom Carpenter, a member of FMC, stated “It seems there are those who want their own ‘religious freedom’ to discriminate against gays – but would deny the genuine religious freedom of others to conduct the ceremonies authorized by their faith.”

FMC is a group of “retired chaplains, ministers, and military veterans, advocating for a pluralistic and professional Military Chaplaincy, committed to free and diverse religious expression, and to the sacred values of personal integrity, selfless compassion, respect for others, and excellence in leadership. The Forum has worked for several years, mostly behind the scenes, to fight the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy they consider harmful to the military and to religious freedom.”