A new Pentagon policy issued on September 30, 2011, allows military chaplains to perform same-sex weddings on military bases, as long as such unions are not prohibited by state law. But Chaplain (Colonel, retired) Ron Crews said this latest Defense Department memo "flies in the face" of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). "I am just stunned by the brazenness of this apparent permission for chaplains to violate federal law," said Crews.
Crews said all military bases are federal property and should respect federal laws such as DOMA, which states that the federal government can only recognize marriage as the union of one man and one woman. The Pentagon's new policy does not force a chaplain to perform same-sex ceremonies, but Crews said this changed military landscape might force conservative chaplains into a defensive posture, as some groups are likely to test the limits of the ruling.
(From WORLD magazine, Oct. 22, 2011 issue)
Comments