Pentagon telling chaplains to break the law

Charlie Butts
OneNewsNow
10/3/2011

A Pentagon edict for same-sex union ceremonies in the military continues to receive reaction, including from a national defense analyst.

Lt. Col. Bob Maginnis (USA-Ret.), who now serves as senior fellow for national security at the Family Research Council (FRC), tells OneNewsNow that the Pentagon's decision on Friday to allow military chaplains to perform same-sex "wedding" ceremonies -- whether on or off military installations -- tells those officials to violate the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage as between one man and one woman.

He stresses that such officials are paid by the federal government, and he believes that even if the ceremonies are conducted by chaplains as private citizens, they will still be violating the law, "because a chaplain is on duty 7/24; they're never off duty -- just like every soldier, sailor, airman, and marine in the armed forces today. So that's important to understand when you put this particular issue in context," he says. the rest