Tag Archives: marriage

New Air Force Lead Lawyer on Religion, Homosexuality

Homosexual activists recently emphasized the fact the US Senate just confirmed a “gay attorney” as the new General Counsel of the US Air Force. Mr. Gordon Tanner has taken on the civilian role akin to the uniformed JAG of the Air Force.  Tanner also retired as a Reserve JAG; interestingly, he may have worked on courts-martial or discharges enforcing the ban on homosexuals even as he continued to serve.  Still, those activists missed the more newsworthy expression of Tanner’s view on religious expression and homosexuality in the military:

May a member of the armed forces who has a sincerely held belief in opposition to same-sex marriage be subject to adverse personnel action or similar other adverse action, if he or she shares those personal views on the subject in a personal capacity?

Tanner: No. A member of the armed forces Read more

Air Force Article Celebrates Pride, Slights Faith

In what was probably an attempt at clever semantics, Aviano Air Base advertised its homosexual “Pride Month” as “Celebrating ‘Pride,’ condemning prejudice.” Unfortunately, the inarticulate result is a title that implies the Air Force celebrates sexuality and “condemns” the opposing view of its religious Airmen as “prejudice.”

Interestingly, the spokesperson for Aviano’s event cited diversity not only in sexuality, but also in religion [emphasis added]:  Read more

UCC Church Sues to Perform Homosexual Weddings

The United Church of Christ has joined a lawsuit in North Carolina claiming its religious freedom is being infringed by a law and the state constitution, which define marriage as one between a man and a woman.

North Carolina criminalizes the act of marrying someone without a valid license — and since no license will be issued to same-gender couples, multiple-partners, or anyone else who isn’t one man and one woman, clergy who performed services for such “marriages” could theoretically be subject to criminal penalties.  Since the UCC wants to perform homosexual weddings, they assert their religious exercise is being restricted:

Attorney Jake Sussman, who is representing the plaintiffs, says this is the only existing marriage equality case to make a First Amendment claim. It’s also the first case for marriage Read more

Bishop Holds Confirmation at Fort Hood Chapel

A local US Army article notes that Bishop Neal Buckon from the Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services recently attended the Spirit of Fort Hood Chapel to hold a confirmation:

The sacrament of Confirmation is one of the seven sacraments revered by members of the Catholic community to retain their relationship with God: Baptism, Eucharist (or Communion), Reconciliation, Marriage, Holy Orders and Anointing of the Sick.

The article goes through each of the sacraments and explains their significance to the Catholic faith — including, notably, the specifics of how Catholics view marriage:  Read more

Military Chaplains Support Marriages across Distance

Chaplains deployed to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, started a program that would enable real-time, live counseling to occur between deployed servicemembers and their families back home:

“We are using technology to reduce the many miles which divide service members from their loved ones,” [Chaplain (Maj) James Buckman] said. “Before this program, when a marriage was going through a hardship we would usually hear one side of the story. Now we can listen to both parties and help counsel both individuals. We are not only the service member’s chaplain, we are the chaplain of the family member as well.”

Read more

CNN Columnist Solves Issue of Sexual Assault

A few weeks ago Roxanne Jones, by-lined as 2010 Woman of the Year from Women in Sports and Events, wrote an article at CNN with an astonishing perspective on sexuality in the modern era.

First, she notes how she sent her son off to college:

I filled my son’s duffel bag with about 300 condoms and told him watch out for party girls but have fun; meet new people but stay focused on academics…

Parents need to step up. I’m doing my part, raising a son to respect women…

Given the current culture, she feels she may have left out an important message for the modern era [emphasis added]:

Never have sex with a girl unless she’s sent you a text that proves the sexual relationship is consensual beforehand. And Read more

Chaplains Praise Post-DADT Military, Criticize Fellow Chaplains

In a Unitarian Universalist article entitled “End of DOMA brings new openness for military chaplains,” a chaplain and his endorser recently spoke about the ability to be “more open” now that DADT has been repealed:

[Unitarian Universalist] chaplains are now able to more easily support soldiers who are lesbian, gay, or bisexual and to help provide services for them and their families…

“The big difference is in my ability to be much more open myself about what my stance is,” said Chaplain (Captain) George Tyger, an active duty UU military chaplain. “As a UU minister, I represent the Unitarian Universalist Association in the military. Before DADT went down, I had to tiptoe around the issue, and now I don’t. I can say, ‘This is how I feel; I’m 100 percent affirming.’”

It’s an interesting highlight in an era in which most people seem to assume military chaplains universally have a problem with homosexuality.

By the same token, its no small irony that while a “100% affirming” military chaplain now has the confidence to boldly proclaim his support for homosexuality, non-affirming chaplains have reportedly had their confidence Read more

Homosexuals Claim Discrimination over Military Marriage Retreat

As repeal of the policy known as “don’t ask, don’t tell” was occurring “uneventfully,” critics of repeal repeatedly noted that the other shoe had yet to drop on certain points of controversy.

For example, how would the military handle the potential of homosexuals wanting to attend marriage seminars or retreats — when the chaplains who lead them may not affirm a homosexual lifestyle, and the troops who attend them may theologically disagree with homosexuality?

It would seem the shoe finally dropped — and homosexual advocates have claimed “discrimination.”

For its part, the Air Force appears to have been the first service to publish explicit guidance on how to handle such situations:

When you advertise a [Marriage Care] retreat, announce the chaplain who will be leading the event and the chaplain’s endorser.  If the chaplain is permitted to train same-gender couples in a MC event, then you may register all eligible married couples.  However, if the chaplain is not permitted to train same-gender couples in a MC event, be prepared to offer…a MC event at another base or at a later date to a same-gender married couple.

If a same-gender married couple will be attending a MC event, make this known to the other couples as they register.  If those couples choose not to register for this event, be prepared to offer them…a MC event at another base or at a later date.

As was discussed at the time, the Air Force has recognized Read more

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