CHAPLAIN ALLIANCE FOR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY May 30, 2019 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact CHAPLAIN ENDORSERS at info@chaplainalliance.org, or call (678) 327-1498
Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty so-called ‘Equality Act,’ warns against consequences of passage
WASHINGTON, DC — The following quote may be attributed to Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty Executive Director Douglas Lee regarding the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of H.R. 5, the so-called “Equality Act,” a bill that, if passed into law, would deepen inequality and create additional victims:
“Our laws should protect the constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of every citizen, no matter who they are. Every person should be treated with dignity and respect, but the so-called ‘Equality Act’ threatens religious liberty and poses significant harms within a diverse range of American sectors: women’s opportunities and privacy, kids in foster care, the conscience rights of medical professionals, religious colleges & churches, creative professionals and their businesses. If this bill were to pass, religious believers who serve as hospital and military chaplains would lose fundamental constitutional rights and freedoms. Specifically, the language in this law would mandate that our military chaplains perform religious ceremonies in conflict with their conscience and religious convictions. This bill seeks to establish a governmental faith practice by prohibiting houses of worship, clergy, and chaplains from following or abiding by their doctrines, beliefs, and practices in the areas of marriage, sexual behavior, and the distinctions between men and women. We all want to promote equality, but the so-called ‘Equality Act’ guarantees inequality and removes freedoms. It doesn’t create equality, it creates victims. Our elected leaders can and must do better.”
Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty is an organization of chaplain endorsers, the faith groups that provide chaplains for the U.S. military and other agencies needing chaplains. The endorsers in Chaplain Alliance speak for more than 2,600 chaplains serving the Armed Forces.
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