CHAPLAIN ALLIANCE FOR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY February 4, 2013 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact CHAPLAIN ENDORSERS at info@chaplainalliance.org or call (571) 293-2427
Chaplain Alliance submits brief in support of DOMA
to the Supreme Court
WASHINGTON — Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty, an organization of chaplain endorsers, has submitted a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in support of upholding the federal Defense of Marriage Act. The brief emphasizes the importance of DOMA in assuring the continuing freedom of chaplains to speak about the good of marriage between one man and one woman, as clearly taught in Scripture.
The brief was signed by 21 endorsing agents who represent faith groups with more than 29,600,000 members across 68,000 local congregations. These agents endorse more than 2,500 military chaplains, well over one-third of the military’s chaplains.
“Redefining marriage poses a grave threat to free speech, freedom of conscience, and the free exercise of religion that the First Amendment guarantees and protects,” said Chaplain (COL) Ron Crews, USAR retired, executive director of Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty. “Our brief presents those points as well as a history of military chaplains and how they have served since 1775 in helping our military personnel exercise their religious liberties. DOMA has been the guardian that has allowed chaplains who hold to the orthodox understanding of marriage to continue to serve without compromise.”
“Coercing chaplains into silence or compromise because of a DOMA strike-down would violate the chaplain corps’ long history of integrity and honor,” Crews added. “The chaplaincy should not be threatened by a small group of activists who seem more interested in a social experiment than in protecting our nation.”
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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