Military Chaplains Punished for Marriage Beliefs

U.S. military chaplains and Christian service members are being punished for their beliefs on traditional marriage, according to the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty.

The group provided written testimony Tuesday about the impact of recent Department of Defense policies on religious liberty for service members, including chaplains.

The Chaplain Alliance cited many examples. One incident involved a service member being reprimanded for expressing his religious position on homosexuality in a personal blog.

Another example included a chaplain who was relieved of his command for refusing to allow same-sex weddings at a military chapel. And an Army Equal Opportunity Officer listed Christians and Ultra Orthodox Jews as religious extremists like the Klu Klux Klan and Al Qaeda in a power point presentation.

The new Defense Authorization Act requires the military to accommodate religious beliefs but the Obama administration is opposing those protections.

The Chaplain Alliance's testimony was sent at the invitation of the U.S. House Armed Service Committee.