Interesting Politico piece on a GOP congressman trying to ban military chaplains from performing same-sex marriage cerimonies. DOMA's ban on having the federal government accept such marriages is a good idea, but I'm not sure if banning the cerimonies is a valid given the First Amendment.
That puts Congress in the position of what can and can't go into a church service; as much as I think such a service is a bad idea, a same-sex couple has a right to do such a service. Their state government might not recognize it and the federal goernment doesn't recognize it at present (the Obama team wants to change that) but having a misguided pastor blessing it is something that the free-exercise clause in the First Amendment covers.
I comment on that Politico piece that "religious freedom isn't always a conservative thing." One commentor added
Yet they seem to believe that they own the patent to it :(
I replied
I think the patent has expired; you only get 17 years and I think Jerry Falwell filed it circa 1980.
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