The homophobia of today's Christian right is very clear in their fear that the "gay agenda" is trying to force Jesus' very heterosexual clergy pals to perform same sex marriage. While this is patently false, it does give the American Taliban conservative Christians an opportunity to reinforce their patented fear and loathing of the gay community and further divide godly Christian heterosexuals from the godless "sodomites." The Christian and very heterosexual GOP is submitting an amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill that would prevent the military, under the rubric of "religious freedom," from penalizing chaplains who refuse to preside over same sex wedding - as pointed out by House Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi who called it a "fraud" because they're currently not being required to do that. Fox & Friends, never wasting an opportunity to feature manufactured Christian "controversy," is on it with commentary from the official Fox priest, the Catholic and very heterosexual Fr. Jonathan Morris who, once again, did due diligence for the one, true faith of Roger Ailes and the GOP religious right.
Today, the Fox & Friends weekly Sunday with Father Jonathan Morris segment began with video of a military Catholic priest sayingMass.(Funny. While one imagines that Fox's audience is largely right wing evangelical Protestants, the only cleric who has been given a Fox pulpit, is Morris. Is Ailes pandering to papist for politics?) Dave Briggs reported that Nancy Pelosi "pushed back on a Republican proposal reinforcing the right of military chaplains to steer clear of gay marriages." He didn't mention that - allow me a Lewis Black moment - THEY ALREADY HAVE THAT RIGHT! - thanks, now I feel better. In using a meme of the Christian right, who hate Obama and oppose gay rights, Alysin Camerota framed the issue in terms of a question about whether the Obama administration is "disregarding religious liberty." The chyron framed the issue in terms of how the GOP and Christian right sees it: "It's a Fraud, Pelosi Attacks Provision to Protect Chaplains" which - another Lewis Black moment - THEY ALREADY F'ING HAVE!
Fr. Morris explained that Pelosi wasn't saying that chaplains must do gay marriages and this is a "fabricated crisis." So far so good. But then the little propaganda padre qualified this with "the other side of the story." He said that two chaplains said yes to his question about whether "there is good reason, now that don't ask, don't tell policy has been repealed, there is good reason that you might be required" to perform same sex marriages. Morris was almost breathless when he noted that these chaplains are under the line of command - unlike his situation where he answers to a bishop. (ROFLMAO, doesn't he also kneel to Roger Ailes?) Doing his best off Broadway theatrics, Morris blithered that while the chaplains might not be required to perform these ceremonies, "they might be looked down upon by their military superiors." (So, uh, they have a right to not be looked down upon. I thought these guys were macho military types!) Morris proclaimed "that there is good reason to be concerned" and we need to "watch out" and that it isn't a "manufactured controversy."
After Dave Briggs asked the scripted question about what else would lead Morris to believe that this could happen, Morris started the Obama bashing with a comment about "the history of the Obama administration in reference to the First Amendment" and - ready for it - "recognizing religious liberty" and how the "government can't form anyone to act against their conscience." He proclaimed that if "they willing to break it one level, why wouldn't they break it with the military." On cue, Briggs mentioned "the contraceptive mandate" - an issue with which Fox and the Catholic bishops are totally in tandem.
So there you have it. Father Morris predicts that the nasty, gay loving, Jesus hating Obama administration will force their chaplains to perform same sex marriage. As Nancy Pelosi notes, "the defense reauthorization bill is a grave topic and to sprinkle it with almost scare tactics … is really a frivolous exploitation of a very serious piece of legislation." Thus, it seems fitting that Foxpriest Fr. Jonathan Morris would promote the GOP position on a network that, in promoting GOP positions (Heterosexual Missionary Only) specializes in scare tactics and frivolous exploitation!