Support The Federal Marriage Amendment
Throughout history there have been times when the church has been called to speak with a prophetic voice to the culture. Now is such a time.A small but well organized and well funded group is launching an attack on the most fundamental institution ordained by God: the institution of marriage. Marriage is the first institution ordained by God and has served from the beginning as the foundation for continuation of the human race. Marriages form the basis of families. Families are the building blocks of societies and cultures. As Christians, we have a cultural mandate from God which includes acting as salt in a culture stained and corrupted by sin. Salt was used in ancient times as a preservative. Likewise, we are to act as preservatives to stop the moral decay in our culture. In addition to fulfilling the Great Commission, we are to be agents of common grace and work toward the restoration of culture. In so doing, we will bring the majesty of God and His righteousness to bear against the crumbling structures of a fallen society.
We are now in a situation in which some courts and local officials have decided to enforce their concept of justice in a matter that affects everyone in our nation. The result is that the desires of the few are being imposed upon the many. This small but vocal group is attempting to redefine the meaning of marriage to conform to their homosexual lifestyles. Further, they have strategically marketed their cause as a moral one, involving civil rights, and morally equivalent to the civil rights movement of Martin Luther King, Jr. This is a false comparison. In the case of gay “marriage”, no one’s civil rights have been violated. Everyone has a right to marry, and marriage means and has always meant a union between a man and a woman. What the homosexual community truly wants is societal and governmental approval of their lifestyle choices. They want moral legitimacy. If ever there was a time where the church needed to speak with moral clarity and with one voice, it is now.
The best hope of saving marriage from redefinition is a constitutional amendment to the U.S. Constitution defining marriage as between one man and one woman. An amendment such as this protects marriage from redefinition by either state legislatures or an activist liberal judge. Why federal legislation? It is naive to think that the adoption of same-sex civil "marriage" in one state would not affect the other 38 states (Virginia included) that have codified the definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman. For example, homosexual couples that may soon be allowed to "marry" in Massachusetts will inevitably seek recognition of their "marriages" in other locales. The outcome will be a flood of litigation across the country, and courts in other states may order full legal recognition be granted to same-sex "marriages," even over the will of the people and their elected representatives.
Why is this threat so serious?
One, legalizing homosexual marriage puts society’s stamp of approval on a lifestyle choice that is immoral and clearly condemned throughout scripture. It lays the groundwork for further legislation like the law recently passed in Canada. Only months after legalizing same-sex “marriage” in Canada, activists there successfully passed C-250, a bill criminalizing public statements against homosexuality, punishable by up to two years in prison. Say the wrong thing; go to jail. Further, churches could be forced to perform same sex unions. When courts -- as happened in Massachusetts -- find same-sex “marriage” to be a constitutional and fundamental human right, the ACLU will successfully argue that the government is underwriting discrimination by offering tax exemptions to churches and synagogues that only honor natural marriage.
Two, marriage between a man and a woman is God’s design for raising children. Unraveling this basic institution, to satisfy the lifestyle choices of a few, will cause serious harm to the fabric of our society for generations to come. Marriages form the basis of families. The purpose of a family is to produce the next generation. That makes this issue about the future. It is about the culture in which our children and grand children will raise their families. The stakes are serious.
Three, we have clear evidence of what happens to societies that water down the meaning of marriage. The Scandinavian countries granted societal and governmental approval to same sex marriages 10 years ago. It locked in, reinforced and escalated a trend toward the separation of marriage and parenthood. According to Stanley Kurtz, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution, Scandinavian gay marriage has driven home the message that marriage itself is outdated, and that virtually any family form, including out-of-wedlock parenthood, is acceptable. The result? In Denmark, sixty percent of first-born children have unmarried parents. The co-habitation statistics from Sweden and Norway are frightening. In the words of Kurtz, marriage is dying in Scandinavia. Gay marriage accelerated that death.
Remember, there are only three institutions ordained of God—the Church, the family, the government. It’s like a three-legged stool; take one away and the other two will not stand by themselves.
How can you make a difference?
One, pray earnestly and often about this issue. Any amendment to the constitution requires approval by two-thirds of each house of Congress and ratification by three fourths of the states. If a vote were taken today, the FMA would not pass. Several senators have said they simply aren't hearing from their constituents on this issue. The church, as a whole, has largely been silent. There are millions of evangelicals in this country, and most appear to be sitting this one out so far. With so much at stake, please pray for God to wake up Christians and give them the courage to get involved and speak with moral clarity.
(these are my senators in Virginia, go here for contact information on your senators)
Two, contact the offices of Senator George Allen and Senator John Warner request that they co-sponsor Senate Joint Resolution 26, the Federal Marriage Amendment. They need to hear from you. Call their offices once a week. Write letters. Their addresses and phone numbers are: Allen, George - (R - VA) (202) 224-4024, 204 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510; Warner, John - (R - VA) (202) 224-2023, 225 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510.
Three, write letters to the local newspapers. We need to speak for moral truth in the marketplace of ideas.
Four, sign a petition joining with Jim Dobson, Chuck Colson and other leaders supporting this amendment. The web address is http://www.pfm.org/BreakPoint/Petition
Five, learn more about the issue so you can talk to friends and family and defend the Biblical worldview. Here are some helpful web sites.
Focus on the Family
Institute For Marriage and Public Policy
Family Research Council
Campaign for Working Families
The Senate has announced a vote on the FMA for July. House leaders have promised action this summer. There is no more time to wait.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home