Amendment needed in face of same-sex “marriage”

By Tom Strode - May 14, 2004 - comment

Massachusetts will begin issuing marriage licenses to homosexual couples May 17, apart from a dramatic, unexpected development.

As of May 13, courts had turned back various efforts by opponents of same-sex “marriage” to block the watershed event in American history. The Massachusetts legislature has passed an amendment to the state constitution that would ban homosexual “marriage” but permit civil unions. That is the first step in a three-part process, however. Legislators must approve it again next year. The earliest it could go to voters for final approval is 2006.

The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission is calling for Congress to pass a constitutional amendment recognizing marriage as between a man and a woman and to prevent courts from legalizing same-sex “marriage.” The ERLC has endorsed the Federal Marriage Amendment, which is S.J. Res. 30 in the Senate and H.J. Res. 56 in the House of Representatives. Sen. Wayne Allard, R.-Colo., and Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, R.-Colo., are the chief sponsors of the measures.

The ERLC is urging Southern Baptists and other concerned citizens to contact their senators and representatives seeking their support of the FMA. You may reach their offices by calling the Capitol switchboard, (202) 224-3121.

Further Learning

Learn more about: Family, Marriage, Sexual Purity, Homosexuality

Post a Comment




Notify me of follow-up comments?

Before You Submit Your Comment (below), Read This:

Thank you for your interest in the ministry of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (SBC).

Comments are moderated to preserve the family-oriented nature of this website and in an attempt to avoid comment spam. We welcome opposing viewpoints, and we will not turn comments away as long as your views are presented with respect to everyone.

Your comments will not appear immediately and are subject to editing or deletion. We will make every attempt to check new comments in a timely manner, though there will likely be delays on the weekends and around holidays.

Please follow the these guidelines to insure your comments will be posted:

  1. Use a real name, at least a real first name. We find folks are less-rude online when not hiding behind a screen-name.
  2. Name-calling and vulgar-language will not be tolerated. Zero-tolerance is our policy. We will not spend time editing profanity. If it contains foul language, your post will be deleted. Oh, and we decide what is and what is not vulgar.
  3. Comments must be on topic. General comments (compliments, complaints, and otherwise) are best delivered here or expressed on your own personal Web site.
  4. And please, do not type in ALL CAPS. It looks like you're screaming at people.

Additionally, within Baptist polity, please recognize that many issues and decisions are addressed at a local church level. SBC denominational (national) offices have no control and desire no control over the activities of a local church. This entity is not responsible for overseeing and insuring the ethical behavior of Southern Baptist pastors or church members. If your concern involves a legal civil or criminal matter, we suggest you contact the proper local officials.

Issues involving pastoral staff or other church members, local Baptist associations or state Baptist conventions are local issues. Therefore the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission cannot and should not address such issues. While we regret we are unable to assist you, we encourage you to seek a biblical resolution of the issue at the local church level. If your question or submission pertains to a matter covered in this text, it is likely we will not acknowledge your submission.

Other than that, we welcome you and hope to see thoughtful discussions at ERLC.com